Stove, range, or oven repair can be difficult, especially if you are doing for the first. You have to identify the exact problem from the signs and symptoms, check each part carefully, and replace or repair the problem part. If your range, stove, or oven does not start, you must check several parts including the fuse, broil element, bake element, and several other cooking appliance parts. In this article, we have created a guide of parts that are most likely to cause this problem. You can use this information to understand how the appliances work and determine the part that is causing this problem.
Fuse
Most modern ovens have internal fuses that can blow up when there is a component or wiring problem. A blown fuse is a sign that one or more components of the machine have shorted, and this problem must be corrected. Ovens that have fuses will have details of all the circuits that connect to the fuse. If you don’t have these details, you can start by inspecting the element and the wires that connect to the element. When replacing the fuse, make sure you don’t change the rating of the fuse. When replacing the fuse, make sure to disconnect the power supply to the oven or range.
Bake Element
The bake element is normally located at the bottom of the appliance. Most modern electric ovens use both broil and bake element in a bake cycle, with the bake element producing more than 85 percent of heating. If there is a problem with the bake element, the oven will not heat. To determine if the bake element is defective, you must initially do a visual inspection to check for signs of separation or blistering. If the element appears to be damaged, you must replace it immediately. If it appears normal, turn on the machine for a few minutes and then turn it off.
If the element is cold, it means that it is damaged or defective. Before changing the element, you must check the condition of the wires that connect to the element. If the wires are damaged, you must replace them immediately. If there is no problem in the wiring, restart the machine for a minute and check the bake element for signs of heating. If it is still cold, then check its continuity using a multi-meter. You must replace the element if it is burnt or does not have continuity.
Broil Element
The broil element is usually located at the top of the oven, and it produces extremely high heat for broiling. If you have reason to believe that broil element is not working, you must do a visual inspection of the element to check for signs separation and blistering. If there are no signs of physical damage, you can use a multi-meter to check for continuity. You must disconnect the power supply to the machine before performing this test. If there is no continuity, you must replace the element.
If these steps don’t solve the problem, you must remove the back panel and inspect the terminals of broil element. If the wires are overheated or damaged, they need to be repaired. You must also check the broil circuit to identify the cause of the problem. This means working with live voltage checks and should only be done by trained and qualified service technicians.
Surface Burner Element
The surface burner element is either solid, coil, or ribbon type coil that is used in top ranges. It consists of a heating wire that uses electricity to produce heat. You can check the continuity of coil type element by removing it from the terminal block and testing it with a multi-meter. If the terminals are heat damaged or corroded, you must replace the receptacle or terminal block. When replacing the terminal block, you must disconnect the power supply to the appliance.
To repair the solid or ribbon type element, you must remove the main top. Before lifting the main top, you must remove the power from the range. Continuity of the ribbon and solid type element can be checked using a multi-meter.
Infinite Switch
This switch on the control panel gives the power to surface element. If the terminal block and element check ok, and the element does not have heat, then you may have a problem with the infinite switch. To check the switch, disconnect the power supply to the range and remove the back panel. Check the switch and the wires connected to the switch. If the wires are burnt, replace them immediately. Test the continuity of the switch using the multi-meter and replace the switch if there is a problem in continuity.
Temperature Sensor
The temperature sensor regulates the temperature inside the oven. If the sensor is faulty, the oven will not start. You can find this sensor on the rear side of the oven. The most modern oven will display an error code when the sensor is not working. You can use the multi-meter to check the continuity of the sensor. Before checking for continuity, remove the power from the electrical appliance.
Electronic Control Board
Ovens use an electronic control board to control the functions of the oven. The control board operates the safety valve of an oven or gas range, and the broil and bake elements of the electric oven or range. If there is no power supply to the element or igniter circuit, you must check whether there is power supply from the electronic control board. Since it involves live voltage checks, you must get help from a qualified stove repair service technician.
Oven Burner Igniter
Oven burner or hot surface igniter is used to ignite the gas and open the gas valve. When the electric current is supplied to the igniter, it glows and causes the valve to release the gas to be ignited. This process usually takes a minute to complete. Igniters are fragile and come in both round and flat styles. If the burner does not light, you must check the condition of the igniter first. If it does not glow, you must check for power supply to the electronic circuit. If the igniter is glowing, but the burner is not working, it indicates that the igniter is weak and needs to be replaced.
Safety Valve
Also known as the gas valve, this part ensures that gas is released only when the igniter reaches the correct temperature. If the igniter does not glow, you must check that you have correct voltage to the circuit. It is in your interest to allow a qualified service repairman to perform this live voltage test.
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