Oven Won't Turn On? Common Causes and How to Fix It

When your oven won't turn on, a household appliance that heats food using electric or gas elements. Also known as a cooking oven, it’s one of the most used appliances in the home—and when it stops working, meals stop too. Most people assume it’s a major failure, but in most cases, it’s something small you can fix yourself.

The first thing to check is the circuit breaker, a safety device that cuts power to prevent electrical overload. Electric ovens need their own dedicated 240-volt circuit. If it tripped, flipping it back on might bring your oven right back to life. No power? Test the outlet with another appliance. If nothing works, the issue could be a thermal fuse, a safety component that cuts power if the oven overheats. These blow if the oven’s ventilation is blocked or the element overheats. They’re cheap to replace, but you need to unplug the oven and access the back panel.

Another common culprit is the heating element, the metal coil inside the oven that glows red when it’s working. If it’s cracked, blistered, or doesn’t glow at all, it’s dead. You can spot this with a quick visual check—just open the oven door and look inside. No glow? Use a multimeter to test for continuity. If it’s faulty, replacing it is usually cheaper than hiring a technician. Don’t forget the thermostat, the control that regulates oven temperature. If it’s broken, the oven might not even try to turn on. It’s harder to test without tools, but if the oven doesn’t heat at all and the element looks fine, it’s a likely suspect.

Some ovens have a control board that fails over time, especially if they’re older or exposed to moisture. But that’s rare compared to the simpler issues above. Before you think about replacing the whole oven, check the basics: power, fuse, element, and thermostat. Most of the time, one of these is the problem—and fixing it takes less than an hour.

You’ll find real-life fixes in the posts below—from how to test a broken heating element to resetting a tripped breaker, and when to call a pro instead of wasting time. No fluff. Just what actually works.