Maytag Oven Malfunctioning Heating Elements

Our troubleshooting tips list the parts that are most commonly responsible when your Maytag oven won’t heat up. With a little help narrowing down the problem and some advice on how to fix it, a hot meal won’t be far away!

#1. MAYTAG OVEN IGNITER IS DEFECTIVE

What it is: An igniter can be the most common culprit for gas oven temperature problems. When you set the oven’s temperature, the igniter uses electricity to heat up.

When it reaches a certain temperature, it opens the gas valve, allowing gas to flow and ignite the burner. If the igniter is malfunctioning, it won’t signal the gas valve to open, resulting in a Maytag oven not heating up.

How to fix it: A faulty igniter can be diagnosed by observing it when you turn on the oven. An igniter should glow and take less than 90 seconds to signal the gas valve and ignite the burner. If it takes longer or multimeter testing of the igniter reveals a lack of continuity, it will need to be replaced.

#2. ELECTRIC OVEN HEATING ELEMENT HAS BURNED OUT

What it is: The heating elements of an electric oven are located on the top and bottom of the oven’s cavity and emit heat to cook food. When they’re functioning properly, they will glow red and provide an uninterrupted flow of heat.

How to fix it: A burned out heating element will show damage such as holes or blistering. You may also notice that your oven doesn’t heat evenly or won’t heat up at all.

In either case, the heating element will need to be replaced. Burned out heating elements can be common casualties of the self-clean function on your oven.

#3. DEFECTIVE SPARK ELECTRODE IN GAS OVEN

What it is: As the igniter heats up and opens the oven’s gas valve, the spark electrode is also heating up via an electric current. Once it reaches a certain temperature, the electrode creates a spark, igniting the gas as it flows to the burner.

How to fix it: A defective spark electrode can be observed to assess its function. If it appears damaged or cracked, it will be unable to produce a spark to light the burner and needs to be replaced. If the spark electrode appears normal and the oven goes off after igniting, there may be a problem with its electrical outlet. We suggest checking the grounding and polarity of the outlet to determine if its properly delivering power.

#4. PROBLEM WITH INCOMING POWER

What it is: As mentioned above, sometimes your Maytag oven not heating can result from a power source problem and not an oven malfunction. Both gas and electric ovens require electricity to operate, with electric ovens requiring a higher amount of voltage from a 240V outlet. In order to properly deliver an electrical current, the outlet must receive power and deliver it properly.

How to fix it: These quick checks can help diagnose a problem with your power source:

• Make sure your oven is properly plugged into the correct type of outlet
• Check your circuit box for blown fuses or tripped breakers
• Test the wall outlet with a multimeter to make sure it’s providing power

We hope our troubleshooting tips save time when diagnosing a Maytag oven not heating up.