If you've pre heated your oven,
only to be greeted by a cool breeze when opening the door,
"unfortunately" it might be a takeaway this evening.
If your electric oven is not working but the grill is, these are the most likely causes.
- Power supply:
If your grill is still working, an issue with the power supply can be ruled out immediately.
Most modern ovens have their grill powered from the same electrical supply as the oven.
Your issue is most likely internal of the appliance. - Reset timer:
This one has caused a few red faces.
Although it seems to be embarrassingly obvious, a simple press of a button might bring your oven back to life.
Some ovens won't allow you to activate the main oven, without first resetting the timer.
The timer may need resetting after the oven has been disconnected from the mains.
This could be caused by a power cut, or if the appliance has been switched of at the wall isolator.
If your timer is flashing and no heat is coming through, the reset button often looks like a hand symbol.
Simply pressing this can bring the oven back on.#.
Please consult the manual if your'e struggling to find the reset button.
If you cant find the manual, they can often be downloaded online.
If you need the model number of your oven, it's often inside the door of your oven. - Specific oven settings:
More advanced ovens have different modes or settings for baking, grilling, or broiling.
Make sure you have selected the appropriate settings for the job in the oven and that the temperature and timer settings are correctly adjusted. - Heating element:
This is the most common cause of why your electric oven isn't working but the grill is.
Your oven will usually have 2, sometimes more elements.
If you've noticed the circuit breaker trip last time you turned the oven on, its usually a good indicator the insulation in the element has failed and caused a short circuit.
The good news, is they are relatively cheap and easy to source. (next day delivery in most cases)
A competent electrician or appliance engineer, will be able to diagnose the fault quickly and arrange a replacement.
Unfortunately electrical work can be dangerous and we cannot advise you try this yourself. - Control panel or thermostat:
Another component that can fail is the control panel.
Yours may be a basic dial type of which you turn to select the setting.
Its a possibility the dial has failed and contact not being made for the relevant setting. Again, these are for the most part easy to source and replace.
A higher end oven may have a digital display. If this has failed you could be looking at quite a considerable cost to replace it.
If your oven is in warranty then contact the manufacturer for an engineer visit.
If your warranty is out a decision will need to be made as to whether to replace it or buy a new oven.
The thermostat could also be faulty, preventing the oven from reaching its desired temperature.
If your oven is staying at a temperature below the setting you chose, this is usually a accurate indicator that a thermostat needs replacing. - Faulty wiring or connection:
Your oven generate heat and wiring insulation can break down over time.
Most ovens have heat resistant cabling inside to combat this, but we have found this on some repairs, usually when insulation has been damaged at the manufacturers before sale.
Again this will need a competent person Ie an electrician or appliance engineer, to open up the oven and diagnose the fault properly. Cabling or poor connection can usually be repaired on the spot.
Photo credits - Photo by Thomas Ashlock on Unsplash