Is your oven ready for holiday cooking? Make sure it can bake

What to do if your oven won’t bake

Your oven has probably been lying dormant all summer. Make sure your oven is working so it can cook all those tasty holiday meals and treats.  Here are some common reasons why gas and electric ovens do not bake and how to fix them.

Gas oven does not bake.

Check the timer controls. An automatic cycle setting could be preventing the oven from lighting. If you have an electronic display, try unplugging the oven to reset the controls.

Most gas oven systems today use an electronic ignition to ignite the gas flame in your oven.  An electric current will pass through the ignitor and the ignitor in turn allows the gas safety valve to open. It does this by heating an internal piece of bimetal to open the gas valve.

Most times when an oven won’t bake, it’s because the bake ignitor has gotten weak or it’s just burned out. The ignitor is a small round or rectangular device located near the burner. The ignitor is wired in series with the gas safety valve.

If this ignitor is weak or burned out, it won’t heat enough to lower its resistance to the point where the bi-metal strip gets enough electricity to heat up and allow the gas safety valve to open, and it will not release gas to the burner assembly. When this happens, you may have to replace either the ignitor or the gas safety valve. Many times it’s the ignitor that is to blame, and cheaper to replace.

Gas Ignitors come in two basic types, ‘flat’ and ‘round’, and these parts are not interchangeable, so make sure you are ordering the correct part for your oven. You can do this by looking up parts by your Gas Oven’s Model number. The part list will show you the correct parts you need for your particular gas oven model.

• Examples of Flat Gas Oven Ignitors
• Examples of Round Gas Oven Ignitors
• Read more about Gas Oven Glowbar Igniters and how they work.
• Read more gas oven repair tips online

Electric oven does not bake

Check the controls and make sure the delay-cook or delay-start options are not running. Some ovens have a lock-out feature and the oven will not work until this feature is unselected.

The most common reason for an oven not to bake is that the heating element is burned out. Check the bake element for continuity with an Ohm meter or simply look at the terminal ends for signs of corrosion. Look for obvious signs of burning, bubbling, or blistering on the element itself and replace the bake element if you see any signs of damage. A properly working element glows cherry red.

Read more about why electric ovens do not bake online here: http://www.apwagner.ca/index.php?main_page=page&id=7#Q13

FixIT: Burners do not work on gas stove

Make sure you have turned the knob to the light position first. Then turn the

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knob to the desired heat setting after you have a flame. If you have recently cleaned your range, are you sure everything is dry? Moisture may prevent the electric ignition from working properly. If you hear clicking when the burner is supposed to be off, make sure the knob is turned all the way to off, and that the knob has popped out.

Gas Range burners are round and have small holes evenly placed around

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their perimeter. These holes allow gas to flow out and create a controlled flame when lit. Sometimes the gas orifices get plugged and the gas can’t get through to be ignited. The trick is to clean them without making the holes any bigger. You need to clean the burners thoroughly. Many people use a toothpick, old toothbrush, or a small pin to clear the holes, allowing the gas to flow freely. If, after cleaning the burners, they still don’t light, you should call a professional appliance repair person.

Sometimes ranges have different size burners on them. If you have recently

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cleaned the burners, it is possible you put a small burner cap on the large burner, or vice versa. Double check to make sure this isn’t the problem, and make sure they are seated properly.

 

 

For more information:

• Gas Range/Stove/Oven Repair Help
• Common Questions about Gas Ranges
• Gas Stove Repair help – where to post your question to get an answer
• Gas Oven Replacement Parts
• Kenmore Gas Range Replacement Parts
• Frigidaire Gas Oven Replacement Parts
• Maytag Gas Oven Replacement Parts

Congratulations to all our winners in our “Help Fill Up Our Appliance Repair Forum and Win!” Contest

Sadly, we have come to the end of our “Help Fill Up Our Appliance Repair Forum and Win!” Contest. You can see a list of winners on our website.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to enter and contribute valuable content to our Appliance Repair Forum. Please keep posting those appliance repair questions.  We also welcome any knowledgeable appliance repair experts to our forum, to help answer appliance repair questions. We want our appliance repair forum to be a source of knowledge for people to help them repair their household appliance themselves.

We also want do-it-yourselfers to know about our online Appliance Repair Library where you can find answers to frequently asked questions about  refrigerator repairs, gas stove, range, oven repairs, washing machine repairs and more. Visit the Appliance repair Library to find answers to your appliance repair problems.

Appliance Repair Help:

• “Help Fill Up Our Appliance Repair Forum and Win!” Contest Winners
• Appliance Repair Forum
• Appliance Repair Library

Gas oven won’t heat up? It could be your iginitor

Question: The ignitor on my General Electric gas stove burned out. Can I manually light my stove? The burners on the top of the stove work fine.

Answer: No, this is not possible due to the gas being controlled by the gas safety valve. You need the ignitor to be working properly before gas is allowed out of the gas safety valve.

The ignitor is a small round or rectangular (flat oven ignitor and the round oven ignitor) device located near the burner and is wired in series with the gas safety valve. When the ignitor is cold, it has a lot of resistance, meaning it gets most of the electricity in the circuit. As the ignitor heats up, its resistance drops allowing the heat to pass to the bi-metal strip in the gas safety valve, which then allows gas to be released to the burner assembly. The gas then gets ignited by the glow-bar ignitor. The ignitor glows the whole time the burner is on, keeping the gas safety valve open. The thermostat senses when the desired temperature is reached, and cuts off electricity to the gas safety valve and ignitor.

DavesRepair.com has an article on “Gas Oven Glowbar Igniters” along with photos and some helpful tips if you plan on making this repair yourself. He also offers some helpful suggestions on the two different types of igniters: the flat oven ignitor and the round oven ignitor and how to tell which shape your gas oven takes.

APWagner.com also offers a helpful article on How Gas Ovens Work which might help you troubleshoot any problems. You can also buy any of these replacement gas oven parts mentioned in this article online at APWagner.com.

General Electric Flat Oven Ignitor Part Number WB2X10016

Flat oven ignitor that is commonly used on gas stoves and ranges from GE and others.

Price: $79.25

Read more about this part or buy it now.

View more flat oven ignitors for gas ovens online.

Universal Round Ignitor Part Number 5304401265

Universal round ignitor commonly found on gas ovens from Frigidaire, Tappan, Westinghouse, Gibson, WCI, and others as well.

Price $70.46

Read more about this part or buy it now.

View a wider-selection of round oven ignitor parts for your gas oven online.

Oven won’t heat or heats unevenly? Your problem could be the oven’s thermostat

If your oven won’t heat or heats unevenly, your problem could be the oven’s thermostat. You will need to do some testing to make sure it is the thermostat that is faulty.

Here are some popular oven thermostats:

Frigidaire Gas Oven Thermostat

Part number 316032404

This oven thermostat works on Frigidaire Ovens, Tappan Ovens, Westinghouse Ovens, Gibson Ovens, and other brands.

Replaces the following part numbers:

• 1109
• 5303271464
• 5303272103
• AP2124416
• PS437314

Price is $90.58

Click here to view more information or to buy it now from APWagner.com.

If your oven is electric, check out this popular oven thermostat part for repairs or as a replacement part:

General Electric, Electric Oven Thermostat

Part number WB21X5208

Single Range Thermostat has a range of 150°F to 550°F, a capillary length of 45″, and is commonly found on ranges and ovens from GE and other manufacturers.

**Notes**

Thermostat does not have an “OFF” position. That function is controlled by the selector switch.

Older models may require installation mounting kit, part number WB2X6957.

Replaces the following part numbers:

• 252524
• AP2023593
• GE WB21X5208
• PS235954
• WB20K5009
• WB21X12
• WB21X177
• WB21X5211

Price is $99.95

Click here to view more information or to buy it now from APWagner.com.

See more oven thermostats for both Gas and Electric Ovens at APWagner.com.

APWagner.com only carries new, OEM, direct-from-the-manufacturer parts so you can be sure that the part you are getting is a quality part made expressly for your appliance. If you take the time to do a repair, why use a questionable part?

For oven repair information, visit our Oven Repair Guide online.

No heat in the gas oven or the gas oven will not bake.

Here are some things you can check if you are having gas oven problems.

When there’s no heat at all in the oven, the first thing to check should be the timer controls. An automatic cycle setting could be preventing the oven from lighting. If you have a self-cleaning range, make sure the door is in the unlock position. You will also want to check that all knobs are in the correct positions. If you have an Electronic Control, you can try unplugging the range for 30 seconds or so before you plug it back in. This can reset an Electronic Control. Make sure the gas is on to the range.

Most times when an oven won’t bake, it’s because the bake ignitor has gotten weak or it’s just burned out. The ignitor is a small round or rectangular device located near the burner. The ignitor is wired in series with the gas safety valve.

When the ignitor is cold, it has a lot of resistance, meaning it gets most of the electricity in the circuit. As it heats up, its resistance drops. This allows enough electricity to heat the bi-metal strip in the gas safety valve, which then allows gas to be released to the burner assembly. The gas then gets ignited by the glow-bar ignitor. The ignitor glows the whole time the burner is on, keeping the gas safety valve open. The thermostat senses when the desired temperature is reached, and cuts off electricity to the gas safety valve and ignitor.

If this ignitor is weak or burned out, it won’t heat enough to lower its resistance to the point where the bi-metal strip gets enough electricity to heat up and allow the gas safety valve to open, and it will not release gas to the burner assembly. When this happens, you may have to replace either the ignitor or the gas safety valve. Many times it’s the ignitor that is to blame, and cheaper to replace.

The gas safety valve does precisely what the name implies. It prevents gas from being introduced to the burner when there’s a possibility that it won’t get ignited properly. There are a few different variations in their operation, but the purpose is always the same, to prevent accidents. If the glow-bar or spark systems are in proper working order, you may have a faulty gas safety valve. Check it for continuity. A faulty selector switch or thermostat could also be your problem. Check the selector switch for continuity between pairs of contacts. If none, replace the switch.

For the thermostat, consult your wiring diagram when testing it for continuity. If there is no continuity at any of the contact terminal points, you must replace the thermostat.

Looking for gas oven repair help online?

Visit our Gas Oven Repair Section at APWagner.com. Here, you will find answers to such common Gas Stove questions as:

• · Why is the oven temperature incorrect?
• · Is it safe to adjust my thermostat?
• · Why does my oven temperature seem too hot or not hot enough?
• · Why doesn’t the burner work?

You can also order any needed Gas Oven Parts online at APWagner.com and get them shipped to you, most often, the same day, so you can make that repair quickly.

Use the appliance model search at the top of the site to find the part for your appliance make and model. You will also see breakdown diagrams of YOUR appliance which will help you when finding parts and making repairs.

If you do not see the part you need, chances are, we have it or can get it for you quickly. Contact us: 1-888-279-2463, or click on the chat live button at the top of the APWagner site.