Oven Not Heating? 5 Common Oven & Stove Problems — Chicago

Published: April 28, 2026 · Written by SAVA's EPA-certified HVAC technician with 9 years of Chicago field experience.

Most oven and stove problems come down to one of a small number of failing parts. SAVA HVAC & Appliance Repair is a family-owned company operating in Chicago since 2017. SAVA services ovens, ranges and cooktops across Chicago and more than 75 suburbs — standard brands alongside premium equipment from Wolf, Thermador, Viking, Bosch, Dacor and GE Monogram, where the ignition, control and convection systems differ meaningfully between generations of otherwise identical-looking units. Diagnosis is $79, credited toward the repair if you go ahead, and the fault is identified by measurement rather than guessed at. The good news: the most common issues — a bad bake element, a weak igniter, a faulty temperature sensor — are well-understood repairs that a technician can typically diagnose and fix in a single visit. Here are the 5 problems we see most often from Chicago homeowners.

1. Oven Won't Heat or Heats Very Slowly

On an electric oven, the bake element (the coil at the bottom of the oven cavity) is the most likely culprit. A failed element won't heat at all; a partially failed one heats slowly or unevenly. Look at the element — if it has a burn spot, a break, or a blister, that's your answer. On gas ovens, a weak igniter is the usual suspect: it glows but doesn't get hot enough to open the gas valve, so the burner never lights. Both are common repairs a technician can complete in one visit.

2. Oven Temperature Is Off — Food Burns or Undercooks

If the oven runs but the temperature doesn't match the dial, the oven temperature sensor (the small probe inside the oven cavity, usually at the back) is likely reading incorrectly. This is one of the most overlooked oven problems. A drifted sensor shows up as an oven reading 350°F while running well above or below it. Confirming that gap, and separating a failed sensor from a control board misreading it, takes calibrated measurement. Sensor replacement is straightforward once the fault is confirmed by measurement.

3. Gas Burner Won't Light or Keeps Clicking

A gas burner that won't light while the others work is usually a fouled or wet igniter — but the same symptom comes from a cracked electrode, a blocked burner port, or a spark module that has lost the output feeding that one burner. The module has a separate output per burner, so one can fail while the rest keep firing. Telling them apart means testing module output and electrode continuity, not guessing from the symptom.

4. Broiler Not Working While Bake Function Is Fine

On electric ovens, the bake and broil elements are separate components. If your oven bakes normally but the broiler produces no heat, the broil element is the likely failure — separate from the bake element and independently replaceable. On gas ranges, a broiler that won't light may have a separate igniter from the oven burner. Tell the technician which function has failed and they'll come prepared with the right part.

5. Oven Door Doesn't Close Properly or Won't Stay Shut

A door that doesn't seal completely causes significant heat loss, uneven cooking, and higher energy consumption. The most common causes are worn door hinges, a stretched or cracked door gasket, or a door spring that's lost tension. Oven door gaskets can be ordered for most brands and installed without tools. Hinges require more disassembly but are still a manageable repair. Don't cook with a door that won't stay closed — you're losing heat and overworking the oven's components.

Gas Oven and Stove Safety: Know the Warning Signs

Gas appliances require particular caution. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), gas range and oven incidents send thousands of Americans to emergency rooms each year — most from fires and carbon monoxide. Take these warning signs seriously:

• Gas smell when the oven is off: Leave the home immediately. Call your gas company from outside. Do not use light switches or open flames.
• Yellow or orange flame on burners: Burner flames should be blue. Yellow flames indicate incomplete combustion and possible CO production.
• Oven shuts off mid-cook: May indicate a failing thermocouple or temperature sensor safety cutoff — have it inspected before using again.
• Clicking that won't stop: A burner igniter that clicks continuously even when the burner is lit is usually a moisture or debris issue — but it can also signal a failed igniter module that should be replaced.

What Do Oven and Stove Repairs Cost?

Cost depends on the specific issue and parts needed — we walk you through what we found after the diagnostic and you approve before any work begins. The repair-vs-replace math typically favors repair for appliances under 10 years old with single-component failures. On older units with multiple issues, replacement may make more sense.

Oven Maintenance: Preventing the Most Common Failures

• Keep the burner caps clean and dry — boil-overs that aren't cleaned promptly cause igniter failures
• Use an oven thermometer occasionally — catches sensor drift before it ruins a meal
• Don't line the bottom of the oven with foil — blocks heat distribution and can damage the bake element
• Inspect door gasket annually — a cracked gasket is easy to catch early, and worth replacing before it affects cooking
• Never use self-clean on a gas range immediately before a holiday meal — high-heat cleaning cycles can trip thermal limiters, leaving you without an oven when you need it

Brands We Repair in Chicago

SAVA repairs all major oven and stove brands: GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Maytag, KitchenAid, Bosch, Viking, Wolf, Thermador, and more. We service Chicago and surrounding suburbs including Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Oak Park, Evanston, and Glenview.

When to Call a Repair Tech

Any of these symptoms — a burner that won't light, an oven that won't heat or burns food, a door that won't seal — should be assessed by a certified technician rather than guessed at, and gas appliances especially so. Most oven repairs are completed same-day when parts are on the truck. Call (773) 558-3332 — $79 service call fee, credited toward the repair.

Frequently Asked Questions