Why is my oven not working?

Ovens are pretty important to everyday life so they get a lot of wear and tear over time. If your electric oven isn't working properly maybe it’s time to get to the bottom of it? Often, the causes are easy to look for and straight-forward to solve.

While some of our tips can be handled easily by anyone, others require some level of skill, experience and confidence with DIY. If you aren't confident, use Local Heroes to find a local electrician or appliance engineer.

Simple tips

Before attempting to dismantle your oven and take everything apart, here are some quick things to try first:

1. Check the mains
   Ovens generally have plugs that switch into the mains – you’ll sometimes find them hidden in cupboards! Make sure no one’s turned it off by mistake.

2. Check the thermostat
   This is the switch dial at the front by the selector. Turn it and if you don’t hear a click, it may need to be replaced.

3. Check the selector
   As with the thermostat, if there isn’t a click, it probably needs replacing.

4. Check the oven mode
   If your oven isn’t working at all, it might simply be that the timer has turned it off. Try switching your oven from auto mode to a manual setting.

Now let’s look at some more specific problems.

Why is my oven not heating up?

If your electric oven isn’t working but your stove top or hob is, the heating element could be the problem. There are two of these, known as the bake and broil. The baking element rests on the floor of the oven and is ‘plugged into’ the wall, and the broil is at the top. To test these;

Before attempting to diagnose the problem before, always make sure your oven is disconnected

1. Unscrew the back of the oven
   Both the bake and the broil wires are attached from the back. If they’re loose, they may just need reconnecting firmly. If they’re damaged, they’ll need to be replaced.

2. Measure the element
   If the wires are well connected with no obvious damage, it’s time to call in a professional. They’ll use a multimeter to measure the resistance (known as ‘ohms’) to see if the element is faulty.

3. Do you have a fan-assisted oven?
   If the fan breaks the oven won’t heat up properly as heat isn't being fanned around the oven. It'll also mean the heating element in the fan-assisted oven will burn out. Getting it fixed is probably a job for a pro.

Why won’t my oven heat to the right temperature?

This could be the temperature sensor. This is important for regulating the temperature inside your oven, and if it’s faulty, can stop your oven from working all together.

Modern ovens often have a digital display that will flash an error code, but many use a bulb. This is the red light that turns off when the oven has hit the right temperature. If this doesn’t light up, it’s a good indicator that the sensor needs replacing.

Need some help?

If you can’t work out what’s wrong or something complicated needs replacing, it’s time to call it a day – and call in a professional.

At Local Heroes we can help you find a professional appliance engineer who’s been personally vetted by us. And any work they do comes with a 12-month guarantee which is backed by British Gas.