When an oven will not heat or cannot reach the set temperature, the cause depends on whether it is electric or gas — but in both cases it is typically an inexpensive, well-defined part.
Why your oven is not heating
- Failed bake element (electric) — a burned-out or blistered element will not glow evenly.
- Weak igniter (gas) — it glows but no longer draws enough current to open the gas valve, so the oven never lights.
- Faulty oven sensor — feeds the control board the wrong temperature, so heating is off or erratic.
- Control-board fault — less common, but a failed relay stops the heat.
What you can safely check first
- On electric ovens, watch the bake element — it should glow bright orange evenly; dark spots or no glow point to a failed element.
- On gas ovens, watch the igniter — if it glows but the burner never lights within 90 seconds, the igniter is weak.
- Confirm the oven is not stuck in a delay-start or self-clean-lock mode.
When to call a technician
Elements, igniters and sensors involve high-current or gas connections and should be replaced with genuine parts. Our oven repair technicians diagnose the fault and verify the oven holds temperature before leaving.
Oven Not Heating — FAQs
Why won't my gas oven light but the igniter glows?
That is the classic weak-igniter fault — it glows but no longer draws enough current to open the gas safety valve, so the burner never lights. Replacing the igniter fixes it.
My oven heats but the temperature is off — why?
Usually a drifting oven sensor telling the control board the wrong temperature. We test and replace the sensor, then verify the oven holds the set temperature on a meter.