When the oven won't come up to temperature, dinner's on hold. Most of the time it traces to one affordable part — the bake element on electric ovens, the igniter on gas. Below are the causes in the order we check them, the actual tests (with readings), the parts and honest prices, and what you can safely check yourself.
New to multimeter testing? Read how to diagnose any appliance — power → switch → load first — the tests below all use it.
The element cracks, blisters, or breaks and stops glowing evenly — so the oven can't heat.
Test it yourself: With the oven on, watch the bottom bake element — it should glow a uniform bright orange. Dark spots or no glow = replace it. Confirm with power off: a good element reads roughly 15–40 ohms; an open reading = burned out.
🔩 Likely part: bake element — $25–60
The most common gas-oven failure. The igniter weakens with age; it still glows but can't draw enough current to open the gas valve — so no flame, no heat.
How a tech tests it: Watch the igniter when you call for heat: if it glows but the burner never lights, it's almost always the igniter. A tech confirms with an amp-draw test (a healthy igniter pulls enough current to open the valve; a weak one doesn't).
🔩 Likely part: oven igniter — $30–60
If the sensor reads wrong, the control won't apply heat or holds the wrong temperature.
How a tech tests it: With power off, a good sensor reads about 1,080–1,100 ohms at room temperature and rises as it heats. A wildly off or open reading = replace. (If the oven's off by a lot but the element looks fine, suspect the sensor.)
🔩 Likely part: oven temperature sensor — $15–40
Electric ranges use 240V. If one leg trips, the cooktop may still work on 120V while the oven stays cold.
Test it yourself: Fully switch the range's double-pole breaker OFF, then back ON. Cooktop works but oven's cold is a classic lost-leg symptom.
🔩 Likely part: no part (breaker reset) — unless breaker faulty — $0
A failed control board can leave the oven unresponsive or refusing to heat.
How a tech tests it: Diagnosed by a technician after the element/igniter/sensor are ruled out — the pricier part, so we confirm it's actually the board before replacing.
🔩 Likely part: oven control board — $80–250
Elements, igniters, and temperature sensors are all inexpensive — typically $15–60 in parts — and worth repairing. The control board is the pricier exception ($80–250), and that's where we give you the honest repair-vs-replace call before you spend. Everything cheaper, we just fix.
In Middle Tennessee or the Baton Rouge area? We'll come to you, same-day. Anywhere else in the U.S.? Send a 10-second video, a real technician tells you exactly what's wrong for $50 (credited toward the repair), and we ship you the exact part — or walk you through the DIY fix. 24/7 — text, call, or upload anytime.
On an electric range that's a classic lost-leg (240V) symptom — cycle the double-pole breaker. If that doesn't do it, the bake element is the next suspect (look for a visible break or no glow).
Watch it with the oven on — it should glow uniform bright orange. With power off, a multimeter reads roughly 15–40 ohms on a good element; an open reading means it's burned out.
That's the #1 gas-oven failure: the igniter is too weak to open the gas safety valve even though it still glows. It needs replacing — a tech confirms with an amp-draw test.
The bake element and the 240V breaker check are DIY-friendly with power off. Gas igniters, temperature sensors, and control boards are best left to a technician.
Usually yes — element, igniter, and sensor are cheap. Only the control board is pricey, and we'll give you honest numbers before replacing it.