A broiler that does nothing while the bake function works perfectly is a satisfying fault, because it narrows the field immediately. Bake and broil share a control board, a temperature sensor and the power supply, so if bake works those are all fine. What is left is the broil element or burner itself, the relay that switches it, and — surprisingly often — how the broiler is being operated, because manufacturers disagree wildly about whether the door should be open or shut.
Read this first
- Switch the range off at the breaker before touching an element terminal — ovens run on 240 volts and the terminals stay live even with the control off.
- On gas ranges, shut the gas supply valve before removing a burner assembly. If you smell gas at any point, do not operate any switch. Ventilate, leave, and call your gas utility from outside.
- A broil element reaches full temperature in seconds and stays hot long after it stops glowing. Let the oven cool completely.
- Never leave a broiler running unattended. Fat under an active broil element is the leading cause of oven fires.
Step by step
Confirm you are operating the broiler the way your model expects
This is not a trivial step. Some ranges broil with the door closed, some require it latched to the broil stop a couple of inches open, and many gas ranges have a separate broiler drawer under the oven rather than an element in the top of the cavity. Get the manual out. A range that broils in a bottom drawer with the main cavity cold is working exactly as designed, and people replace parts over this every day.
Watch the element for a full glow
Set the oven to broil on high, stand back, and watch the element in the top of the cavity for two or three minutes. It should glow bright orange evenly along its whole length. Look for a dark section, a blistered patch, a split in the sheath, or a bright spot where it is about to burn through. Any of those means replace it. Some ovens cycle the broil element on and off even on high, so watch for long enough to be sure.
Test the element for continuity
Kill the power at the breaker, remove the screws holding the element bracket at the rear of the cavity, ease the element forward and disconnect one terminal — pull the wire, do not let it drop behind the rear panel. Measure across the terminals. A typical broil element reads somewhere in the 15 to 40 ohm range; an open reading condemns it. Also measure from each terminal to the element sheath: any continuity there means it is shorted to ground and it will trip the breaker.
Inspect the terminals for arcing
Look closely at the two spade terminals and the wires that land on them. Blackening, a melted insulator, or a connector that has lost its spring tension means the joint has been arcing and running hot, and that is what killed the element. Fitting a new element onto a burnt terminal simply destroys the new one. Replace the terminal and a short length of high-temperature lead — repair kits are sold for exactly this and cost a few dollars.
Gas ranges: watch the broil burner and time the igniter
On a gas oven the broil burner has its own glow-bar igniter, and it fails the way all glow bars do — it keeps glowing brightly while drawing too little current to open the safety valve. From a safe distance, watch it after selecting broil. A healthy igniter reaches full glow and the burner lights within 30 to 60 seconds. If it glows for more than 90 seconds with no flame, the igniter is weak and needs replacing even though it looks perfectly normal.
Check the selector switch or relay
On older ranges a mechanical selector switch routes power between bake and broil, and its broil contacts can burn out while the bake side works fine. On electronic ranges the same job is done by a relay on the control or relay board, and that relay is a very common failure. With the breaker off, test the selector switch for continuity in the broil position. On a board-controlled range, a relay you can hear clicking with no power reaching the element is a strong pointer.
Check the temperature sensor before you blame the board
Some ovens modulate the broil element against the sensor reading, so a sensor that thinks the cavity is already at 550°F will shut the broiler down almost immediately. With the power off, unplug the sensor at the rear wall and measure its resistance — most RTD-type oven sensors read close to 1,080 ohms at around 70°F. A reading far from that, or one that jumps around, means the sensor is bad, and it is a $15 to $30 part.
What this repair costs
Doing it yourself
$20–$90
Hiring a technician
$180–$450
Prices are general estimates for typical US jobs, not quotes. What you actually pay depends on your appliance's brand and age, the part required, your region, and each shop's labour rate. The DIY figure assumes you supply the labour and buy the part yourself.
Parts you may end up buying
| Part | Install | Typical price | Typical lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bake Element | easy | $15–$40 | 10–15 years |
| Oven Temperature Sensor | easy | $15–$30 | 10+ years |
| Broil Element | easy | $20–$75 | 10–15 years |
| Oven Igniter | moderate | $25–$90 | 5–10 years |
| Surface Burner Igniter | moderate | $20–$95 | 8–15 years |
| Radiant Surface Element | moderate | $25–$100 | 10–15 years |
| Infinite Switch | moderate | $20–$70 | 10–15 years |
| Oven Door Gasket | easy | $20–$80 | 8–15 years |
| Oven Door Hinges | moderate | $30–$120 | 10–15 years |
| Electronic Control Board | moderate | $90–$380 | 10–15 years |
Still not fixed
When to call a pro
On a gas range, the broil safety valve is downstream of the igniter and replacing it means opening the gas circuit — licensed work in most jurisdictions and not a DIY repair. On any range, if the element and its wiring test good but never receive power, the relay board or control board is at fault, and those run $90–$380 and are not returnable once fitted, so pay for the measurement rather than guessing. Any scorching at the terminal block or range cord is an electrician's job before it is an appliance job.
More oven & range guides
- Oven Not Heating Evenly — Map the Problem Before You Fix It45–90 minutes plus preheat time
- Oven Not Heating At All — Electric and Gas Diagnosis30–75 minutes
- Gas Burner Won't Light — Clean It and Get the Spark Back20–45 minutes
- Oven Door Locked After Self-Clean — How to Release It30 minutes to 3 hours including cooldown
- Electric Burner Not Working — Coil and Smoothtop Diagnosis20–60 minutes
- Oven Door Won't Close Properly — Hinges, Springs and Gasket45–120 minutes
- Gas Burner Burning Yellow — What the Flame Colour Is Telling You45–90 minutes
- Electric Burner Stays On High — Welded Switch or Stuck Relay45–90 minutes
- Oven Control Panel Not Responding — Keypad, Ribbon or Board45–90 minutes