How To Determine Which Oven Heating Element To Buy
Heating elements for electric ovens are widely available online and at home appliance stores. They are fairly inexpensive, costing on average from $25-$100 depending upon your oven make and model. Have your appliance’s model number on hand when searching for an electric oven element replacement to make sure you get the right one for your appliance.
If you dont have the manual that came with your appliance, you can usually find the model number on a sticker located on the top, bottom, or sides of the door jamb. In some ovens, the sticker is located on the metal frame where the bottom drawer opens or under one of the electric burners on the cooktop.
Remove The Old Oven Element
Remove The Old Heating Element
Now its time to remove the damaged or defective heating element. Put on your safety gloves before you begin. Occasionally, older heating elements will shatter because of continued exposure to extreme temps. If that happens, use an old rag or broom to sweep up the pieces.
Most elements have several metal clips that are held in place with several screws. After you unthread these screws, put them aside in a small plastic bag so you dont lose them. Once you remove the metal clips, you can gently pull the heating element away from the oven wall just enough to remove the wires that connect it. Use needle-nosed pliers for help with this step.
Pay attention to how the wires are configured so you can reconnect them the same way. Do not let the wires fall back behind the oven, as youll need them to connect the new element.
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Open The Screws Of The Heating Element
Now wear the gloves and one of the screws of the faulty heating element with the help of a flat head screwdriver. You will open the screws from the front and back sides to separate the heating element from the oven.
After opening the screws, you need to place them properly so they are not lost after all, you must re-fix the new heating element.
How Long Should An Oven Element Last
Whats the average lifespan of an oven element? As an estimate, most cooker elements should last for about 5 years. Of course, this is dependent on the health and overall quality of your oven the better your oven, the longer its parts should last.
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How Do You Know Its Time To Replace The Oven Element
Remember how we said that the heating element is the part of the oven that glows? Well, if its not glowing, or if its not glowing uniformly throughout the element, then it might be broken. To test this out, heat your oven to 350 degrees and let it sit for ten minutes. Then open it up and take a look. If it isnt brightly lit up or is only lit up in patches, then its probably time to get it replaced.
The next way to tell if your element needs to be replaced is to give it a good inspection the next time youre down cleaning the oven floor. Check the element for signs of age, such as cracks, blisters, sagging, deformity, or other factors. If it looks like its past its prime, then get it replaced.
This one may seem obvious, but if your food isnt cooking, then thats a pretty good sign that your oven isnt heating up enough, which could mean a bad heating element. However, before blaming a frozen turkey on a bad heating element, try heating the oven with a probe thermometer inside to check the temperature. Also, be careful because while it could be the oven element, it could also be the temperature sensor probe, not to be confused with the probe thermometer. A temperature sensor probe is a component of your oven, which gauges the temperature inside and gives the oven element instructions.
Power And Test Your Oven
Finally, its time to test your handiwork. Close the oven, return the power, and set it to bake. Turn on the oven light or open the door and watch how the elements glow. If you see a full and evenly bright red when your new element triggers, then congratulate yourself on a repair well-done.
Repairing your own oven element is a fairly straightforward process if youre confident and have the right tools. The essential points are having the right replacement element, and taking the correct safety precautions. If youre careful and precise, your oven could be heating evenly the same day you acquire your replacement part. For more repair insights or a professional opinion on your oven, contact us today!
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Who Can Replace My Oven Element For Me
If all of that sounds like too much to doyou dont have time, you dont have the tools, you dont have the strengththen call us at Maysfield Appliance. We have been fixing broken ovens for over forty years and not only do we have the experience to do the job quickly and efficiently, but we also have a proven track record of safety. And we will always have the right partsthats one thing you wont need to worry about.
Do you need your oven element replaced?
Diagnosing A Faulty Broil Element
If you believe you have a faulty broil element, then your oven will only be slightly cooler if it is not working. In fact, you may not even notice a difference despite some longer cook times on food. To concretely test if the broil element is faulty, all you need to do is turn the oven to its broil function. This function uses solely the broil element in order to produce heat and radiate it down to items on the top rack.
After a preheating period on the broil setting, the coil should glow bright orange or red. If you notice patches that are not glowing or are glowing a different color, this is a good sign that you will need to replace your broil element. This means that the element is not working as it should be due to damage or overall wear.
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Oven Heating Element Replacement
Your oven is a big part of your kitchen appliance collection. While a quick reheat in the microwave or toaster oven might be good enough for the kids’ after-school or your late-night snack, but for family meal preparation, your oven is the “appliance of choice.”
In order for your recipes to turn out mouth-wateringly delicious, everything needs to be working properly. If your electric oven has stopped cooking evenly, doesn’t heat to the correct temperature, or won’t heat at all, your oven heating element could be the culprit.
There are usually two heating elements in your ovenbroil and bake elements. You can usually diagnose this problem by checking to see if the heating elements are glowing red.
If they’re not or are only partially glowing, you’ll need to do an oven heating element replacement. If you’re handy, you can save a little money by doing the job yourself by following these steps .
Remove The Heating Element Mounting Plate
The first step is to locate the baking heating element and the bracket that holds it in place at the bottom rear of the oven.
Open the oven door and remove all of the oven racks. Locate the mounting plate or bracket at the rear of the faulty bake element. Remove the screws securing the plate to the oven wall, using a screwdriver or nut driver.
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When To Replace An Oven Heating Element
Youll likely notice when its time to replace your ovens heating element. Here are the telltale signs that you have a broken or worn-out heating element:
- Food is only partially cooking, or not cooking at all.
- The heating element is not producing any heat.
- The heating element doesnt glow bright orange when the oven is in use.
- There are obvious signs of damage to the heating element including cracks, burns, or blistering.
Install The New Oven Element
Now that youve successfully removed the old element, its time to install the new one.
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Testing An Oven Heating Element
When you select the bake or broil function, the oven control allows voltage to travel to the bake or broil element, closing the circuit, and causing the element to heat up. There are a number of reasons a bake or broil element wont heat apart from the element itself being burned out: the element receptacle could be damaged, there could be a loose or burnt wire connection, or the element switch could be defective.
So how can you tell if the element itself is the problem? First check to see if there are any visible breaks in the element or blistering. If it does, you will need to replace it with a new one. If the element looks okay, you can test the element with a multimeter to determine if the part has continuity a continuous electrical path present in the component.
To test the element:
How Do I Change My Oven Heating Elements
2. Remove the screws associated with the heating element.
3. Gently pull the element out of its holes and watch the wires come through the holes from the back of the oven to about 1-inch of wire being exposed.
4. You will want to check the electricity on the wires with a non-contact voltage tester.
5. Once the voltage is confirmed that the power is off, you will gently remove the connectors from the wire end.
6. Once the wires are removed, you will want to ensure that the wires do not fall back into the holes.
7. Gently attach the wires to the back of the oven with your electrical tape.
8. Lastly, you will position the new heating element in the same position as the old one and reconnect the wires. Once the wires have been connected, you will gently slide them back into their holes and reattach the screws to the back of the oven.
Now that you have your tools and have read the instructions, lets take a look at this video tutorial to see how it all comes together.
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Are Oven Heating Elements Universal
Imagine that you are baking your dinner for the night and the oven does not seem to be heating as quickly. It is the baking element in your oven. You wonder, are oven heating elements universal? The answer in most cases is yes but only within the manufacturing company and for specific models. Lets take a look at baking and broiling heating elements.
Remove Oven Heating Element
1. disconnect the wires if you havent already
2. remove the oven racks.
3. The inside of the oven can be greasy, so its best to give it a quick wipe.
4. If youre replacing the broil element then youll have to remove the two mounting screws at the front as well as the two mounting screws at the back.
5. Slide the element forward and remove it.
Bake elements on the bottom are removed similarly but only have two mounting screws at the back.
if you have a convection oven then youll most likely have a hidden bake element installed under a smooth metal plate:
1. remove the screws and lift up the plate.
In some models, the plate will slide out from the back of the oven.
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Remove The Heating Element
Use safety gloves at this point in order to safeguard your hands. Remove the screws that are connecting the heating element to the oven – these should be fairly obvious – and then gently pull out the element until you can see the electrical wiring. You should then unplug the heating element and take it away from the oven.
Diagnosing A Faulty Heating Element In Your Electric Oven
In order to produce the heat that cooks your food, your electric oven uses heating elements. It uses a broil element that you can typically see at the top of your oven tub and a bake element at the bottom that may be hidden under a protective metal covering. Most oven owners only believe that they have one heating element, the broil element that they can see. However, the majority of the ovens heat comes from the unseen bake element. Knowing this can often help you diagnose which element is faulty more quickly. However, there are some other signs to look for.
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Diagnosing A Faulty Bake Element
If it is the often hidden bake element of an oven that has gone faulty, you will likely notice it pretty fast. This is the workhorse of your oven when it comes to heat. When it is not working, it will feel significantly cooler inside the oven tub and may take ages for food to cook.
As you cannot see a bake element in most newer designs, a visual inspection wont be easily done. However, after a preheat cycle is done, you will be able to feel if it is working. If you do want to do a visual inspection, the metal plate covering the bake element can be removed and the preheat can be run. Similar to a faulty broil element, a working bake element will have even coloring and no patches of discoloration.
There is a chance it could be electrically open and a simple continuity test is required when either element has been removed from the oven completely.
How Do I Know If My Oven Element Is Bad
2 Signs Your Electric Ovens Heating Element Is Going Bad Oven Takes Longer to Preheat. Besides noticing that your food is taking forever to cook, another sign that indicates that the heating element in your oven is going out is when it takes longer to preheat to the specified temperature. Elements Are Not Glowing a Bright Orange Color.
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Test The New Oven Element
Reattach The Mounting Plate And Test The Oven
Secure the element’s mounting plate to the back wall of the oven with the mounting screws. Make sure the screws are firmly anchored.
Plug the oven into the wall outlet or turn on the circuit breaker to restore power to the oven. Turn the oven to BAKE to check the new element for proper operation. It should glow with a consistent bright-orange color while heating.
If you removed the bottom drawer, slide it back into place. Return the oven racks to the oven.
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
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Faqs How To Replace A Heating Element In A Ge Oven
Are GE oven heating elements Universal?
It is a universal bakery element that may utilize in many areas/stoves. Certain Frigidaire Ranges / Ovens / Stoves brands can also have a closed-hinged bake element, including Westinghouse, GE, and others.
Can you replace the heating element in the oven yourself?
A vital, simple piece of oven heating element is easily replaced in most electric ovens and ranges. You can purchase a replacement oven element from the oven manufacturer or dealers of internet equipment.
Why do oven elements burn out?
The spirals of metal, which form the oven element, can grow by 10mm when fully heated. This continual expansion and retraction can play an essential role in the wear and tear of the element and contribute to its inability to work properly.
How much does it cost to replace the heating element in the oven?
Heating elements usually only cost 20 to 25 dollars. You should anticipate paying about $220 to replace your old component with work and wondering where your heating element is? Look down the next time you use your oven.