Why Is My Oven Heating Element Not Heating? Common Causes and Fixes

If your oven’s heating element isn’t heating, you’re probably dealing with a bad element, a broken control board, or maybe some sketchy wiring. It could be as simple as swapping out the heating element, or maybe the oven’s control board just isn’t sending power where it should.

Sometimes, a quick check with a multimeter can help you figure out if the element or something like the thermal fuse is to blame.

If the wires that feed power to the element are burnt or damaged, you’ll run into trouble too. Even if the element looks fine, a busted relay on the control board can keep the oven cold.

If both the bake and broil elements aren’t heating, you’re probably looking at a control issue, not just a single bad element.

For more detailed troubleshooting, check out this guide on how to fix an oven not heating.

Primary Causes of Oven Heating Element Failure

When your oven’s heating element just stops working, it usually boils down to a handful of things. It’s either the element itself, the electrical parts powering it, or the thermostat that keeps tabs on the temperature.

Burned-Out Heating Element

Heating elements wear out eventually. If yours burns out, you’ll notice the oven either stays cold or heats in weird, uneven patches.

Look for obvious stuff like cracks, blisters, or broken coils. Replacing the element isn’t too complicated—just remember to unplug the oven first.

If a new element doesn’t fix the problem, maybe it’s not getting enough power. Worth double-checking that.

Faulty Electrical Connections

The element might look totally fine but still refuse to heat if the wiring’s bad. Worn or loose wires can keep power from reaching the element.

Sometimes you’ll see burnt, frayed, or disconnected wires. That can cause the oven to heat only sometimes, or not at all.

Take a close look at the wiring. If you spot burnt marks or obvious damage, you’ll probably need to fix or swap out the bad wires.

Defective Oven Thermostat

The thermostat tells your oven how hot to get. If it’s on the fritz, it won’t send the right signals to the heating element.

That means your oven could stay stone cold, or take ages to preheat. Uneven cooking is another red flag.

You can use a multimeter to check the thermostat’s function. If it’s not working, the control system won’t send power to heat things up.

Swapping out a bad thermostat usually sorts out control-related heating issues.

For more detail on why your oven might not heat up, see this guide on oven temperature sensor issues.

Troubleshooting and Repair for Non-Heating Elements

Start by checking the heating element for obvious damage. Use a multimeter to see if it’s actually broken.

If it’s bad, just replace it with the right part and you should be back in business.

Inspecting for Visible Damage

Turn off and unplug your oven—nobody wants a shock. Gently pull out the heating element so you can see what’s going on.

Look for cracks, blisters, or breaks. Burnt spots or weird bends are dead giveaways.

Check where the element plugs into the oven. Loose or corroded connections can block electricity from getting through.

Testing the Heating Element with a Multimeter

If the element looks okay, grab a multimeter and test for continuity. Set it to the lowest ohms setting.

Take the element out completely and disconnect the wires. Touch the multimeter probes to each terminal.

A healthy element should show a low resistance, usually between 10 and 50 ohms. If you get infinite resistance or nothing at all, the element’s toast and needs replacing.

Test the wiring and terminals too, just to be sure power’s actually making it through.

Replacing a Damaged Heating Element

So, if you’ve confirmed the heating element’s toast, it’s time to track down the exact replacement for your oven model. Don’t just guess—using the wrong part can really mess things up.

Unplug the oven before you do anything else. Then, unscrew or unclip the busted element from the oven wall.

Gently disconnect the wires. Take your time here—you don’t want to yank anything loose by accident.

Hook up the new element by connecting the wires, making sure they’re snug. Fasten the element back in place.

Double-check those connections. Loose wires can lead to annoying electrical issues.

Plug the oven back in and fire it up. The new element should start heating within a few minutes.

If nothing happens, take another look at your connections. Maybe there’s a control board issue lurking.

Curious about troubleshooting heating elements? Check out this guide on how to fix an oven not heating.