WHY YOUR OVEN DOESN'T HEAT OR HEAT CORRECTLY

     When it comes to cooking a meal, your oven is the heart of the operation. So if it will not heat or heat properly, it can become a large burden on your everyday life. In this article, I am going to show you some things to check out and hopefully you will have the knowledge to find your problem and fix it. You will need your owner manual for the oven and a voltage meter to start out with. This will allow you to conduct a few simple test. A voltage meter reads the amount of current that is traveling in the wires. In this article, we will learn how to check both electrical ovens and gas ovens as well.

      The most common problem with an oven that won't heat is a defective heating element. If you have an oven that doesn't heat up properly, this is likely the cause of your oven not heating correctly. Your oven has two types of heating elements, one on the top and one on the bottom. The heating element that is on the top is known as the broil heating element. The one on the bottom is the bake heating element. If you have an element burning out or not working, it is very easy to tell. When the elements are working, you can clearly see the bright red glow of the burner. If your oven is warm but not at the correct temperature, check your heating element. When the oven is set at prebake, more then likely, both of your heating elements will turn on. You can easily be fooled by one element working while the other is not. This would cause the oven to appear like it is working correctly but it is not. If you determine that the element is bad, you will need to replace it. If you replace it with a new one and it still doesn't work, you may have an electrical issue. This is where your voltage meter will come in play. You will need to test the wires that lead to the hook up to the heating element. You could have a bad wire or a loose connection that is causing your element to not work.

      Many of the electrical ovens have a temperature sensor that monitors the oven temperature constantly. If it becomes defective, it can cause the oven to not heat correctly. Most ovens that have this  sensor usually contains a digital display on the oven, The sensor may be defective and need changed out. You want to make sure that you have checked your oven elements and wires before you decide to change the sensor out.

     Those ovens that do not have the sensor use the basic mechanical system to control the temperature of the oven. You also want to check your thermostat sensing bulb. You need to make sure the bulb has not burnt out. If it has and you have determined that it is getting power, change the bulb. Make sure the bulb has not come loose. It is common for the oven bulb to loosen over time. Try and always make sure it is tight to avoid the bulb from busting.

     If you have a gas oven that doesn't heat correctly or doesn't heat at all, check your bake igniter first. It may have burnt out or it may not be working correctly. It will be located right next to the burner. You want to make sure you are getting gas to the oven. If you determine that you are not, check your igniter. You could have a bad gas safety valve also, so include that in your check also. You can see the basic set up below.

     If you still haven't found the solution to your problem, check your thermostat and selector switch. The selector switch is what changes your settings, such as oven/broiler. The thermostat can be sticking or defective. If your oven is not at proper temperature, it may need calibrated. This also refers to ovens that too hot. The calibration dial will be located on the back of your temperature knob or down at the bottom of the small shaft. You should be able to see an adjustment screw on the dial. This screw is where you can adjust the temperature at. To increase the temperature of the oven, you can turn the screw counterclockwise. To decrease the oven temperature, turn the screw counterclockwise. In most ovens, a half of a turn should increase/decrease the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

     To determine if your oven is cooking at the correct temperature, all you have to do is get a basic temperature gauge that can withstand the oven temperature. You can place that in the oven and set the oven on 350. Give it time to heat up at the correct temperature. Once you have, you can determine if your oven is at the correct temperature or if it needs to be adjusted.

      If your oven is still not heating, you may need to replace the main control board on your oven. You could have a bad relay also. If your oven has two heating elements, you probably have two relays for them. They can burn out over time and go bad. Both of these can cause the heating elements to not work. When you conduct your voltage test, it can also cause the elements to not get power to them. Once again, you need to refer to your owner manual for proper instructions. Some things are easier then others to change. Some may require a proper maintenance person to fix.

     Anytime that you are working with electrical wires, make sure you use proper procedure. Always make sure you consider your safety before attempting a repair on an appliance. Before you begin a project, make sure you are qualified to do so.