Faulty Oven Elements: How to Diagnose and Fix Common Oven Problems

When your faulty oven element, the heating coil inside an electric oven that generates heat to cook food. Also known as baking element, it's one of the most common parts to fail in electric ovens. Your oven might not heat at all, or only part of it works—like the broiler but not the bake function. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a sign your oven’s core component is broken. Most people assume they need a new oven, but often, replacing just the oven heating element, the removable coil that provides consistent heat during baking and roasting fixes the problem for under $100.

A electric oven repair, the process of diagnosing and fixing issues in electric ovens, often involving elements, thermostats, or wiring doesn’t always mean calling a technician. Many issues start with simple checks: Is the power reaching the oven? Did a circuit breaker trip? Is the element visibly broken, warped, or discolored? If the element looks fine but still doesn’t work, you might be dealing with a faulty thermostat or a broken terminal connection. The oven not heating, a common symptom where the oven fails to reach or maintain set temperatures is rarely about the whole appliance failing—it’s usually one part. Replacing the oven element replacement, the act of swapping out a worn or damaged heating element with a new one is a straightforward DIY job if you’re comfortable turning off power and unplugging the unit. No need to panic. Many homeowners fix this themselves in under an hour using basic tools.

What you’ll find below are real, tested fixes from people who’ve been there. From how to test if the element is dead with a multimeter, to what to look for when buying a replacement part, to why some repairs cost more than others. You’ll see how often a faulty element is mistaken for a broken control board, and why skipping the diagnostic step leads to wasted money. We’ve pulled together the most common mistakes, the cheapest fixes, and the rare cases where you really do need a pro. No fluff. No theory. Just what works.