An oven that stays stone cold while the cooktop works fine is a satisfying fault to chase, because the cause is almost always one specific, inexpensive part — and which part depends entirely on whether you have gas or electric. On electric ranges the bake element or a blown thermal fuse account for most failures. On gas ranges the glow-bar igniter is responsible for the overwhelming majority, and it fails in a way that fools people: it lights up and looks fine while being too weak to do its job.
Read this first
- Switch the oven off at the breaker before opening the rear panel or touching any element terminal — ranges run on 240 volts.
- On gas models, shut the gas supply valve before removing the burner assembly or igniter.
- If you smell gas at any point, do not switch anything on or off. Ventilate, leave the building, and call your gas utility from outside.
- Never test an igniter by watching it with the oven door propped and your face near the burner.
Step by step
Rule out the control settings first
Before you open anything, check that the oven is not in delay bake, sabbath mode, demo mode, or a self-clean lockout. Any of these produces a display that looks normal and an oven that never heats. Cancel everything, set a plain bake at 350°F, and see what happens. Also check for a control lock icon, and clear the clock — some models will not run a bake cycle if the clock was reset by a power cut and never set.
Check both legs of the power (electric ranges)
An electric range needs two 120-volt legs to make 240 volts. Lose one leg to a half-tripped double-pole breaker or a burnt terminal and you get a very specific symptom: the cooktop, clock and lights work on the surviving 120-volt leg while the oven elements do nothing. Push the breaker fully off and firmly back on. This costs nothing and explains a real share of dead ovens.
Watch the bake element (electric)
Set the oven to bake and watch the element in the floor of the cavity for a few minutes. It should glow orange evenly along its entire length. Look for blisters, splits, a section that stays dark, or a bright spot where it has burned through — any of those means replace it. If it does not glow at all, kill the breaker, disconnect one terminal, and test for continuity. A good element typically reads in the 15–40 ohm range; open means failed.
Check the broil element and the thermal fuse (electric)
Test the broil element the same way from the top of the cavity. If neither element works, suspect the thermal fuse — a one-shot safety device that very commonly blows during or after a self-clean cycle and kills all oven heat while leaving the display alive. Find it behind the rear panel, test for continuity, and replace it if open. Understand why it blew: a fuse that goes again means a cooling fan or a thermostat is at fault.
Time the igniter (gas ovens)
This is the key gas diagnosis and it is counterintuitive. The glow-bar igniter does two jobs: it lights the gas, and the current it draws is what pulls open the safety valve. As it ages it still glows brightly but draws less current, so the valve never opens and no gas arrives. Watch it from a safe distance: 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 fine.
Confirm gas is reaching the range
If a cooktop burner lights normally, gas is present at the appliance and the supply is not the issue. If nothing on the range lights, check the shutoff valve behind or beside the appliance is in line with the pipe, and check whether the utility has done any work recently. A range that was moved for cleaning is a classic — the flex connector gets kinked or the valve gets nudged closed.
Test the oven temperature sensor
The sensor is a thin metal probe protruding from the upper rear wall of the cavity. With the power off, unplug it and measure resistance at room temperature — most RTD-type oven sensors read close to 1,080 ohms around 70°F. A reading far off that, an open circuit, or a value that jumps around means the sensor is bad and the control has no idea what the oven temperature is. Sensors are inexpensive and are a common cause of an oven that heats briefly then quits.
What this repair costs
Doing it yourself
$15–$110
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 oven, the safety valve is the part downstream of the igniter, and replacing it means opening the gas circuit. That is licensed work in most jurisdictions and should not be attempted as a DIY repair — call a qualified technician or your gas utility. On any oven, a failed control board or relay board is a $150–$400 part that should be confirmed by measurement rather than bought on a guess. And if any part of the wiring, terminal block or range cord shows scorching, that 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
- 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
- Oven Broiler Not Working — Electric and Gas Diagnosis30–75 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