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TroubleshootingOven & Range RepairLicensed pro

Why is my oven not heating?

A cold oven is usually a failed heating part: the bake element on an electric range, the igniter on a gas range, or a control or sensor behind them. First rule out the Bake setting, a locked self-clean latch, a special mode and a frozen control. Past that, call a licensed technician, because gas ovens are gas work in Virginia.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

This is a job for a licensed pro in Virginia

This page explains what the work involves, the permits, what a licensed pro does and what drives the cost. It does not give step-by-step instructions, because this work needs a licence, a permit or both, and doing it wrong can injure someone. Before you hire, check the licence on Virginia's DPOR record.

An oven that stays cold usually has a failed heating part: the bake element on an electric range, the igniter on a gas range, or a control behind them. Settings, power and a frozen control are worth ruling out first. Anything past that is a licensed technician's job, and on a gas oven it is gas work.

A freestanding gas range with five burners on top and two ovens stacked below
Photo: Ben Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rule out the easy causes

GE's troubleshooting pages for ovens that will not heat start with checks that cost nothing:

  • The settings. "Make sure that the oven controls are set correctly for either Bake or Broil."[1] If the knobs were taken off for cleaning, check the oven knobs to make sure they are in the correct position.[1]
  • The self-clean latch. On self-clean ranges with a mechanical door latch, GE says to "check the oven door to make sure the latch is in the unlocked position."[1]
  • A special mode. Some models have a Sabbath mode that stops normal baking; GE's heading for it reads "Make Sure the Oven Is Not In Sabbath Mode (for Models with This Feature)."[3] Your owner's manual says how to leave it.
  • A stuck electronic control. GE suggests switching the range's breaker off, then: "Wait one minute, then turn the breaker back to the ON position to reset electronic oven controls on models so equipped."[3]

If the cooktop works but the oven does not, the fault is in the oven's own circuit or gas path, which narrows the search.

Electric ovens: the bake element

The bake element is the heavy loop along the oven floor. GE tells owners to look for cracks or breaks in it, and says "If it is cracked or broken, it will need to be replaced."[1] A visibly split element is easy to spot, but other electric causes sit out of sight, such as a failed temperature sensor or a bad relay or control board. Telling these apart takes testing with a meter on a live circuit, which is why it belongs to a technician.

Gas ovens: the igniter and the gas path

On a gas range, the oven burner will not light unless the igniter glows hot enough to open the gas valve. GE's check is only to watch, with the oven set to bake: "If no red glow is observed, there may be a malfunction with the Glo-Bar, the on/off control or other electrical components."[2]

Two gas-side causes are worth knowing. On a new installation, GE says the range's main gas regulator can be bumped into the off position, and "The top burners will still work with the regulator valve off, but the oven will not."[2] GE's other no-heat page also lists the gas shutoff valve as something to confirm is on.[3] Both involve the gas supply, so leave the valve and regulator to a technician unless your manual says otherwise.

Why a licensed pro should do the repair

Gas appliance repair can be licensed work in Virginia. The Board for Contractors defines a gas fitter as a tradesman who performs gas fitting-related work, which includes "the installation, repair, improvement, or removal of industrial gas, fuel gas, gaseous hydrogen, liquefied petroleum or natural gas piping, tanks, chimneys and vents, direct vents, equipment, and appliances annexed to real property."[4] The Code of Virginia says that "no individual shall engage in, or offer to engage in, work as a liquefied petroleum gas fitter or natural gas fitter provider" without a licence.[5] Ask whether your range counts as an appliance annexed to real property before assuming the rule applies, and ask any technician for their licence number. Read who can repair a gas range in Virginia before you book, and what a technician does to fix a gas oven that will not light to see what the visit involves.

When to call a licensed pro

Call one when the settings, latch and reset above change nothing, when you see a cracked element, when a gas oven shows no igniter glow, or when the oven heats unevenly or trips the breaker. Treat a smell of gas as an emergency and do not wait for an appointment.

Tell the technician the make and model, any error code on the display, and what you already tried. For what the repair will probably cost, see how much oven repair costs in Virginia. Browse more appliance repair answers or appliance repair businesses on Loclis.

When you are ready, describe the oven problem once and licensed local businesses quote it.

Common questions

My stovetop works but the oven does not. What does that mean?
The fault is in the oven's own parts rather than the power or gas supply to the range. On electric models that points to the bake element, sensor or control, and on gas models to the igniter, safety valve or control. GE's guidance is to check settings first, then arrange service.
Can I replace the bake element myself?
GE publishes a part and a video for it, but this page treats it as a technician's job because a wrong diagnosis is common and the work is on the range's electrical circuit. A broken-looking element is only one of several possible causes.
How do I know if the igniter is bad?
With the gas oven set to bake, look for a red glow at the back of the oven floor. GE says that if no red glow is observed, there may be a malfunction with the Glo-Bar, the on/off control or other electrical components.
Does a gas oven repair need a licensed person in Virginia?
For the gas side, generally yes. Virginia defines gas fitting work to include repair of gas appliances annexed to real property, and the Code of Virginia requires a licence to do gas fitting. Ask the technician for their licence number.
Will resetting the breaker fix an oven that does not heat?
Sometimes, when the electronic control is stuck. GE suggests turning the breaker off for one minute and back on. If the oven still does not heat, do not keep resetting it; schedule a repair.

Sources

  1. [1] Electric Range - Oven Doesn't Heat But Burners Do Heat, GE Appliances. Checked October 28, 2026.
  2. [2] Gas Range - Oven Does Not Heat, But The Burners Heat, GE Appliances. Checked October 28, 2026.
  3. [3] Gas Range & Wall Oven - Oven Will Not Come On, GE Appliances. Checked October 28, 2026.
  4. [4] 18VAC50-30-10, Definitions (Individual Licensing and Certification Regulations), Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 28, 2026.
  5. [5] Va. Code § 54.1-1129, Necessity for licensure, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 28, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.