Smell gas? Don't use any switches or the appliance. Leave the home and call the gas company or 911 from outside. Smoke or a burning smell from an oven: turn it off, switch off the breaker, and call us.
Gas or electric: how each one heats
An electric oven heats with metal elements. The bake element sits on the bottom and the broil element on the top. Many models also have a fan for convection (moving hot air around). A temperature sensor tells the control board when to switch the elements on and off.
A gas oven burns gas from a burner tube. An igniter glows hot and opens the gas valve once it is hot enough. On top, gas burners light with a spark. Electric stovetops use coil or glass-top elements. If you have a separate cooktop, see our cooktop repair page.
Gas safety comes first
If you smell gas, do not turn on lights, use the stove, or unplug anything. Leave the home, then call your gas company or 911 from outside. Do not go back in until they say it is safe.
We do not give do-it-yourself steps for gas parts. Gas valves, lines and burners should be handled by a trained technician.
Common oven and range problems
- Oven will not heat or heats slowly. A burnt-out bake element, a weak gas igniter, or a failed temperature sensor.
- Temperature is off. A sensor out of range or a control that needs calibration (adjusting to read true).
- Top burner will not light or keeps clicking. A wet or dirty spark igniter, a cracked electrode, or a bad spark switch.
- Electric surface element stays cold or stuck on high. A failed element, a loose terminal, or a worn infinite switch (the dial control).
- Door will not close or unlock after self-clean. A stuck door lock motor or worn hinges.
Simple, safe checks
For electric ranges, switch off the breaker before checking anything. For gas ranges, only do the first two items.
- Check that the oven is not set to a delay start, timer or Sabbath mode.
- Look at the clock. A blank display can mean a tripped breaker or a power problem.
- On electric ovens, look at the bake element with power off. Blisters, cracks or breaks mean it has failed.
- Clean spilled food from around top burner caps once they are cool and dry.
Your oven service call, step by step
We tell you the visit price on the phone before we come. Then we test heating parts, sensors, igniters and switches. On gas models we check for proper ignition and flame.
You get an upfront quote before we start, and our repairs carry a warranty.
Repair it or replace it?
Elements, igniters, sensors, switches and door hinges are common, sensible repairs. Pro-style ranges from brands like Wolf and Viking are often well worth fixing.
Replacing may be wiser when the oven cavity is rusting through, the control board is no longer made, or several major parts fail at once on an older range. We will tell you honestly.
Florida notes
Summer storms can cause outages and surges. UF/IFAS suggests surge protectors or unplugging devices to help protect them. Range control boards and clocks can act up after a surge. If your oven shows an error or won't heat after the power returns, call us.
If you lose power, never use a gas oven or stove to heat your home. Run a generator only outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents.
Brands we repair
We work on GE, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Samsung, LG, Maytag, KitchenAid and Bosch ranges, plus pro-style Wolf and Viking units. See our Wolf and GE pages.
Oven repair near you
Ranges in homes up to about 20 miles from Land O' Lakes are in our area, from Hudson down to Citrus Park. Local pages: Land O' Lakes, Lutz and Odessa.