Electric Stove Works but Oven Doesn't?

[molo]

The Electric Stove Works but Oven Doesn't?
Are there some basic causes that I could check?

Thanks for any replys

[jwelectric]

i would check out the line at the big box store or Sears

[Redwood]

I would start out by examining the element.
Chances are it is burned out. Many times a visual inspection will reveal a burned through area or even a break. Sometimes even a slight movement and the bad area falls apart.

[Billy_Bob]

A common problem is the heating element goes bad. I have had this happen and you can see a spot on the heating element which looks different from the rest of the element (a clue).

Many ovens have two heating elements. Upper and lower. Now I am no Julia child - more of an expert at cooking TV dinners, etc. But anyway I think bake turns on just the lower heating element? And broil turns on just the top heating element????

So I suppose you might have it on bake and it is not working. Might try broil and see if that works. If yes, then you are getting power through all the controls to the upper heating element, so good chance just the lower heating element is bad.

If you don't get heat to either the upper or lower heating element, then I would suspect the wiring or a control.

So far as the heating element, you should be able to remove it and using an ohm meter, get some sort of reading if it is good (I have no idea what though). Or open circuit if bad.

Also the insulation on older ranges can "melt" back exposing live wires! This is of course very dangerous and the wiring should only be replaced with high heat range wiring which I assume you could get at an appliance store?

Or the contacts on a control/switch could be bad. I would test this with a continuity tester or ohm meter.

Many appliances have a wiring diagram down low somewhere. Or might find it online.

[molo]

OK, Thanks for the help guys.

i'll check those things and get back to you. It hasn't been used for 3 months, but it has been in a clean dry place, it hasn't moved from where it was when it was working 3 months ago.


Thanks for the replys

[hj]

Many times the wire is burned off at the connection to the element.

[molo]

Should I be able to remove the element and check for continuity to see if it's getting power?

Also, I noticed the light doesn't go on for the oven nob, but it does for the 4 elements. The oven has it's own light.

Thanks for any replys

[Billy_Bob]

I found this for the oven element removal...
http://www.homeenvy.com/db/0/640.html

(Of course many things are designed differently. But this describes most oven elements I have seen. Yours may be different.)

Be sure to unplug the range before servicing it of course.

[molo]

I pulled out the element yet left it attached to the wire harness.

I used my little continuity tester and where the element goes into the wire harness I put one leg of the tester there and one on the metal of the oven. I did this for both legs of the element and each time got the red light on the tester. Does this mean that the element is bad?

Thanks for any replys

[molo]

Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo

It's fixed!

This custom deluxe Frigidaire Stove built in '76 is still going!

It was as simple as pulling out one of the timer buttons that had been pushed in when it was cleaned or moved.


whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo!

[hj]

I hope you are not wondering why one of us did not make that suggestion.

[molo]

No not at all,
I would still like to know the answer to post #9 if somedy feels inspired enough to explain. There was power at each leg of the element at the wire harness, but the element was cold. :confused:

[Billy_Bob]

No not at all,
I would still like to know the answer to post #9 if somedy feels inspired enough to explain. There was power at each leg of the element at the wire harness, but the element was cold. :confused:

Actually there is a "continuity tester", "ohm meter", "volt meter", etc. And there is testing with the power on and power off, then testing with the element disconnected from the circuit...

So let's just say Yea! It is fixed and leave it at that!

But if you really want to know...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimeter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_tester

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_wire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_phase

[hj]

We do not know exactly how you were testing, but if from the element to the oven's frame, then that would explain 120 volts. The switch only interupts one leg of the 240 so there is still 120 available at the element, but the current would only flow if something shorted out and gave a path to the ground. And since the element is a continuous circuit, the same power at one end will also be available at the other end, (and all the way to whichever switch has turned the unit off), until such time as a circuit is completed.