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Help! 5 Reasons Why an Oven Stops Working

An oven is a critical appliance in any kitchen. Most of us have one oven, but a few lucky folks have two, or even three. In fact, it has become rather trendy to install several ovens. It’s another way to show your commitment to creating a perfect home, even if cooking is not your favorite thing to do.

Help! 5 Reasons Why an Oven Stops Working

There are several different types of oven. Gas, electric, ranges, pizza ovens – you name it, we all love a good oven. Or at least we do until it stops working. Without a working oven, life becomes a kitchen nightmare trying to prepare meals for the family (we all know how difficult it is to cook oven fries and roasted meat in a microwave or a toaster oven). You could make do with an outdoor grill, as long as it’s not the middle of winter or raining.

Signs of a Non-Functioning Oven

Some ovens refuse to switch on whereas other limp on painfully for a few months. If your oven won’t even switch on, you have an obvious problem.  But other, less obvious, issues include a failure to reach the desired temperature or the fan isn’t working, or the gas won’t ignite, or various parts have dropped off.

Here are some common causes of a broken-down oven – and what you need to do to fix the problems.

Defective Heating Elements

Electric and dual-fuel ovens have heating elements. Those are the bendy metal rods at the top and bottom, which glow red when they get hot. It is easy to tell if a heating element isn’t working properly, as the oven fails to achieve the correct temperature.

A fully functioning heating element glows bright red when it gets hot. If your food isn’t cooking properly, open the oven door and perform a visual check on the heating element. Does it look red? If not, it may not be heating properly. Don’t touch it!

Often, one heating element fails but the others are still working properly. You may not realize it for a while, but if dishes are taking longer than usual to cook, check all the heating elements.

If you do have a defective heating element, replace it. This should rectify the problem, but if you buy a new element and it still doesn’t work, there could be an electrical issue, or the temperature sensor is faulty.

Faulty Temperature Sensor, Thermostat, or Selector

The temperature sensor in an oven tells you when the oven has reached the desired temperature. If it isn’t working, the oven won’t be able to tell you when it’s hot enough.

The thermostat also sets the desired temperature, so again, if it isn’t working, your oven won’t heat up properly.

Does your oven have separate functions? If it does, you probably use the selector function to pick whether you want to use the grill, the broiler, or the main oven. When the selector switch stops working, it is impossible to change the settings, so various functions stop working.

If you suspect you have a problem with any of these parts, call in an electrician or an appliance repair specialist to identify and fix the problem.

Gas Oven Not Heating Up

Gas ovens don’t have heating elements. Instead, they have a gas ignition switch that opens the gas line when you set the temperature. This is the clicking sound you hear when you turn your gas oven on. If you hear the clicking sound and the oven doesn’t light, it could either be a problem with the gas line or the ignition switch.

Check the gas supply by switching on one of the gas burners (if you have a gas hob) or checking your gas boiler. If you use bottled gas, your supply might have run dry. If you use mains gas, call in an expert to check the gas line. This is not a DIY fix.

Replacing an igniter is easier, but it might still be wise to call in a professional.Wolf Appliance Repair can help you out if you live in Texas.

There is No Light Inside the Oven

Ovens typically have a bulb inside, which lights up when you open the door or turn the oven on. Light makes it easier to check a dish while it is cooking. You don’t have to open the door of a hot oven to see if your cake is rising and risk a sponge malfunction in the process.

Replacing a bulb is a quick and easy task. Check your manual to see what bulb you need and then unscrew the bulb compartment when the oven is cold. Replace the bulb and voila!

This is not an exhaustive list of oven problems. If your oven is old or high-spec, you may experience other issues. The key takeaway here is don’t be too hasty to decide you need to replace a faulty oven. Many issues are inexpensive to fix – and a lot cheaper than a replacement oven!

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