Broken Oven Element: Signs, Fixes, and When to Call a Pro

When your broken oven element, the heating coil inside an electric oven that generates heat to cook food. Also known as a bake element, it's one of the most common reasons your oven stops working. You turn the dial, the light comes on, but nothing gets hot. No sizzle. No warmth. Just silence. That’s not a power issue—it’s usually the element. It’s not fancy, it’s not expensive, and it’s not hard to replace… if you know what you’re looking for.

A heating element, a resistive wire coil that converts electricity into heat inside ovens and cooktops doesn’t last forever. Over time, it expands and contracts with heat, gets corroded by spills, or just wears out from years of use. You’ll often see visible signs: blackened spots, cracks, or sections that glow unevenly when the oven’s on. If it’s completely dead, it won’t glow at all—even when the oven is set to 350°F. And yes, that’s different from a faulty thermostat or control board. The element is the muscle. If it’s broken, nothing else matters.

Some people think a broken element means it’s time for a new oven. Not true. Most ovens last 15+ years, and the element is one of the cheapest parts to swap. You can buy a replacement for under £50, unplug the oven, remove the old one, and plug in the new one in under an hour. No special tools. Just a screwdriver and a little patience. But if you’re not comfortable working with electricity—or if the element keeps blowing after replacement—then it’s likely a deeper issue. Maybe the thermostat is stuck, the wiring is frayed, or the control board is sending too much power. That’s when you call in a pro.

And here’s something most guides skip: a broken element doesn’t always mean the oven is useless. Sometimes, the broil element (top) is fine, and you can still bake using the grill setting—just keep the door slightly open. Or if you’ve got a gas oven with electric ignition, you might still use the oven for slow roasting with the broiler. It’s not ideal, but it’s a stopgap until you fix it.

What you’ll find below are real fixes from real people who’ve been there. We’ve pulled together guides that show you how to test the element with a multimeter, how to tell if it’s really the element or something else, and when it’s smarter to replace the whole oven instead. You’ll see how often this problem happens, what brands are most prone to it, and what mistakes people make when trying to fix it themselves. No fluff. No theory. Just what works.