Is Your Oven Not Getting Hot?
What to Do If Your Oven Isn’t Heating Your Food
Your oven has one job – to heat up, but there are a few things that can prevent that from happening. If your oven isn’t heating up at all or not enough, it needs to be repaired. There’s nothing more frustrating that turning on the oven just before dinner or while baking only to realize that your appliance doesn’t work. Your food may be not heat up at all while you wait around for dinner. Or your food may take longer to took, which will increase your energy costs. Learn why this may be happening and what you can do to fix it.
No Heat
If the oven isn’t getting hot at all, there could be several potential issues.
When it comes to gas stoves, the most common issue is that the gas burner won’t light. The igniter is supposed to start the heating process, but it may get damaged after a while. In other cases, the stove’s gas safety valve may be damaged or disconnected.
The oven may also fail to start if the selector switch is broken. This device changes the settings of the oven based on your selection. It may be sticking or faulty. Replacing the selector should solve the issue.
For electric ovens, the heating coils may not be working properly. Electricity runs through the coils to heat up the interior of the oven. There are two coils, one at the bottom and one at the top. Check to see if the coils are heating up. A warm coil will turn red or orange. If the coil isn’t heating, you can replace it fairly easily. Make sure the oven is off and disconnected from the gas before working on the appliance. You can also call a professional for assistance.
The relays in your electric oven may also be faulty. The relays send the electrical signal to the coils. Contact a repair professional for more assistance.
In other cases, the door may not be closing properly. Some ovens won’t start if the door is ajar. Check the latch and seal for damage.
Not Enough Heat
If the oven isn’t maintaining the proper temperature or not getting hot enough, there could be an issue with the internal thermometer. Ovens use this thermometer to monitor the temperature so it can apply heat as needed.
Electric stoves use internal sensors to regulate the temperature. If the sensor is broken or defective, it may need to be replaced. You can also try recalibrating your oven to correct this issue. With the oven off and disconnected, look for the calibration dial at the back of the temperature dial. It should come with a small screw. Turn the screw clockwise to increase temperature and counterclockwise to lower it. A half turn should change the temperature plus or minus 25 degrees.
Gas stoves use a temperature-sensing bulb to regulate the temperature. The bulb may be burnt out or loose. Check the connection of the bulb and inspect it for damage. You may need to install a replacement or have a professional do it for you.
You should be able to rely on your oven to get food on the table. Contact Absolute Appliance Repair for oven repair in Marin County to find a solution to your problem.
