Gas Oven Little To No Heat When Baking: Top 5 Reasons & Fixes (With Video!)

Is your gas oven refusing to heat up right when you need it most? Before you consider replacing your entire appliance, let us guide you through uncovering what might be causing this issue. Discover the top five reasons your oven isn’t heating, and watch our video tutorial below for detailed tests and additional safety tips!

Once you have identified the part needed for your oven, search below using your specific range model number to identify the exact part needed:

There are a number of small components all working together to control the oven in your gas-powered range. Just one going wrong can prevent your oven from working, either partially or completely – but that doesn’t mean you need a whole new stove. On the contrary, most of those small parts are relatively easy to access, test, and replace if needed, and AppliancePartsPros.com is here to walk you through the process!

In this guide, we’re reviewing the top five reasons your gas oven isn’t heating when you’re using the baking function. Don’t forget to watch our video tutorial for a detailed look at each test and some additional safety tips!

Troubleshooting A Gas Oven That Isn’t Heating

This tutorial covers the five most common causes of heating issues when trying to bake in gas ovens. Our guide is applicable to appliances made by all major gas range manufacturers, including Kenmore, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, GE, and more. No matter what brand your appliance is, we should be able to help you out!

Before you begin…

For your safety, disconnect your appliance from power either at the wall outlet or circuit breaker, and be sure to shut off the gas supply.  While these tests are all fairly straightforward, you’re still working on or near gas supply components. If at any point you are not confident in your ability to complete one of the steps laid out here, you should contact a professional repair technician for assistance.

Is a gas smell from my oven dangerous?

A little bit of that natural gas smell isn’t unusual when you turn your oven on, but if it is particularly strong or lingering, that’s a bad sign. If you’re concerned about a gas smell coming from your oven, we’ve got a guide that can help you troubleshoot it. However, if you suspect that you have a serious gas leak on your hands, you need to shut off the gas in your home, call the utility company, and leave your house immediately. Staying in a home with a gas leak can be dangerous.

Your Diagnostic Tool Kit

Gather up these items before you begin! While you won’t need all of these tools for each test, having them all beforehand will make your testing a bit more efficient.

• A multimeter with a clamp-on amp meter
• Thermometer
• Phillips screwdriver or nut driver – whichever is necessary to remove panels on your oven
• Needle-nose pliers
• Work gloves

1. Oven Igniter

The igniter (or ignitor – different spellings for the same part) lights gas as it is released into the oven, maintaining heat in the compartment. Igniters are small components consisting of a ceramic body and heating element usually encased in a partial or complete metal cage. They generally come in two different shapes – round and square – which operate at different amperages, so it’s important that your oven has the correct type installed.

When it’s in good working order, this component will warm until it glows white hot – hot enough to ignite gas. As the component ages, though, the heating element can weaken, making it less efficient. If your oven is struggling to heat when you’re trying to use the baking function, the igniter may be failing.

You’ll find the ignitor in the base of the oven. To access it, open the oven door, remove the racks, the bottom panel, and the flame spreader. Once you’ve got in in view, there are a few things you’ll have to do to thoroughly test it:

• 1. First, check to make sure that the igniter is mounted properly. Make sure it’s connected and securely mounted. If it’s loose or has fallen out of place, this could be your issue, and simply reattaching it should fix the problem.
  2. Next, temporarily restore only the power to the oven, but leave the gas supply off. You’ll need the oven to be powered to run the next couple tests.
  3. Turn the oven on and check to see whether the oven ignitor is lighting up. It should glow white hot. If it only glows red or orange, it is not getting hot enough to properly release gas into the oven interior for ignition, and needs to be replaced. If you’re still unsure that the ignitor is the issue, shut the oven off and grab your multimeter. We’ll need to check how many amps the component is drawing.
  4. Check what amperage range you should have. You can find this information on the oven safety valve, which is likely on the back of your range, but here are the most common amperages for both styles of ignitor: For round igniters and blue igniters, the lowest amperage you should get when you test is 2.2. These sorts of igniters are typically used with safety valves rated for between 2.5 to 3 amps. If you have a square igniter, they are usually used with safety valves rated for between 3.3 and 3.6 amps. The lowest acceptable reading for these types of igniters is 3.0.
  5. Clamp the amp meter around one of the igniter wires.
  6. Turn the oven on and check the amp meter. If it isn’t drawing enough amps, then it is going bad and should be replaced.
  7. If the ignitor wasn’t the problem, disconnect the oven from power. Your last test is to check the component for continuity, so keep your multimeter handy.
  8. Access the ignitor’s wiring harness and disconnect it. You may be able to do this from inside the oven, but if the wires are too short, you’ll need to pull the appliance away from the wall and remove the rear access panel to reach it.
  9. Once you have access to the harness and it’s unplugged, touch a multimeter probe to each terminal. It should have continuity. If it doesn’t, the part has failed and needs to be replaced.

2. Oven Temperature Sensor

The oven temperature sensor is a resistor that measures the temperature within the oven and reports it to the oven’s control board. This, in turn, will determine how other components within the oven function. While the oven may still heat If the sensor is just malfunctioning, it may struggle to reach or maintain the appropriate temperature. If the sensor has failed completely, your oven likely will not turn on at all.

To test this part, you’ll need access to the back of the oven.

1. 1. Before you start, make sure that your oven is around room temperature. You can use a thermometer to check the ambient air temperature in the oven cavity right before you test the part. Refer to your oven’s tech sheet to see which temperature corresponds to which ohms reading.
   2. Set your multimeter to ohms. You’ll want to check what the proper ohm level is for your oven’s temperature sensor.
   3. Disconnect the temperature sensor’s wires.
   4. Touch one of the multimeter’s test probes to each of the sensor’s terminals. Check the multimeter for the ohms reading. If the reading doesn’t match your range’s tech sheet table or if it is not giving a reading at all, the temperature sensor has failed and needs to be replaced.

3. Control Board

Say hello to the brains of your appliance! The oven control board manages the functions of the range based on information gathered from sensors in the appliance and user input. You can usually find the control board mounted in the middle of the oven’s control panel. If the control board is malfunctioning or has failed, it can cause a host of issues with your appliance. Most commonly, it will fail to power the igniter on at appropriate times, preventing the oven from heating.

To test your control board, you’ll need to enter your appliance’s diagnostic mode and check for error codes. Because the steps to do this are usually brand or model specific, we can’t list all of them out here. You’ll need to refer to your range’s manual or tech sheet to find the exact steps.

4. Oven Safety Valve

As the name implies, the oven safety valve is a safety device that stops the flow of gas into the oven if the igniter is malfunctioning. It consists of a metal body with a bimetal arm inside. As electricity from the igniter heats the interior component, the safety valve opens, releasing gas into the oven for ignition. A failed safety valve will stop the flow of gas into the oven whether or not the igniter is in working condition.

Safety valves can be found in one of two places on the range. Check the following places when you’re ready to test it:

• On the back of the oven, behind an access panel, connected to a gas line that runs to the oven’s burner.
• Inside the oven, beneath the bottom panel, heat spreader, and burner, usually mounted to the floor of the oven and against the back.

Once you have access to the safety valve on your oven, it’s time to test it out:

1. 1. Set your multimeter to continuity. You’re testing to see whether the valve carries a charge.
   2. Remove the wire connections to the safety valve. You may need a pair of needle-nose pliers to do this, as they can be wedged on pretty tight.
   3. Touch a test probe to each terminal to test for continuity. If there’s no continuity, the valve will need to be replaced.

5. Oven Thermostat

The last troublemaker on our list is the oven thermostat, which controls and regulates the temperature in the oven in ranges that don’t have an electronic control board. It consists of a long temperature sensor bulb, a metal or plastic body with contacts inside, a shaft which attaches to a knob on the range’s control panel, and a gas valve.

The entire component runs from the control panel down to the oven. So you might have to remove the grates and burner heads from your range cooktop to thoroughly test it:

1. 1. Start by opening the oven and checking the sensor bulb and capillary. The bulb should be sturdily mounted in the corner of the oven and not hanging down. If the bulb has fallen out of place, remounting it could fix your issue. If you find an oily residue on it, that means it’s likely cracked or burst and needs to be replaced.
   2. Check the capillary all the way up to the switch body. To do this, you’ll need to lift the cooktop up. The capillary should not be kinked or damaged in any way. Like the bulb, if it is coated in an oily residue, it is likely leaking and the part needs to be replaced.
   3. If the sensor is intact, you can move on to testing the thermostat body for continuity. So grab your multimeter! You may need to reference the wiring diagram for your thermostat for this part if the body has more than two wire terminals.
   4. With the thermostat in the off position, touch a multimeter probe to each terminal. It should not have continuity. If it does, the part is damaged and needs to be replaced.
   5. Using the knob, turn the thermostat to an on position and test again. It should have continuity at this point. If there’s no continuity, the thermostat has failed and needs to be replaced.

Finding The Right Replacement Part

After running our suggested tests, you’ve likely found yourself in need of a replacement for a failed component. Luckily, finding a compatible part is quick and easy with AppliancePartsPros.com on your side!

To find a compatible oven part, all you need is your range’s model number. You can find that on a sticker somewhere on the body of the appliance. Here’s how to find it:

• Open the oven door and check around the frame.
• Open the broiler or range drawer and check along the sides or on the inside of the door, itself.
• Lift the cooktop and check beneath that.
• Check the exterior of the stove, it could be on the sides or back, behind the main control panel.

Once you’ve got that model number, you can search for the right part online at AppliancePartsPros.com. Order online and have the part you need to your door in as little as two days!

Wrapping Up

From that first diagnostic test to the final install of a new component, AppliancePartsPros.com is here to help you fix and maintain your appliances. Whether you’re looking for replacement parts or need tips on cleaning and upkeep, we’ve got you covered! Check out our site, blog, and YouTube channel for more great tips, tutorials, and genuine OEM replacement parts.