Troubleshoot and Repair Electric Range, Oven

I received a frantic email from a reader on Thanksgiving Day. It was from a lady whose oven had stopped working. It turns out that it was just the bottom oven heating element that had gone south.

That one is an easy fix since most heating elements are plug and play. That's the good news. The bad news is that I doubt she could find one on Thanksgiving Day in time to cook Big Bird. Also, they can be hard to find sometimes since there are so many models. The search box below is the one I use to find hard to find replacement appliance parts.

Appliance Model Number

As long as you have a few basic tools, it's actually easy to troubleshoot an electric range. Of course, there's the electricity to beware of (that's my disclaimer) but other than that, it's fairly straightforward.

I've got a Maytag oven myself. I bought it when Maytag was it's own company and they still made quality appliances. They make shabby goods now and forget about getting service in a timely manner. Oh Maytag repair man, where have you gone?



Other appliances are a bit more complex. Refrigerator troubleshooting, for example, involves compressors and refrigerant. Some of this work requires a license. But there are still many things a homeowner can repair.

The bottom line is that it sometimes pays off and saves money to try to repair appliances yourself.

Troubleshoot and Fix Your Electric Range

One of the things I really hate is having to call an appliance repair company to check out and repair a malfunction. Fortunately, many problems are easier to diagnose than you might think.

Troubleshooting and fixing an electric range and oven is a prime example. This handy device is not complicated at all in most cases. In fact, all you generally need is a couple of screwdrivers, an analog or digital multimeter, and maybe a pair of pliers.


When the heating elements go out, it's generally just an electrical continuity issue. This kind of fix is a simple plug and play operation.

Even when the fix is easy, locating the correct replacement part can be tricky because there are so many kitchen appliance manufacturers and models.

Sometimes, they won't even sell you the part; they want to send their repair guy out to charge you a fortune. So, now I don't even bother driving around searching. A-1 Appliance Parts always has just what I need and shipping is quick, fast, and in a hurry.

Other common problems are when the elements only heat partially or not at all. Again, heating element diagnosis is simple.

Generally, the only real mechanical issues are items like door hinges and springs. Also an easy repair. So, check it out yourself first. But if you want to have someone do the work for you, try using Angie's List.

Electric Range Diagnosis

Electric ranges and ovens are simpler than you might think. What does this mean to you? With nothing more than a digital or analog multimeter and a few other tools, you can troubleshoot and repair yours in many cases.

In most cases, there are actually two voltages associated with this appliance, 240 for the heating elements and 120 for the lights and clock. This means that before troubleshooting a stove you'll need to flip two circuit breakers.

If you don't want to tackle this project yourself, be sure to use a reliable appliance repair company. Like most services, there's a few bad eggs out there.

One problem I have had with my stove in the past is cleaning the oven using the locked-down self-cleaning feature. It gets so doggone hot in there that anything on the element will cause it to fry a hole.

That means replacing the element. It's an easy job, but it can be pricey. Add insult to injury; many appliance stores won't sell you the part. They want the labor mark-up and shun us DIY types. Bummer.

But this company has all appliance replacement parts with speedy delivery.

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and tackle it? Just follow this stove repair checklist. Just don't forget to flip your circuit breakers! Bzzz! Been there, done that...