How to Repair Household Appliances - Problem 2: Electric oven won't heat

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine

Photo 1: Replace bad wire ends
Remove the mounting screws and pull the element
out far enough to inspect the wires.
Replace broken, frayed or charred wire ends.
First cut off the damaged section and
 strip off about 3/8 in. of the insulation.

Photo 2: Crimp the new terminal
Slip the stripped wire into the new terminal.
Align the barrel of the terminal with the 14-16
wire gauge notch labeled “noninsulated.”
Squeeze to crimp the terminal onto the wire.

Photo 3: Replace a bad heating element
Test the element by touching the ends with the
two probes of a multimeter. Set the tester to RX-1.
The needle should move to the right.
If it doesn't, replace the heating element.

Solutions
If your electric oven won't heat, there's a good chance the heating element has a bad connection or is burned out. But before you dive into this repair, check to make sure the circuit breaker (double pole for 240 volts) hasn't switched off. If your oven heats somewhat and the light still comes on, check the receptacle with a voltage tester (buy at home centers and hardware stores) capable of testing 240-volt circuits. Call in an electrician if it's not getting at least 200 volts.

If the circuit to the oven is good, unplug the oven, then unscrew the heating element and pull the connections into the oven compartment (Photo 1). Coax the wires through the holes carefully to avoid unplugging or damaging the connections. If the wires have tension on them, clamp them with a clothespin to keep them from being pulled back into the hole. (Don't worry if a wire disappears back into the hole; retrieve it by pulling out the stove and removing the back panel.) Inspect the connections and look for charred, frayed or broken wires. If the terminal connection is bad, replace it (Photos 1 and 2). Make sure to buy a special “high-temperature” terminal (available from appliance parts dealers).

If the connections are good, the heating element might be burned out. Test the element with a multimeter (buy at home centers and hardware stores) as shown in the bottom left photo or take the heating element to an appliance parts store for testing.

Installing a new element is straightforward. Simply connect the wires to it, slide them carefully back into the holes and screw the element to the back of the oven.

Figure B: Electric Oven Details
The electric heating element is fastened to the bottom of the oven