Oven stays cold or never reaches temperature? Learn the usual causes on gas and electric ovens, what you can safely check, and when to call for repair.
Whirlpool lists (opens in a new tab) a faulty igniter on gas ovens and a broken heating element on electric ovens as common reasons an oven will not heat. Before assuming either one, rule out the simple causes. Make sure the oven is off and cool before you look inside.
Start with the simple checks
- Confirm the clock and controls are on. A blank display points to power, not the heating parts.
- Check the breaker. Electric ovens use a double breaker, so switch it fully off and then back on.
- On a gas oven, make sure the gas valve behind the range is open and that the cooktop burners light.
- Look for a demo or showroom mode in the settings. It can light the display without heating.
- Remove any foil from the oven floor. Whirlpool warns (opens in a new tab) that foil linings can block air flow and trap heat.
What the symptoms tell you
On an electric oven, look at the bake element once the oven is cold. A break, a blister or a section that never glows points to a failed element. If the broiler works but baking does not, the fault is often in the bake circuit. On a gas oven, an igniter that glows weakly may not open the gas valve, so the burner never lights.
If it heats, but not correctly
An oven that burns food or bakes slowly may have a temperature sensor problem. Whirlpool notes (opens in a new tab) that a sensor out of position, or an element sitting too close to it, can cause wrong readings. A worn door gasket also lets heat escape. Try an oven thermometer on the middle rack before you change any settings.
When to call
Call if the breaker keeps tripping, the element has sparked, or the igniter needs replacing. If you ever smell gas, turn nothing on or off, leave the house and call your gas utility from outside. Our oven repair page lists more faults, and we repair ovens at homes in Montgomery County and Howard County.
