People tend to take their appliances for granted. You may spend a lot of time choosing just the correct stove and even give it a good cleaning regularly. However, for the most part, you want your range and oven to work when you need them. When they don’t, that can leave you in a bind for completing your cooking tasks. Below are some of the common problems that can affect your oven.
Gas Burner Won’t Ignite
Gas burners work with an internal igniter which lights a small shot of gas released through a valve. Sometimes you turn the handle to ignite the burner, and all you hear is clicking – no flame. The most likely culprit is food debris. The food debris can get lodged in the pilot or the igniter. It can even get lodged deep in the burner assembly.
Some ignition systems work via a spark, meaning the flip of a switch is supposed to create the spark that ignites the flame. In addition to the above problems, the culprit could be a faulty spark ignition switch. When this happens, you’ll have to have it replaced.
Gas Oven Doesn’t Heat
When you turn on a gas oven, you should hear the same clicking followed by a whoosh as the gas ignites. If you don’t hear that sequence of events, you probably have a problem with the igniter. Either it’s clogged with food debris, or it could have failed. However, the issue could be a more serious gas line problem.
Electric Element Doesn’t Heat
You can experience the same types of problems with electric stoves – they just have different origins. If the electric element doesn’t heat, the element itself may have gone bad. If you have a plug-in element, the problem could be with the terminal block where it plugs into the range top. Similarly, you could be experiencing a failure of the element control switch.
With smooth-top models, sometimes the element limiter is the culprit. Smooth-top models feature a radiant or halogen element mounted beneath glass with a resistance wire that generates heat to the element. The element limiter shuts down the power to protect against over-heating. So, if your element won’t heat up, the limiter may be sensing too much heat, signifying its failure.
Element Doesn’t Heat to the Correct Temperature
A problem particular to electric stoves is the element failing to heat to the correct temperature, either not getting hot enough or only working on high heat. With this problem, the issue is typically a defective burner control switch, which is the mechanism for controlling the temperature. However, you may also be experiencing electrical problems related to the outlet or the cord.
Electric Oven Doesn’t Heat
The inside of an oven heats up the same way the range top does, by way of elements. As with the cooktop, you can experience problems with how the element receives electricity for heating or even with the element itself. Once you’ve turned on the oven, the element should glow red. If it doesn’t, you may have to replace one or both.
Oven Doesn’t Heat to the Correct Temperature
You might notice that your food takes longer to cook or that parts are still raw after the allotted time. With this situation, the problem can be the same with both a gas and electric oven – the temperature sensor. If this sensor isn’t properly recording the internal temperature of the oven, then said oven won’t heat correctly.
One cause of this problem is the position of the sensor. It may have gotten knocked against the side of the wall, which makes the sensor think the inside is hotter than it really is. However, the sensor can also fail – in that case, you’ll need a new sensor.
A non-functioning range or oven is a frustrating experience. Because of the gas or electrical elements involved, most repairs are not good do-it-yourself projects unless you have experience in the field. Let the experts at Capital City Appliance Service, Inc. diagnose and solve your stove problems.
