It’s time to cook that Sunday roast, but the oven seems to be taking an awfully long time to pre-heat. In fact, to your horror, the oven is not heating up at all, and worse – Sunday roast is cancelled.
Don’t panic, you probably won’t need to run out and buy a brand new oven, as ovens not heating are a fairly common fault that can be remedied quite easily, and at little expense.
There are two symptoms that you need to look out for when your oven has stopped heating properly;
- The oven does not heat up at all
- The oven heats up somewhat, but does not reach the selected cooking temperature
- The oven doesn not heat but the fans still work on lights
Troubleshoot: No Heat From Oven
This may sound silly, but you’d be amazed at how many people tell me their oven won’t heat up, and the problem is simply that it’s not switched on. So, first thing’s first – is the electric isolator switch on? Next, check that the oven itself is switched on and all dials are set to the correct temperature.
If these steps are done, and the oven itself seems to not be getting any power to it, as the display and power lights are not illuminated, then check the electrical mains breaker box to see if the safety breaker has switched off.
If the breaker switch is “off”, turn it back “on”. If it doesn’t hold in the on position and jumps back out, there is an electrical defect somewhere and you’ll need to call in a professional electrician to take a closer look.
All the oven circuit breaker switches are “on” and looking good, but you still have no electricity getting to the oven, then replace the fuse in the plug if your oven is running on a plug and socket setup.
Troubleshoot: Oven Heats up But Cuts Out
The oven heats up, but cuts out before reaching the required operating temperature is a sign that the thermostat may be faulty.
Heating Elements
Check inside the oven (ONLY when cool and SWITCHED OFF) to make sure the heating elements are clean. Very dirty parts can prevent the oven from heating properly. This is a simple fix, by cleaning the oven thoroughly.
If your oven has power – confirmed by the illumination of the mains power light indicator on the front of the oven, interior oven bulb, digital clock, and assisted fans spinning – and your oven won’t heat at all, then it’s likely that your heating element has died. These are cheap to replace (around £10 – £20), and you could do this yourself, depending on the oven brand or model of your oven.
If you’ve troubleshot this far, and you suspect the heating element has gone, then contact your manufacturer or a trusted appliance retailer to purchase (and if necessary, arrange fitting) of a replacement element. We recommend eSpares and Amazon for these parts, as they have a great range, fast delivery and helpful customer service.
Heating Rods
The heating rods, which are located on the ceiling of the oven, are usually difficult to get at with a cloth or sponge. Especially with older ovens, the rods cannot usually be removed.
In this situation, it helps to use a soft toothbrush to clean. You can use this to loosen dirt on the top of the oven and above the heating element. Then wipe the rods with a damp cloth soaked in washing-up liquid and carefully remove the residues.
WARNING: Only handle, clean, or remove heating elements when completely cooled and appliance switched off at the mains.
Door Hinges
Clean the door hinges – it is especially important to remove incrustations. It is possible that the oven door does not close properly (hardly visible from the outside). In that case, the heat escapes; the oven is unable to hold heat to reach the desired temperature.
Door Seals
Also, check the rubber heat seal around the oven door. If they are damaged or not present at all, this may prevent the door from closing properly and hear escapes.
Call in The Expert
You have eliminated all these disruptive factors, but the oven still does not work as it should? In that case, for better or worse, you will have to get professional help for the repair.
