My oven won't turn on.......?

Question

The broiler works, and the burners on the stove work, but the oven won't do anything when I turn it on. There is this part on the bottom of the oven that glows red when I turn it on, but it doesn't ignite. Is this something that can be fixed inexpensively or will it cost me the same to just buy a new oven? Any help would be appreciated greatly!!!

It's an Amana Self-cleaning Gas oven. Also, would keeping it on for a prolonged period of time with the oven door open have anything to do with it? Our furnace is on the fritz and it's below zero outside, so we were using the oven for a little while to help keep it warmer in the house and then yesterday, it quit working. I didn't think that that would affect anything, but maybe it did.

Answer 1

You have a defective thermocouple. It goes from the ignition point back to the gas valve itself and looks like a metal piece of wire about the size of a coat hanger wire. Locate it and remove it. Then take it to Lowes or any hardware store and get a replacement for around $8 or so.

Answer 2

Whether it is cheaper to fix or replace depends a lot on what type of oven you would replace it with. You really need to give more details in your explaination. I can make the assumption that this is a gas oven because it has a broiler but you never specified it as such. Also, gas ovens can range from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand.

First thing I would try is to clean the oven. When was the last time you cleaned it? You did not give a brand/model so it can make determining problems more difficult. I had the same problem on my gas oven about a year ago. I removed the panel on the bottom of the oven that is right above the glow plug and oven burner and cleaned off the burner trying to remove as much buildup as possible. From there my problem resolved itself. It could be something as simple as your burner is clogged or something more severe.

Answer 3

Three things come to mind:

The first (a real "duh!" moment) is to check your controls on your stove and make sure they're not set to "Timed Bake" or something similar. That's where you can preset when you want the oven to go on and leave it...like with your coffee pot. More than once I've experienced an oven that won't turn on only to realize the kids were playing with that control.

Next, has your oven been acting well before this? If it's been too hot or too cool, your thermostat could be shot. Once it burns out, you've got no heat being called for, so it won't heat up. This is a pretty inexpensive fix.

The third is the heating element. It's the one thing you'll have to call a professional to come in and fix...but it's not a huge expense.

The only way this costs as much as a new oven is if your current range is so old that it's going to become a money pit. Otherwise, you're looking at less than $200 at the high end to repair, as opposed to $500-600 at the low end to replace.

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Based on the new info you've given, it would appear you've had a buildup on your ignitor and service that's clogging it. Given the current weather, you need to go to Lowes or HD for a couple of portable oil-filled heaters (no fumes) and leave the oven alone. Have a repairman come out on Monday.

The other thing you can do is call your utility company and have them send out an emergency crew to fix your furnace. They'll tack it on to your next bill so you won't have to pay for it this week (it's what my husband does for a living with Detroit Edison). If you give them a little coffee and keep them from having to dig up something on the next job on their list, you can probably get them to repair your oven, too.

Answer 4

From the way you phrased your question you have a gas oven with an electric igniter.
Have you checked to see if there is any grease or debris clogging the jet? Most likely since the igniter glows then it's either a clogged jet or a thermocouple.
If you can clean the jet and that doesn't clear it up find a good appliance repairman look at it and give you an estimate. An honest one will tell you if it's worth repairing.

Answer 5

You fail to mention whether it is gas or electric. If gas, I would get a certified repairman to fix it as soon as possible as anything to do with gas can be dangerous. A certified repairman would also be wise for an electric oven, but if you try to do it yourself, shut off the breaker to the oven first so you don't get fried if you touch the wrong thing. Good luck!

Answer 6

You have a bad ignitor(the part that glows red). It is not drawing enough current to open the valve for gas to come into the burner. Take the model and serial number to your local appliance parts store or go on line to WWW.APWAGNER.COM. They ship the same business day and you usually get it the next day. They are the largest parts supplier on the east coast and a very reputable company to deal with.

It is definitely less expensive to replace the ignitor than to buy a new range.