Why Is My Oven Not Heating?

An oven that won't heat at all, or won't reach the temperature you set, usually has one of a few specific causes depending on whether it's gas or electric.

A failed bake element (electric ovens). The bake element is the coil at the bottom of the oven that provides most of the heat. When it fails, you may notice it doesn't glow red when the oven is heating.

A failed igniter (gas ovens). The igniter needs to get hot enough to open the gas valve and light the burner. A weakening igniter is one of the most common gas oven repairs.

A faulty temperature sensor or thermostat. If the oven's sensor is giving inaccurate readings, the oven may think it has reached temperature when it hasn't, or shut off too early.

Control board issues. On newer ovens, a control board fault can prevent the heating elements or igniter from receiving the signal to turn on at all.

Because these components interact, an oven repair often starts with confirming which part isn't functioning before replacing anything.