Oven repair
Ovens fail in ways you can taste: a cake that is raw in the middle, cookies that burn on one side, a roast that needs an extra hour. Behind that is usually one of a small number of parts: a bake element, a temperature sensor, an igniter on a gas oven, a door gasket, or the control that reads them all. RepairWell measures what the oven is actually doing before naming the part, and puts the finding in writing.
This page covers the oven cavity in freestanding and slide-in ranges as well as separate wall ovens; wall ovens also have their own page because of how they are wired and mounted. Cooktop and burner faults are covered under stove and range repair and cooktop repair.
Online booking is a request; we confirm a window by text or phone within 1 business hour.
Types and configurations we service
- Electric ovens in ranges — Bake and broil elements, temperature sensor, door gasket and the electronic control; the most common oven call.
- Gas ovens in ranges — A hot-surface igniter that weakens with age is the classic no-heat cause; all gas-side work is by certified technicians.
- Convection ovens — Add a fan and a third element; uneven results often come from the convection fan rather than the bake element.
- Wall ovens, single and double — Hard-wired and built into cabinetry; see wall oven repair.
- Steam, combi and speed ovens — Water reservoirs, steam generators and in some cases microwave components; model-specific and often ordered parts.
Symptoms we're called for
- Oven won't heat at all
- Heats, but one side browns faster
- Runs hot or cold compared with the dial
- Takes a very long time to preheat
- Broil works but bake doesn't, or the reverse
- Door won't close flat or the gasket is hanging
- Self-clean started and now the door is locked or nothing works
- Error code or dead display
Possible causes
These are possibilities, not a diagnosis; the technician confirms the cause on site.
- A burned-out bake element (a visible blister or break on the coil is common, and Whirlpool notes an element that doesn't glow red is a sign it needs replacing)
- A weak or failed hot-surface igniter on a gas oven, which glows but never gets hot enough to open the gas valve
- A drifted or failed temperature sensor, so the control heats to the wrong temperature; Whirlpool also notes a sensor knocked out of position affects accuracy
- A torn, flattened or detached door gasket letting heat escape, which Frigidaire lists as a cause of an oven not getting hot enough
- A convection fan motor that has stopped, leaving hot spots
- A relay board or electronic oven control that no longer switches the elements
- A thermal fuse opened by a self-clean cycle, or a door-lock motor stuck after self-clean
- Missing one leg of 240 V supply, so the clock works but the elements don't
Repairs a technician may recommend
- Replace the bake or broil element
- Replace the hot-surface igniter on a gas oven (certified technician; the burner and valve are checked at the same time)
- Replace the oven temperature sensor or thermostat and verify calibration
- Replace the door gasket, hinges or door springs so the door seals
- Replace the convection fan motor
- Replace the electronic oven control, relay board or touch panel
- Replace the thermal fuse or door-lock assembly after a self-clean fault
- Adjust the temperature offset in the control after measuring the real cavity temperature
Typical components involved: bake and broil elements, hot-surface igniter, oven burner and safety valve (gas), oven temperature sensor, electronic oven control and relay board, door gasket, hinges and inner glass, convection fan and element, door lock and thermal fuse (self-clean), terminal block and power cord.
Safe checks before you book
- Check the display for a control lock, delay-start, Sabbath or demo setting that stops heating
- Look at the bake element with the oven cold: a break, blister or bright spot on the coil points to the element
- Run the gasket with your fingers around the door frame: gaps, tears or a section pulled loose let heat out
- Put an oven thermometer on the centre rack at 175 °C (350 °F) and note the reading after 20 minutes, so the technician has a number to work from
- Check the double breaker at the panel and reset it fully; Whirlpool suggests turning the breaker off for one minute to reset the control
- Use the rack position and pan type the manual suggests before concluding the oven bakes unevenly
Stop using it if
- Sparks, a bright flash, or a glowing spot on an element: turn the oven off at the breaker
- A gas smell, or a gas oven that clicks or hisses and won't light: turn it off, ventilate, and call the gas utility from outside if the smell persists
- Smoke or a burning smell from behind the control panel
- The inner door glass is cracked, which can shatter under heat
Never work on gas lines, wiring, refrigerant or microwave components yourself.
What to expect during diagnosis and repair
The technician runs the oven and measures the cavity temperature over a full heat cycle, which tells the difference between a dead element, a sensor that is off, and a control that is cycling wrong. On an electric oven the elements and sensor are metered and the relay board is checked; on a gas oven the igniter is timed and its current measured by a certified technician. The door and gasket are checked on every visit because they affect all three symptoms. You get a written finding with the total before any part is fitted. Elements and sensors are commonly on the truck; igniters for many models are too; controls and door assemblies are ordered.
Repair or replace?
Elements, sensors, igniters and gaskets are moderate parts, and an oven with one of those faults is almost always worth repairing regardless of age. The repairs that change the answer are an electronic control or relay board on a model where the board is expensive or no longer available, and a self-clean failure that has taken out several parts at once. If the cooktop on the same range is also failing, the finding will show the combined repair total against replacing the range. Wall ovens and premium built-in ovens sit further toward repair because replacement usually involves cabinetry.
Our repair-versus-replacement method →
Pricing factors
The diagnostic visit is $89, waived when you go ahead with the repair, and the quote is given on the spot. What moves the repair price:
- Element or sensor versus control board
- Gas oven igniter and burner work by a certified technician
- Door disassembly for glass, hinge or gasket work
- Whether the finding needs a second visit for an ordered control
- Slide-in and wall ovens take longer to pull out
- Second appliance on the same visit: If a second appliance is diagnosed on the same visit, it is $45 instead of the full $89.
Brands we service for ovens
Brand list subject to confirmation: most major brands, including LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Bosch, GE, Maytag, Frigidaire, KitchenAid, Electrolux, Kenmore, Amana, Inglis, Miele, Jenn-Air, Fisher & Paykel, Haier and Danby. Independent service; no manufacturer affiliation implied.
Oven questions
The broiler works but bake doesn't. What is likely?
On an electric oven that pattern often points to the bake element or the relay that drives it. On a gas oven it may be the bake igniter. Either way the technician confirms it with a meter rather than guessing from the symptom.
My oven is 25 degrees off. Can it be calibrated?
Many electronic controls let the offset be adjusted, and Frigidaire's support page refers owners to the manual for calibration. Before adjusting, we measure the real temperature; a drifting sensor is better replaced than compensated for.
Why does my gas oven take so long to light?
A hot-surface igniter loses strength with age and takes longer to reach the temperature that opens the safety valve. If it glows for more than a minute before the burner lights, it is often near failure. Igniter replacement is done by a certified technician.
I ran self-clean and now the oven is dead. What happened?
Self-clean runs the oven very hot and can open a thermal fuse or damage a control or door lock. We recommend against routine self-clean on older ovens. The repair depends on what opened; the diagnostic tells you.
Do you repair the oven in a range that also has a broken burner?
Yes. If both need work, the finding lists them separately and together so you can decide. See stove and range repair.
Can you replace the inner door glass?
Yes, the inner and outer glass, hinges and gasket are all repairable. Cracked inner glass is a stop-using sign because it can shatter.
Related guides and pages
- Oven not heating
- Oven heating unevenly
- Oven temperature inaccurate
- Gas burner not igniting
- Range, cooktop and wall-oven installation
- Wall oven
Service areas: Ottawa (central), Nepean, Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven, Orléans, Gloucester, Manotick and Riverside South, Gatineau (secteur Gatineau), Hull, Aylmer, Buckingham and Masson-Angers, Chelsea and Cantley.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-09-24.
Book a oven diagnostic
Tell us the symptom and your postal code. You'll get a confirmed window, then a written finding before any repair.
Online booking is a request. We confirm the appointment by text or phone within 1 business hour.