My oven won't work!

[DailyDi]

My oven won't light, no pizza or chickie nuggies! When it rains...

[vvp39]

Yeah, the broiler function in my oven bit it a few months ago, but "bake" still works. I'm doing my steaks and burger patties on  a little George Foreman grill. It works well, most likely uses a lot less energy, and works fine since I live alone.

[rusty pins]

Man, you are really under the black cloud lately!  If it comes down to it, maybe you can use your broken oven as storage for all your toilet pap....  I guess that won't work either!  Seriously, is your oven separate from your stove burners and if it's not, do the stove burners work?  I've had to replace the oven element in my stove twice because of a broken connection either in the element itself but usually where the wires from the element plug in to your oven.  I've been lucky enough to be able to pull the stove out, unplug it and take the side panel off.  It's a bit of work, but knowing the make and model number of the stove I can order the part on line from a discount appliance parts store and fix it myself and save a huge repair bill.  I did that with my freezer as well as a few dryers.

[DailyDi]

The stovetop burners are working thankfully.

[rusty pins]

Sounds like a broken heating element in your oven, or possibly the switch that turns your oven on has gone bad.  I had to replace a switch that turns on a burner in my stove and that was a pain because it was a duel heating element and they changed the manufacturer of the switch so the replacement had all different connections and a jumper wire!  Lots of trial and error the day before Thanksgiving but we figured it out.  That same burner also had a problem a year or so earlier when only one of the elements worked.  Turns out of the two elements in the burner, one was broke and I had to replace the element unit.  Depends on if you want to tackle the job yourself or pay a repair man to do it.  It will be cheaper if you are able to open the oven panel, see if you can find a broken connection and then order a new part on line if you think you can replace the heating element yourself.  An Ohm meter can help check the continuity of the element with the stove unplugged.  Set it to Ohm, place each pin (black and red) on each of the two different element wires where they connect to the stove and see if the needle jumps.  If so, then it's not the element and could be the switch or something more complicated. 

[foreverdl]

First is it a gas or electric range? if its electric, then it is most likely one of the heating elements you can just unplug the stove, and pull out the elements one at a time, if you have a volt ohm meter, measure the element, I used to do repairs for a living, its been a lot of yrs, I don't remember but I think 80-110 ohms sometimes you get lucky and the element breaks into. If its gas, it would be most likely the thermocouple or the glow coil, depending on how old or new it is. 30 yrs old will have thermocouple , they are both pretty easy to swap out, its more of diagnosis on a gas oven, newer ones have gas selenoid and it can also be the oven control itself. A really good source is to uTube it and find videos there are some really smart guys, but be careful there are some that are not so smart. 

[Firefly 35]

@DailyDi if you describe what's going on, I might be able to narrow down what the cause is.  A qualified repair person would obviously have to be the one to do the repairs but it might be  something simple like a stuck valve.   

[babykeiff]

11 hours ago, DailyDi said:

My oven won't light, no pizza or chickie nuggies! When it rains...

Can I presume that the light that doesn't work was working previously (like yesterday).

If so, most electric ovens are on a standard socket rather than wired into a 20+ amp switch like a hob. Look under the counter to the left / right of your oven and see if the plug has been knocked out of the socket. Also, some ovens use the light bulb as a form of inline fuse before the oven will operate. These bulbs are kinda easy to replace - remove the hard glass cap (turn it - some turn clockwise, others turn anti-clockwise) The oven bulb can be a screw in or a BC type bulb. Try to gently screw the bulb anti-clockwise. If the bulb only moves a little bit, it could be a BC type, which also turns anti-clockwise half a turn to remove it. Once you have the bulb removed, have a look at the filament, it should not be broken. If it is, you need a new bulb. This should get your oven back working again.

It is odd that both the bulb and element would go at the same time.... and even if that ever happened, it would have caused a fuse to blow.

[Firefly 35]

Might be a fuse/circuit breaker.  Sometimes larger appliances have their own internal fuses/circuit breakers.

[feralfreak]

14 hours ago, DailyDi said:

My oven won't light, no pizza or chickie nuggies! When it rains...

2 options, 1: use a toaster oven, when i make my little personal pizzas(always save brand, 75 cents, and i add green olives and sometimes extra cheese) i use the toaster oven, just lay down some foil and spray it with cooking spray incase the cheese makes it stick to the foil, or use a cast iron skillet, you can turn the pizza over to cook the cheese, a little creativity helps when you have something broke, on my case, financially embarrassed and have something that stopped working.

[willnotwill]

Gas or electric?

[DailyDi]

11 hours ago, Firefly 35 said:

@DailyDi if you describe what's going on, I might be able to narrow down what the cause is.  A qualified repair person would obviously have to be the one to do the repairs but it might be  something simple like a stuck valve.   

When I turn on the over, it clicks loudly three times, then does nothing.

3 hours ago, willnotwill said:

Gas or electric?

Gas

[babymaggie]

Funny story about our new oven. We did a kitchen remodel in Oct/Nov. the new stove/oven is a duel fuel, gas for the stove and electric with convection baking for the oven. Well the controls for the oven are a touch screen, the oven happens to have a Sabbath mode and somehow in late February, while cleaning the oven somehow the Sabbath mode got turned on unbeknownst to us. We had to call the service repair person who was even baffled by the situation. After three weeks, it was finally discovered that it was in Sabbath mode and you have to repeatedly hit the settings button to clear it. 

[DL-Boy]

1 hour ago, DailyDi said:

When I turn on the over, it clicks loudly three times, then does nothing.

Gas

The click is the auto-lighter sparking.  Are you getting any gas flow? Do you hear it hissing or smell it when you turn it on?  If yes to the gas flow, the auto light may be faulty. If there is no gas flowing, it's probably the thermocouple/safety valve that permits flow only when it's lit.  Could also be the controller (knob valve) but I'd bet money on the safety device being out of order.

[Clr224]

What age is your gas oven?  Does it have a pilot light or electric starter?  If the pilot light is out, then gas won’t flow. If there is an electrical problem with the thermostat, the gas won’t flow. 

[babykeiff]

6 hours ago, DailyDi said:

When I turn on the over, it clicks loudly three times, then does nothing.

Gas

As you state, it clicks loudly three times. That is the electric part working - when power is applied, a high current capacitor is charged. This is discharged via a relay. This is what you are hearing, the relay being fired three times. You should see the discharge, three sparks across the igniter. It is good news if you don't see this. It just means is that there is a problem with the ignition circuit.

Do you have a grill as part of this oven. If so, see if that works. If it does, you don't have a gas flow issue in the oven, just an electronic starter issue where the oven is plugged in and both gas and electric is flowing to it.

Now, to turn on your oven needs you to remember, did you used to see a flame when the oven was on. If so, light a long match / taper, and then switch on your oven very low and light where the flame used to be. Be careful to make sure that you light the match / taper first, and then attempt to light the gas at low flow.

I ma not saying that this will work cause some gas ovens have an electronic regulator that switches of the gas if no flame / pilot light is on.

 

[DailyDi]

2 hours ago, babykeiff said:

Now, to turn on your oven needs you to remember, did you used to see a flame when the oven was on. If so, light a long match / taper, and then switch on your oven very low and light where the flame used to be. Be careful to make sure that you light the match / taper first, and then attempt to light the gas at low flow.

I ma not saying that this will work cause some gas ovens have an electronic regulator that switches of the gas if no flame / pilot light is on.

 

I was scared to do that as I hear the click when the thermostat clicks the flame on and off, so if I manually light it, wouldn't it just be straight unfired gas coming out after the first heat cycle.

[Firefly 35]

9 hours ago, DailyDi said:

I was scared to do that as I hear the click when the thermostat clicks the flame on and off, so if I manually light it, wouldn't it just be straight unfired gas coming out after the first heat cycle.

I wouldn't recommend lighting it manually if you don't know how but if you have the owner's manual somewhere it might have directions on how to do so.  It sounds like a gas flow issue because the lighter is working but not otherwise doing anything.  Odds are it's either due to a safety feature or blockage preventing gas from reaching the burner.  Either that or an issue with the gas supplier, both should be easy to fix.

[feralfreak]

3 hours ago, Firefly 35 said:

I wouldn't recommend lighting it manually if you don't know how but if you have the owner's manual somewhere it might have directions on how to do so.  It sounds like a gas flow issue because the lighter is working but not otherwise doing anything.  Odds are it's either due to a safety feature or blockage preventing gas from reaching the burner.  Either that or an issue with the gas supplier, both should be easy to fix.

id wonder if it has a pilot that just went out? if its anything like the last 2 gas heating stoves(not cooking so not the same but maybe close) stuff that is in with the gas might be building up in the line, or in the pilot(more likely the pilot) and not letting said pilot heat what i think is called a thermocouple(that little point that a flame as to stay on, if it stays on it the pilot stays lit, if not it goes out), it could be a simple matter of some compressed air to clean it.

[Firefly 35]

Ovens that have an electric lighter usually don't have a pilot light (saves gas).  Older appliances use pilot lights because it's a simpler design but the downside is it uses a tiny bit of gas all the time to keep the pilot lit.  @DailyDi are other gas appliances working (furnace, water heater, etc)?  If so, your oven probably just has a problem with a valve or something.  If none of your gas appliances are working there might be a shutoff or problem on the utility supplier's end. 

[Crinklz Kat]

On 3/17/2020 at 11:02 AM, DailyDi said:

When I turn on the over, it clicks loudly three times, then does nothing.

Gas

 

On 3/18/2020 at 4:20 PM, Firefly 35 said:

Ovens that have an electric lighter usually don't have a pilot light (saves gas).  Older appliances use pilot lights because it's a simpler design but the downside is it uses a tiny bit of gas all the time to keep the pilot lit.  @DailyDi are other gas appliances working (furnace, water heater, etc)?  If so, your oven probably just has a problem with a valve or something.  If none of your gas appliances are working there might be a shutoff or problem on the utility supplier's end. 

Try and find the manual to see what it has under the troubleshooting section.  Maybe there's a way to manually light it. 

 

I have a countertop convection oven (a step up over a cheap "toaster oven") which I use for much of my dinner cooking/reheating.  Obviously can't fit a whole pizza, but it does reheat 2 slices of an XL pizza just fine.   I prefer using it over the oven for prepared foods since I'm only cooking for myself. 

[babykeiff]

On 3/17/2020 at 11:56 PM, DailyDi said:

I was scared to do that as I hear the click when the thermostat clicks the flame on and off, so if I manually light it, wouldn't it just be straight unfired gas coming out after the first heat cycle.

 

The clicking that can be heard is either the release of the spring in a rotary piezo-electric ignitor circuit (manual) OR the discharge of a high value choke / capacitor. If this oven has an electric light bulb, and that is not working, I would suspect that there is a problem in either the mains in, or the fuse on this circuit. A short across the terminals of the ignitor circuit (common fault) would cause back power to blow the bulb and maybe the fuse in the circuit. I would also suspect that the trip switch in the main fuse board for this device would also be down.

If this is completely electronic, this clicking would only occur once - ie until the fuse blows / power is removed as without power, the capacitor / choke would not charge.

Since this is still clicking, it leads me to believe that the gas starter circuit is mechanical - ie via manually wound spring loaded piezo electric rods similar to what is in a disposable press button cigarette lighter. Simple Rotary Ignitor  The faults that occur in these devices is broken plastic (since the plastic that houses the piezo electric rods are suffering shock every time the oven is turned on) and/or the signal wire to the ignitor can be damaged in some form. Remember, this is copper wired coated with insulation. This is fed from the switch, over the top of the oven, to the bare rod that lights the gas via spark. This insulation can break down and cause the spark to occur between the break in insulation and the metal case of the oven.  

Gas flow in either the same on/off control OR in a seperate control. The temprature control is also mechanical similar to this where the temp is determined by the sensor on a capillary tube (wax in the tube / similar, and as it gets hotter, it expands. The wax pressure is controlled via the Set Temp. Knob, and the higher the pressure that reaches the control valve, the more it shuts this off thus reducing gas flow)

As a result, I suspect that the ignitor of the circuit has failed - and considering the age of the oven - between 5-10 years old, this is not a serviceable part. The company have long stopped making that part, so if you can get one, it is old stock and could be expensive.

As a result, the gas flow is manual controlled with the oven temp controlled via wax feedback loop, one can, like the old gas hobs / B.B.Q.s etc, light this manually. To avoid flashback (where there is too much gas for the air mixture and when lit, it burns fast in a larger ball than one expects), I suggest that a flame is introduced to where no gas is, and the gas is turned on at a very low level.

Once this is done, the level can be increased to what DailyDi wants / needs.

On 3/18/2020 at 8:55 AM, Firefly 35 said:

I wouldn't recommend lighting it manually if you don't know how but if you have the owner's manual somewhere it might have directions on how to do so.  It sounds like a gas flow issue because the lighter is working but not otherwise doing anything.  Odds are it's either due to a safety feature or blockage preventing gas from reaching the burner.  Either that or an issue with the gas supplier, both should be easy to fix.

1. The owners manual will not tell a user how to manually light a stove.
2. The lighter is NOT working. If it was, DailyDi would have seen either the spark, or the flame. If you want, go get a press button piezo electric cigarette lighter. After a number of uses, the lighter still clicks, the gas still flows but there is no spark. The casing of the piezo rods have cracked OR piezo rods have cracked / broken OR copper conductor has broken OR lighter flame has melted enough of the insulation to allow the conductor to short to the case of the lighter. Try lighting that lighter while touching the metal on the top - you WILL get a mild electric shock.
3. There is NOT an issue with gas to the house - the hob top is gas and DailyDi has not raised an issue with it - so I suspect that there IS gas to the house.
4. Safety features with gas are what is called a SLAM SHUT. This, when a leak occurs, 'sees' that the pressure of gas within the device has dropped, so it SLAMS SHUT the main valve. This SLAM SHUT device is part of the regulator and control device on the line in of a gas device.

 

@DailyDi

Do you know the make / model number of your oven? It might help in figuring out exactly the issue and a solution for you

[redneck diaper boy]

On ‎3‎/‎16‎/‎2020 at 1:55 PM, DailyDi said:

My oven won't light, no pizza or chickie nuggies! When it rains...

A gas over will stop working when the pilot glowbar failure. In electric ovens, the heating element goes bad.

[diaperguy85]

have a grill outside? propane or charcoal will cook up just about anything like an oven. just use indirect heating and turn your pizza often, and you (and the pizza) will be golden! plus if you use quality lump charcoal, you get that wonderful smoky wood-fired pizza flavor  

[rusty pins]

It's been a week now.  Have you had it fixed yet, and if not, how are you getting along without it?