Oven Not Working But Stove Is: 2026 Repair Steps

When your oven stops working while the stovetop keeps running fine, dinner plans can quickly fall apart — but the fix is often simpler than you think. In 2026, the four causes below account for the vast majority of cases where the oven not working but stove is situation strikes, ranked from most to least likely so you can diagnose efficiently.

4 Common Causes for Oven Not Heating When Stove Works

1Failed Bake Element (Electric)

The bake element is the exposed heating coil running along the bottom of your electric oven cavity. Over time — or suddenly due to a power surge — the element’s internal resistance wire burns through, interrupting the heating circuit entirely while leaving the stovetop, which draws power from a separate circuit path, completely unaffected. This is the single most common reason an electric oven stops heating in 2026.

Symptoms

• Oven runs (control panel responds, light works) but produces no heat at all
• Visible burn mark, blister, crack, or hole on the element surface
• Element fails to glow red during a bake cycle
• Oven trips the breaker when a bake cycle begins

Care Plan

1. Disconnect power. Flip the dedicated 240V circuit breaker to OFF, or unplug the range from the wall. Verify isolation with a non-contact voltage tester at the element terminals inside the oven cavity.
2. Inspect the element visually. Look for any blistering, cracks, burn holes, or discoloration along the full length of the element. Visible damage confirms failure immediately — but absence of visible damage does not rule it out.
3. Test with a multimeter. Set your multimeter to the resistance (Ω) setting. Disconnect both element wires from their terminal screws and touch one probe to each terminal on the element itself. A healthy bake element typically reads between 10–60 ohms depending on wattage and manufacturer — consult your model’s service documentation for the exact expected range. An OL (overload) or infinite resistance reading confirms a broken element regardless of the expected value.
4. Remove and replace the element. Remove the one or two screws securing the element to the oven back wall, gently pull the element forward to expose the terminal wires, and disconnect them. Connect the wires to your replacement element’s terminals (polarity does not matter for resistance heating elements), seat the element against the back wall, and reinstall the screws. Parts cost $20–$60 depending on brand — labor costs $80–$150 if you hire a technician. Labor costs vary significantly by region; these figures reflect US national averages.
5. Restore power and test. Flip the breaker back on (or plug in the range), set the oven to 350°F, and confirm the element glows red within a few minutes. If the oven still fails to heat after a confirmed element replacement, escalate to Cause 2 — a blown thermal fuse may have tripped during the original element failure event.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping the multimeter test and replacing the element on visual inspection alone — an element with no visible damage can still have a failed internal wire that only a resistance test will catch.
• Pulling the element forward without first checking for a secondary locking clip behind the oven back wall, which can damage the terminal wires if forced.

2Blown Thermal Fuse

The thermal fuse is a one-time safety device wired into the oven’s electrical circuit that permanently opens — breaking the circuit — if the oven reaches an unsafe temperature. Once blown, it cannot reset and must be physically replaced. Because the thermal fuse specifically protects the oven circuit rather than the cooktop circuit, a blown fuse kills the oven completely while surface burners continue working normally. Importantly, a fuse rarely blows without a reason — if a newly installed fuse blows again quickly, a faulty high-limit thermostat, a malfunctioning temperature sensor, or a blocked ventilation path is likely causing chronic overheating.

Symptoms

• Oven is completely dead — no heat, no interior light, control panel may be unresponsive
• Stovetop burners work normally
• Oven recently ran a self-clean cycle (the most common thermal fuse trigger event)
• No error codes are displayed despite complete oven inactivity

Care Plan

1. Disconnect power. Flip the circuit breaker to OFF or unplug the range, and verify with a non-contact voltage tester.
2. Locate the thermal fuse. The fuse is typically mounted on the oven’s back panel (accessible by pulling the range away from the wall and removing the rear access panel) or near the control board housing. Your oven’s model number — found on a label inside the door frame or on the back of the unit — is the key to finding the exact location. Use that number to search the manufacturer’s website or a parts retailer like RepairClinic or AppliancePartsPros for a parts diagram showing the fuse location.
3. Test the fuse for continuity. Set your multimeter to the continuity setting. Disconnect the fuse’s two wire connectors and touch one probe to each fuse terminal. A healthy fuse reads near zero ohms (or beeps in continuity mode). No continuity — an OL reading — confirms the fuse has blown.
4. Replace the fuse. Snap or unscrew the fuse from its bracket, install the replacement (available for $5–$20), and reconnect the wiring. Labor costs run $80–$150 if you call a technician.
5. Investigate the root cause before closing up. Only replace the thermal fuse if testing confirms it has failed — do not replace it as a precaution without testing, since an undiagnosed root cause will simply blow the new fuse again. Check that oven vents are clear and unobstructed, and consider testing the temperature sensor (Cause 4 touches on board and sensor diagnostics) if the fuse blows a second time. If you cannot identify why the fuse blew, escalate to a professional before the oven causes a more serious failure.

Common Mistakes

• Replacing the thermal fuse without investigating why it blew — a blocked vent or a failing high-limit thermostat will destroy the new fuse within one or two cycles.
• Confusing the thermal fuse with the temperature sensor probe, which is a different component that regulates normal baking temperature rather than acting as a safety cutoff.

3Weak or Failed Oven Igniter (Gas)

In a gas oven, the igniter serves two functions: it glows hot enough to ignite the gas, and — critically — it draws enough electrical current to signal the gas safety valve to open. When an igniter weakens with age, it may still glow visibly but no longer draws sufficient current to open the valve, so gas never flows and no flame appears. This weak-draw failure is the most common igniter failure mode and is almost never visible to the naked eye — a glowing igniter that does not open the valve looks identical to a healthy one.

Symptoms

• Gas oven igniter glows but burner does not light after 90 seconds or more
• Oven igniter does not glow at all when a bake cycle is started
• Gas stovetop burners ignite and burn normally
• Oven takes significantly longer to reach temperature than it used to before stopping altogether

Care Plan

1. Shut off gas and disconnect power. Close the gas supply valve behind the range and flip the circuit breaker OFF or unplug the unit. Confirm no gas odor is present before continuing.
2. Access the igniter. Remove the oven bottom panel (typically held by two screws at the rear) and the burner cover to expose the igniter mounted near the burner tube. The igniter connects to the oven wiring via a plug-in harness.
3. Assess igniter condition — current draw test is the primary diagnostic. Visible cracks or corrosion on the igniter body confirm failure immediately and you can skip to replacement. However, because the most common failure mode — a weakened igniter that cannot open the gas valve — produces no visible damage, a current draw test is required for a definitive diagnosis. Measuring current draw requires a clamp-style ammeter or a multimeter with a current clamp accessory — a standard multimeter cannot safely measure this current draw. To test: restore power only (leave gas off), start a bake cycle, and clamp the meter around one of the igniter’s supply wires (clamped around the conductor only—not wired in series). A healthy igniter typically draws between 3.2 and 3.6 amps (consult your model’s service manual for the exact specification). Any reading below 3.0 amps confirms the igniter is too weak to open the safety valve and must be replaced.
4. Replace the igniter. Disconnect the wiring harness and unscrew the igniter from the burner bracket. Handle the new igniter with extreme care; the silicon carbide element is as fragile as glass. Do not touch the black igniter element with your bare fingers, as skin oils can cause it to burn out prematurely.
5. Reassemble and test. Secure the new igniter, reconnect the gas and power, and run a test bake. You should see the igniter glow and the burner ignite within 30–60 seconds.

Common Mistakes

• Touching the igniter element. Oil from your skin creates a “hot spot” that will cause the new $50 part to crack the first time it heats up.
• Assuming a “glow” means it works. Many homeowners dismiss the igniter because they can see it glowing orange, not realizing it lacks the amperage to open the gas valve.

4Faulty Electronic Control Board

The Electronic Control Board (ERC) is the “brain” of your oven. It uses mechanical relays—small switches—to send 240V power to the bake and broil elements. Over time, these relays can wear out, or the solder joints on the back of the board can crack due to the extreme heat cycles of the oven. If the stovetop works but the oven elements aren’t getting power (despite a good fuse and element), the board has likely failed.

Symptoms

• The oven display works and you can set a temperature, but you never hear the “click” of the relay engaging.
• Visible burn marks or melted plastic on the back of the control board.
• Intermittent heating issues where the oven works one day and fails the next.

Care Plan

1. Disconnect power. Turn off the circuit breaker and confirm the unit is de-energized with a non-contact voltage tester.
2. Access the board. Remove the upper back panel of the range to expose the rear of the control board.
3. Visual Inspection. Look for “cold” solder joints (dull, gray, cracked rings around pin connections) or black soot marks near the relays. If you see physical damage, the board must be replaced.
4. Replace the board. Photograph the wiring connections—this is critical, as there may be 10+ identical wires. Unplug the connectors, unscrew the old board, and install the new OEM-spec unit ($100–$350).
5. Restore and test. Reconnect all wiring, replace the panels, and test a bake cycle.

Common Mistakes

• Misdiagnosing a blown fuse as a bad board. Because a blown thermal fuse (Cause 2) can sometimes kill the board’s display, people often replace the expensive board when a $15 fuse was the real culprit. Always test the fuse first.
• Wiring errors. If you don’t have a clear photo to reference, a single misplaced wire can short out the new board or prevent the oven from heating correctly.