Oven Won't Turn On: 2026 Troubleshooting Guide

When your oven won’t turn on, the cause is usually one of four things: a tripped breaker, a failed igniter (gas models), a blown thermal fuse, or a faulty control board. In 2026, most of these are diagnosable at home with basic tools. This guide ranks every cause from most to least likely so you spend time on the right fix first.

4 Common Causes for an Oven That Won’t Turn On

1Tripped Breaker or Blown Fuse

Electric ovens draw significant current — typically 40–50 amps on a dedicated 240V circuit — and a power surge, brief overload, or wiring fault can trip the breaker or blow a fuse in your home’s electrical panel without any warning. This is the single most common reason an oven goes completely dead, and it takes less than ten minutes to rule out. Gas ovens also require electricity to power the igniter, control board, and clock, so a tripped breaker will disable a gas oven just as effectively.

Symptoms

• The oven display is completely dark with no clock or indicator lights
• The oven does not respond to any control input whatsoever
• Other appliances on nearby circuits work normally

Care Plan

1. Locate your home’s main electrical panel (usually in a utility room, garage, or hallway). Find the breaker labeled for the oven or range — it is typically a double-pole breaker (a double-pole breaker occupies two adjacent slots in the panel and has a single handle that controls both; it is wider than a standard single breaker).
2. Check whether the breaker handle is in the center “tripped” position rather than fully ON or fully OFF. A tripped breaker sits visibly between the two positions.
3. If the breaker is tripped, push the handle firmly all the way to the OFF position first, then flip it fully to ON. Never flip a tripped breaker directly to ON without passing through OFF first.
4. Return to the oven and test whether the display powers on. If it does, run a short bake cycle to confirm normal operation.
5. If the breaker trips again immediately upon restoration, stop — do not reset it a second time. Repeated tripping indicates a short circuit or wiring fault inside the oven or in the circuit itself, which requires a licensed electrician. Do not attempt further DIY diagnosis.

Common Mistakes

• Flipping a tripped breaker directly from the tripped position to ON without cycling through OFF first — this can stress the breaker mechanism and may not fully reset the internal contacts.
• Assuming the oven is permanently broken when the only issue is a tripped breaker — always check the panel before purchasing any parts or scheduling a technician.

2Faulty Oven Igniter (Gas Ovens)

The hot surface igniter is the most commonly replaced part on gas ovens. It is a fragile ceramic and silicon carbide component that heats to over 2,500°F to open the gas safety valve and ignite the burner. Over time — typically after 5–7 years of regular use — the igniter weakens and can no longer draw enough current to open the valve, even if it still appears to glow. This is distinct from a spark igniter, which produces the clicking sound you hear on surface burners; the oven bake burner in most modern gas ranges uses a silent hot surface igniter that glows orange-red.

Symptoms

• The oven bake burner does not light, but surface burners ignite normally
• You can see the igniter glow faintly orange but it takes longer than 90 seconds to attempt ignition, or ignition never occurs — a healthy igniter should glow bright and trigger the gas valve within 30–60 seconds
• You notice the oven taking significantly longer than normal to preheat before eventually lighting (a sign the igniter is weakening before full failure)

Note: Clicking sounds inside the oven cavity are unusual for a hot surface igniter and may indicate a separate issue with a spark module or electrode — this warrants professional diagnosis if clicking is the primary symptom.

Care Plan

1. Disconnect power at the circuit breaker first. Then shut off the gas supply valve at the wall (typically a lever or knob behind or beside the range — lever parallel to the pipe means open; perpendicular means closed). Wait at least two minutes before proceeding.
2. Remove the oven racks and locate the bake burner assembly at the bottom of the oven cavity. On most models, the igniter is mounted directly to the burner or on a bracket beside it. Remove the two screws securing the burner and carefully lift it out.
3. The igniter is connected to the oven’s wiring by a plastic plug connector (the wire harness) joining the igniter’s wires to the oven’s wiring. Note the connector orientation before disconnecting it — a photograph with your phone is helpful.
4. Test the igniter with a multimeter set to resistance (Ohms). A healthy hot surface igniter typically reads between 40 and 600 Ohms depending on the manufacturer and igniter type. A reading near 0 Ohms indicates a short circuit and the igniter has failed. A reading of OL (open loop/infinite resistance) also indicates failure. If the reading falls outside the 40–600 Ohm range, replace the igniter.
5. Install the replacement igniter (match the part number to your oven’s model number, found on the door frame sticker), reconnect the wire harness, reinstall the burner, restore gas, and restore power. Run a bake cycle to confirm ignition within 60 seconds. If the oven still does not ignite after installing a confirmed good igniter, the gas safety valve or control board may be at fault — escalate to a certified appliance technician at this point.

Common Mistakes

• Touching the ceramic tip or silicon carbide element of the new igniter with bare fingers — skin oils can cause premature failure. Handle the igniter only by its metal bracket or mounting tabs.
• Installing a replacement igniter with the wrong current draw rating for your oven model — always verify the part number against your model number, not just the physical shape, as visually similar igniters may have different electrical specifications.

3Blown Thermal Fuse

The thermal fuse is a one-time safety device that permanently opens (blows) if the oven’s internal temperature exceeds a safe threshold — typically caused by a blocked vent, a malfunctioning thermostat, or running a self-clean cycle at high temperatures. Once blown, it cannot be reset and must be replaced. On electric ovens, a blown thermal fuse will cause the oven to go completely dead. On gas ovens, it may disable only the bake function or the entire control board depending on where it sits in the circuit. The thermal fuse itself costs very little, but locating it requires model-specific knowledge.

Symptoms

• The oven is completely dead — no display, no response to controls, no heating of any kind
• The failure occurred shortly after running a self-clean cycle
• Resetting the breaker does not restore any function

Care Plan

1. Disconnect power at the circuit breaker and confirm the oven is completely de-energized before touching any internal components. Wait at least 5 minutes before proceeding.
2. Look up the service manual or parts diagram for your specific model number (available on the manufacturer’s website or on AppliancePartsPros.com). Identify the thermal fuse location — do not assume it is at the back panel without confirming for your model.
3. Once located, access the fuse by removing the relevant panel (rear panel, oven bottom, or back wall depending on your model). The thermal fuse is a small cylindrical or flat component, typically white or silver, connected in-line on a wire.
4. Disconnect the fuse and test it with a multimeter set to continuity. A healthy fuse will beep (continuity present). A blown fuse will read open with no beep. If the fuse is blown, replace it with an exact-match replacement — match both the temperature rating and the part number for your model.
5. Reassemble the panels, restore power, and test the oven. If the oven blows the thermal fuse again within a short period, the root cause (blocked vent, failing thermostat, or faulty temperature sensor) has not been addressed — do not simply replace the fuse again. Escalate to a certified appliance technician to identify the underlying overheating cause.

4Failed Control Board

The Electronic Control Board (ERC) is the brain of your oven. It uses relays—mechanical switches—to send power to the bake and broil circuits. Over time, these relays can wear out, or the solder joints on the board can crack due to the extreme heat cycles of the oven. If you have confirmed that your breaker is on and your thermal fuse has continuity, but the display remains dead or the oven refuses to heat, the control board has likely failed.

Symptoms

• The oven display is blank, flickers, or shows nonsensical error codes (e.g., F1, F10).
• You hear a faint “clicking” but no heat follows, or the clicking is constant.
• The oven display works but the touchpad is unresponsive or only certain buttons function.

Care Plan

1. Perform a Hard Reset: Flip the breaker to OFF for at least 10 full minutes. This allows the capacitors on the board to discharge and the processor to reset. If the unit still won’t turn on after restoring power, proceed to inspection.
2. Access the Board: With power OFF, remove the upper back panel of the range (or the front console glass, depending on your model) to expose the rear of the control board.
3. Visual Inspection: Look for “cold” solder joints (cracked, dull gray rings around pin connections) or black soot marks near the relays. Look at the capacitors; if the tops are bulging or “domed” instead of flat, the board is failing.
4. Replace the Board: Photograph the wiring connections—this is vital, 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 the board: Because a control board is expensive, always test the thermal fuse (Cause 3) first. A $15 fuse often causes the exact same “dead display” symptom as a $300 board.
• Wiring errors: If you don’t have a clear photo to reference, a single misplaced wire can short out the new board or even the oven’s heating elements.