Ovens are such a crucial part of our kitchens that we find it difficult to live without one. If your oven is no longer roasting or heating as you expect, it’s time that you consider buying a new one.
If you’re not ready to buy one, should you continue to use your malfunctioning oven? Furthermore, can you use your range with a broken heating element? Here’s the answer.
You should never use an oven with a broken heating element as you’ll expose yourself to electrocution and fires. A broken heating element can indicate greater underlying issues within your oven. Also, you’ll void your warranty if you use the oven while it’s broken. A broken heating element can be replaced easily.
Replacing a broken heating element is an easy do-it-yourself project. If you don’t know how to do so, this article is for you.
Is It Dangerous to Use an Oven With a Broken Heating Element?
Yes! Never use an oven with a broken heating element for safety reasons. A broken heating element may signify greater underlying issues within your range; hence isn’t safe to use.
One issue is the deterioration of electrical insulation within the oven. Naked or exposed wires in contact with the range’s metallic walls will conduct a charge and electrocute you when you touch it.
Additionally, using a broken heating element draws a significant amount of power that may trip your circuit breakers or cause a fire.
How Can I Tell If My Heating Element Is Broken?
Your kitchen range consists of several components that work in tandem to ensure that your food is cooked or baked as you desire. As a result, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of a problem if you notice that it’s malfunctioning.
If you suspect that the heating element is faulty, here are some signs that it’s broken.
1. Uncooked Food or Food Takes Longer to Cook
The first clear sign of a faulty heating element is that your food takes longer to cook. And, if you remove it from your oven after your usual cooking time, you will notice that some parts of the food are uncooked.
2. Patches of Discoloration
After preheating your heating element, it should turn red or bright orange. If you notice that there are patches on the heating element of a different color, consider replacing it as it’s broken.
3. The Heating Element Has Signs of Wear and Tear
Like any electrical component, your oven’s heating element may fail due to the wear and tear that comes with age.
When you turn on your oven, the electrical current causes the heating element to heat up and expand. Once you turn it off, it will cool and eventually contract. After years of expansion and contraction, your heating element will eventually become brittle and break down.
4. Increased Electricity Bills
The oven’s heating element consumes a significant percentage of your annual electricity. If you notice that your bill has shot up significantly, consider checking your oven’s heating element.
A broken heating element draws a significant amount of power to overcome its flaws and cook your food. However, it can be difficult to ascertain that your broken oven is the sole cause of rising electricity costs.
What Causes an Oven’s Heating Element to Break?
There are a few different things that can take a toll on an oven’s heating element. Because a lot of the damage done to the heating elements is either wear and tear or you would think this only happens to old ovens.
The fact is that new ovens can run into the same problems, often caused by electrical problems.
Oven heating elements can break down due to sudden cooling, oxidation, or metal fatigue. Continue reading down below to find out what it actually means.
Oxidation and Metal Fatigue
Heating elements use metals with inherent resistance to conducting electricity, such as nichrome. Instead of running electricity, these elements will heat up and, in the process, provide the heat necessary to bake or cook.
However, they tend to oxidize faster when hot and, over some time, become less flexible and more resistive. This oxidation cycle continues till the heating element is no longer flexible, becomes brittle, and fails.
Sudden Cooling & Temperature Changes
Oven heating elements expand when powered on and contract when cooled. And as the element goes through thousands of heating up and cooling cycles, it gets more brittle and will eventually break.
You need to expose the elements to fluctuating temperatures for a very long time before it makes a difference, though.
However, sudden cooling, such as when you have a leaking pan, will cause it to deteriorate faster than it normally would.
Sudden Power Surges
Due to circuit breakers that isolate your oven from the power lines once they detect a power surge, oven heating elements rarely break down.
On the contrary, high voltage pulses on faulty power lines can damage your oven. Additionally, lightning may strike nearby electrical lines and travel through the earthing wire.
Overheating
Heating elements can overheat if the internal thermostat has stopped working. The thermostat is supposed to switch the heating elements on and off to regulate temperature.
Once the desired temperature is reached, the elements should turn off, and if the desired temperature is lost, they will turn on to maintain the temperature.
If the thermostat isn’t working, the sensors may not be able to tell the heating elements to switch off when the desired temperature is reached, forcing them to run at high heat for an extended period of time. This could lead to the elements breaking.
How Do You Fix a Broken Oven Element?
Fixing a broken oven element is a simple process if familiar with basic electrical knowledge. However, you need to proceed with caution to avoid getting electrocuted.
Buy a Compatible Heating Element
After you’ve ascertained that your oven heating element is faulty, the first step involves buying the right heating element compatible with your oven’s power and safety ratings.
Switch OFF All Oven Controls
You’ll then switch off all range controls and unplug the electrical connections to the oven. If you’ve hardwired your range to your home electrical circuit, you can switch it off by flipping the circuit breaker to the OFF position.
Test for the current flow into the oven using an electrical tester or multimeter if you’re not comfortable isolating your range from the electrical power supply.
Unscrew the Heating Element from the Oven Wall Bracket
The next step involves removing the heating element from the oven floor. Here’s how.
You’ll have to remove the oven racks before accessing the bracket that attaches your heating element to the oven wall.
The bracket is at the bottom end of your oven’s rear wall in most cases. Unscrew the two screws that hold the bracket to the wall and pull the heating element slightly outwards. Doing so ensures that you’ll have easy access to your heating element’s connections to the power supply circuit.
Disconnect the Heating Element
The next step involves physically disconnecting the heating element from your oven’s electrical circuit. And depending on your oven’s model, the heating element can be screwed out or pulled out of the connections.
Regardless, ensure that your wire connections don’t retract back into the insulation.
Connect the New Heating Element
The final step involves installing your new heating element. Connect its terminals to your oven’s electrical circuit using the two wires at the bottom rear of your oven. If it’s a slip-on connection, ensure that they’re tight enough to prevent arcing when you turn on the oven.
Hold the Heating Element in Place Using the Brackets
Firmly hold the heating element in place with the help of the brackets. Screw it to the wall firmly, clean your oven’s floor, and plug the oven into the electrical socket or flip on the circuit breaker.
Turn the oven to your usual setting and see if the heating element is heating up. If it is heating up, switch it off, replace your racks, and you’re good to go.
Can You Replace a Broken Heating Element By Yourself?
Absolutely! Replacing your oven heating element is quite costly. The national average labor costs to repair an oven element range from $150 – $400 for a task that takes less than 20 minutes to complete.
Therefore, if you’ve assessed the situation and you’re confident that the only issue with your oven is the broken heating element, it’s much better if you do it yourself.
How Much Does It Cost to Repair the Heating Element In an Oven?
Oven heating elements cost $20 to $ 25 or higher, while the labor to replace them will cost you close to $200.
The oven heating element is crucial to the working of your kitchen range. If it breaks down, your oven will immediately cease working, and you’ll have to replace it immediately.
How Long Should an Oven Element Last?
Gas
The average lifespan of a gas oven heating element is 5 – 10 years. Its longevity depends on usage frequency/volume, quality, temperature setting, and maintenance.
Electric
Similar to gas ovens, the average lifespan of an electric oven heating element is 5 – 10 years. Its longevity depends on usage frequency/volume, quality, temperature setting, and maintenance.
Final Remarks
Like any other appliance in our homes, oven heating elements wear out and will ultimately fail regardless of how careful you’ve been. They’re an important part of your oven, and you can’t operate them without the heating element.
If yours is faulty, you don’t have to consult your electrician; follow the steps we’ve gone through, and everything will work out fine.
However, consult your electrician or the manufacturer if your oven heating element doesn’t heat up after replacing it. Your oven may be having other issues that may have led to the failure of its heating element.