Electric Oven Not Working But Stove Top Is: Reasons And Solutions

It’s frustrating when the electric oven not heating up properly but it happens a lot. I got frustrated too seeing my Frigidaire electric oven not working but stove top is just fine!

So, I did some digging and came across a lot of reasons behind that. Oh…there is more than one reason! And those reasons are applicable to any brands you may have.

I want to share those issues and tell you exactly what to do. Keep reading!

Reasons Why Electric Oven Is Not Working

Tappan electric oven not working but stove top is

If the stove works fine but the oven is not heating up, it means the baking and broils elements are functional but you may have a blown internal fuse case.

Of course, there could be several other reasons and there are some solutions worth your considerations. Here are some of them:

  • Damaged Power Source

For any electrical equipment, this is where you should look first. Almost every electric oven requires 240 volts of AC current.

The 240 volts travel through two legs of the oven (120 volts each). A simple tripped breaker may disrupt the electricity flow to any legs and in that case, your oven won’t get any power and won’t start.

There could be so many other reasons for not getting enough electricity to function properly. Use a multimeter to test the power source setting its volt to AC. It should read between 210 to 240 volts.

If you don’t get that reading, check for a blown fuse or tripped breaker. Replace them if needed and restart your oven again.

  • Damaged Heating Element

There are two heating elements in your electric oven (in most cases). For the broil function, there is a heating element at the top and for the baking function, there is another at the bottom.

For regular use, such heating elements can wear out or damaged over time. Any defective heating element is the most likely cause of why your oven is not heating up.

After disconnecting the electricity, you can check it yourself.

If there is any spot that looks cracked or blistered, you need to replace the element. The outside coil of the elements may appear rusty when they are damaged.

A burnt-out heating element will glow a bright red and requires repair or replacement. You don’t have to replace the two. If one element is heating up but the other is not, just replace that other one.

  • Bad Relays

Ovens with two heating elements normally have two relays. A bad relay won’t let the oven to function properly or reach the set temperature.

You can run a check to see if this is the case. To do so, turn off the electricity and remove the oven’s back panel. You will find them nearby the heating elements.

Now, test the relays using a Vohm. You must remove the wires connecting the relays and reattaching them to the terminals of the ohm testing.

If there is no reading or below the owner’s manual, you may need to replace them.

  • Electronic Control Board

Whether you have a Kenmore oven, Tappan electric oven, or any other brand, there is a control board in there. It controls the broil, baking elements, every other function of the oven.

So, if you see the stove is working but the electric oven and clock is not working, this is something you must check. It’s not easy to do. For visible signs of damages, look for burning or shorts.

If you don’t have the equipment needed to test the board, you should call a professional.

  • Wiring and Fuses Issues

If both of the heating element is not working, it can be due to the blown fuses or wiring issues. Only a professional electrician should diagnose and fix these problems.

And it’s natural that when your oven gets older, the heat can cause the wire housing to melt and you will have exposed wires!

You may have a short circuit in the wiring or there may be a problem in the control board if you find any blown fuses. It happens a lot during the power surge or power outage.

I would not recommend you to check and fix those problems unless you are qualified in this regard. Considering the involvement of various meters to check such stuff, it’s better to hire a pro.

  • Defective Oven Sensor

The control board of the oven works with the oven sensor. As you can guess, it monitors the oven temperature.

When your oven reaches your set temperature, the control board disconnects the voltage to the heating elements. This cycle keeps repeating throughout the entire cooking process.

With a defective sensor, your oven may not start at all. There are several signs of a bad oven temperature sensor. You can use a multimeter to test the resistance of your sensor at a temperature.

If you don’t get 1100 ohms of resistance, it’s time to replace the sensor.

Some ovens have a temperature sensing bulb to control the oven’s temperature instead of the digital sensor. In that case, if the bulb is loose or burnt out, you may need to re-adjust it or replace it.

  • Burnt out Selector Switch

It changes the oven settings from bake to broil and vice versa. If the selector switch is ticking or defective, it may prevent the oven from functioning properly.

A quick check of the selector switch may reveal the problem of the oven’s failure. If you find the switch is not working, you may need to replace the switch.

If you are confident, you can open the oven panel from the back of the oven and remove the selector switch. Just pull off the knob and it will remove it.

Accordingly, replace the old switch with the newly purchased switch and test your oven again.

Now, watch this video to troubleshoot your electric oven like a PRO!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why does my electric oven keep blowing a fuse?

Answer: Dead short or earth leakage is the most common reason why your electric oven keeps blowing the fuse. You should run some tests to be confident about it. There are several tests to run to be sure about it.

Do electric ovens have a fuse?

Answer: Yes. Almost all the electric ovens have internal fuses to protect the oven and there are plenty of reasons they can blow. Instead of trying to fixing the fuses, you should replace the blown fuse completely.

What would cause an electric oven to stop working?

Answer: There are plenty of reasons why your oven won’t heat up or stop working altogether. It could be due to a blown fuse, damaged control panel of the oven, damaged heating element, faulty temperature sensor, and so on!

How do I know if my oven fuse is blown?

Answer: The easy way to check whether the fuse is blown or not is to check it with a multimeter. Set a continuity test with the multimeter to be sure about it.

How do I fix my electric oven that won’t heat?

Answer: Check the internal fuse, temperature sensor, heating elements, etc. Whatever is damaged, replace them. If you are not sure about it, call a professional.

Final Thoughts

Irrespective of the brands, the above-mentioned issues are common. You should follow the same process and recommendations when your Kenmore oven not working but stove top is.

Just don’t blame the brand. It happens to every one of them. So, if you can fix the problems yourself, good luck!

If you can’t, just call a professional.

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