Whirlpool Oven Isn’t Heating

by | Mar 19, 2022 | Whirlpool oven Repair

If your Whirlpool oven’s not heating up when you turn it on, follow these troubleshooting steps to help you isolate the problem, find the faulty parts and replace or repair them to get your oven heating properly again.

WARNING – If you are attempting to repair any oven yourself, be aware that you are working with potentially dangerous electrical currents that can cause serious bodily injury or death.  Always remove the electrical power source from the appliance before you ever begin working on it.  If you are attempting to repair any household gas appliances yourself, always be sure to turn off the gas that is designated to the appliance before you ever begin to repair it.  Be aware that ovens have extremely sharp edges and hot parts that can cause serious bodily injury or death.  Be aware that there are many other dangers and precautions involved in oven repair besides those listed above.  We strongly suggest that you please read our DISCLAIMER before any further actions are taken or proceeding any further.  Think safety first!

Whirlpool Electric Oven

Step – (1.) Incoming Electricity

First, you will need to check for a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker in your homes main circuit breaker box.  If a fuse has blown, you will need to replace the fuse with a new one.  If you find that the circuit breaker has tripped to the off position, flip the breaker back to the on position.

Step – (2.) Blown Oven Fuse

On some oven models an internal fuse is used to shut the oven off to prevent any further damage to the appliance.  If the fuse has blown, the oven won’t turn on.  The fuse can be tested using a multimeter, if the fuse does not have continuity, the part is faulty and will need to be replaced.  Before replacing the fuse with a new one, you will need to inspect or troubleshoot the various components within the oven to determine what caused the fuse to blow.  Visually inspect the internal oven components, look for burnt wires, burnt wire connectors, signs of damage on the heating elements and the elements connections.

Step – (3.) Bake Element

The bake element is located on the bottom part of the interior cavity in Whirlpool free standing and wall oven models.  If you have noticed that your electric oven won’t heat while you are trying to bake, the baking element may have burned out.  You can test the element for continuity using a digital meter or multimeter.  If the test shows no continuity, the baking element will need to be replaced to fix the problem.  If the element has continuity, it is good, and more troubleshooting will need to be performed.  Safety Warning – Please be sure that your oven has had plenty of time to cool down before testing or removing any internal or external parts.  Some oven parts can hold heat for quite some time and will still burn you long after the unit has been turned off.

Step – (4.) Broil Element

The broil element is located on the inside of the oven cavity at the top and is used for broiling.  Quite often the broiler element is used to help preheat an electric oven faster.  If your element has stopped working you will need to visually inspect it for signs of damage, such as burn marks, bubbling or blistering, burnt or melted terminal ends or a broken spot in the element.  A broiling element can be tested for continuity using a digital or analog multimeter, if the test shows no continuity, the broil element will need to be replaced to fix the problem.  If the test shows the element has continuity, it is good and more troubleshooting will need to be performed.  Safety Note – Please keep in mind that just because a broiling element does not look hot, doesn’t mean that it isn’t hot, it can still burn you.  You will want to be sure to wear safety gloves while inspecting or troubleshooting any of your oven’s parts.

Step – (5.) Surface Heating Element

The surface heating element is used on the cooktop surface of some electric free standing and slide-in oven models.  If your surface element is not heating, you can test the part for continuity with a multimeter.  If the element has continuity, it is good, if the test shows no continuity, the element is bad.  The solution is to replace the broken surface element to fix the problem.  Troubleshooting tip – If you don’t have a test meter, one can be purchased reasonably cheap from your local hardware store, a test meter can be a real time and money saver while troubleshooting all of the various electrical parts used on an oven.  Electrical parts can be diagnosed either good or bad quickly, instead of just assuming that a heating element is faulty and replacing it, only to find out the element wasn’t bad, and the problem lies elsewhere with another faulty oven part.

Step – (6.) Temperature Sensor

The temperature sensor is used on newer model electronic control ovens, it is used to sense the temperature inside of the oven.  The sensor communicates with the ovens electronic control board which adjusts the temperature as necessary.  On newer model ovens, a fault code should display on the control panel if the temperature sensor has failed.  You will need to refer to your owner’s manual, under oven fault codes.

Step – (7.) Electronic Control Board

You will need to Inspect your ovens electronic control board.  The control board is a very difficult part to test, you can visually inspect the control board for a loose wire harness connection or a burnt or melted component on the control board.  If any of the mentioned damage is found, the control board may be faulty.  The control board is a very intricate electrical part, sometimes a hairline fracture in a solder spot can cause the board to fail, you won’t even be able to see the fracture in the solder with the naked eye.

Troubleshooting a Whirlpool oven that isn’t heating – (video)

Whirlpool Gas Oven

Step – (1.) Oven Igniter

The oven igniter, also known as the glow bar, is used in some free standing and wall gas oven models.  It is located under the burner shield inside the bottom part of the oven compartment, mounted right next to the gas burner tube.  The igniter is used to open the gas valve and to ignite the gas to flame for heat.   As the igniter draws electrical current it will heat to a high temperature and glow red hot, as well as cause the bi metal in the ovens safety valve to warp and open the valve releasing the gas to be ignited into flame.  The igniter can become weak over time.  If you can see that your oven igniter is glowing but will not light the gas to flame it may need to be replaced.  If the igniter does not glow at all, it is faulty and will need to be replaced to fix the problem.  You can test the igniter for continuity using a digital meter or multimeter.  If the test shows no continuity, the igniter will need to be replaced, if the igniter has continuity, it is good and more troubleshooting will need to be performed.  Troubleshooting tip – If you don’t have a test meter, a digital meter can be purchased reasonably cheap online or from one of the bigger hardware stores, a test meter is a real time and money saver while troubleshooting the electrical parts used on an oven.  Electrical parts can be diagnosed either good or bad very quickly.  Instead of just assuming that a part is faulty and replacing it, only to find out that part wasn’t bad, and the problem lies elsewhere with another faulty oven part.

Step – (2.) Spark Electrode

Modern gas oven’s use some form of electronic ignition system, such as the spark electrode or an igniter system.  These ignition systems have replaced the older oven style gas flame pilot lights.  Oven models using a spark ignition system also have an actual gas pilot like a pilot ignition system only the pilot does not stay lit all the time.  Instead, when the ovens thermostat is turned on, gas flows to the oven’s safety valve and also to the ovens pilot, which gets lit with a spark.  Once the pilot is lit and the safety valve’s sensor bulb senses the pilot flame, that valve will then open, allowing the gas to flow to the ovens burner where the pilot flame ignites the gas burner.  If the spark electrode is weak or no longer works at all the oven will not light, the repair solution is to replace the spark electrode if this is the case.

Step – (3.) Thermostat

The thermostat is used on some gas oven models to control the temperature inside of the oven.  When the desired temperature has been reached, the thermostat will turn off the heat source.  When the oven’s temperature begins to fall, the thermostat will cycle the heat back on.  The most common symptoms of a faulty thermostat are undercooked food or an oven that either won’t turn on or turn off.  Safety Precaution – Please be sure that your oven has had plenty of time to cool down before testing or removing any internal or external parts.  Some oven parts can hold heat for quite some time and will still burn you long after the unit has been turned off.

Step – (4.) Safety Valve

If the oven’s igniter comes on, glows red hot for 90 seconds and does not light the burner, you will need to test the safety valve for continuity.  You can test the safety valve for continuity using a digital meter or multimeter.  If the test shows no continuity, the valve will need to be replaced, if the valve does have continuity it is good, and more troubleshooting will need to be performed.  Safety Reminder – You will need to be sure to turn off the gas that is dedicated to your gas oven before you begin to remove this part.

Step – (5.) Oven Control Board

You will need to Inspect your oven’s electronic control board.  The control board is a very difficult part to test.  You can visually inspect the control board for a loose wire harness connection or a burnt or melted component on the control board.  If any of the mentioned damage is found, the control board may be faulty.  The oven control board is a very intricate electrical part, sometimes a hairline fracture in a solder spot can cause the board to fail, you won’t even be able to see the fracture in the solder with the naked eye.

Troubleshooting a Whirlpool oven that has no heat – (video)

GE Oven Circuit Board Replacement

by | Mar 18, 2022 | Oven Circuit Board, Oven Repair Help

The oven’s circuit board controls most functions of the oven.  It can even diagnose faulty parts with error codes that will display on your GE ovens touchpad.

First you will need to turn off or disconnect the power source to your oven, then remove the oven console or control panel for access to the control board.

When replacing a bad oven circuit board with a new board, it is a good practice to have the new replacement board out of its packaging or box and to hold it in front of the old board so that you can examine both of the oven circuit boards and make certain that they are the same before pulling any wires loose from the existing board and replacing.

If you are not familiar with all of the wires that are connected and will need to be disconnected and transferred from one board to the other, have your phone handy and snap a few good photos of the bad circuit board while it is still connected in your oven for future reference, if needed.

Now that you are sure that both of the boards are the same you can transfer the wires from the old board to the new circuit board.

Once you have transferred all of the wires from the old control board to the new replacement circuit board you will need to replace the oven console or control panel, turn the power source back on.  You will then need to program the new oven circuit board, following the instructions for your oven model.

The circuit board has a life span just like any other household appliance parts do and can wear out from use and age.  Lightning storms/strikes cause a lot of havoc on appliances and are responsible for damage to many circuit boards.  Electrical power surges and flood waters or just moisture/condensation can also be to blame for a faulty oven circuit board.

View All GE Oven Circuit Boards

Bosch Refrigerator Not Cooling

by | Mar 9, 2022 | Bosch Refrigerator Repair

If your Bosch refrigerator is not getting cold or cold enough, follow these nine troubleshooting steps to help you isolate and fix the problem, to get your fridge functioning properly and cooling again.

WARNING – If you are attempting to repair any refrigerator yourself, be aware that you are working with potentially dangerous electrical currents that can cause serious bodily injury or death.  Always remove the electrical power source from the appliance before you ever begin working on it.  If you are attempting to repair any household gas appliances yourself, always be sure to turn off the gas that is designated to the appliance before you ever begin to repair it.  Be aware that refrigerators have extremely sharp edges and moving parts that can cause serious bodily injury or death.  Be aware that there are many other dangers and precautions involved in refrigerator repair besides those listed above.  We strongly suggest that you please read our DISCLAIMER before any further actions are taken or proceeding any further.  Think safety first!

Bosch Refrigerator Help

Step-1. Dirty Condenser Coils

The condenser coils are located under the refrigerator, behind the kickplate/grill at the very bottom of the fridge.  If the condenser coils become clogged with dust and pet hair etcetera, there won’t be sufficient air flow being moved by the condenser fan across the coils.  If the coils can’t release the heat, the refrigerator will strain to stay cool.  You can remove the kickplate from the bottom of the refrigerator and clean it if it is needed, then inspect the condenser coils for dust buildup, if there is buildup present, it will need to be removed.  You can remove the dust using a vacuum hose and small attachment or a long narrow refrigerator coil brush, which can be purchased fairly cheap from your larger hardware stores.  You will need to be careful not to damage any of the electrical wires or components on the compressor or damage the condenser motors fan blades.  This should really be done at least once a year if you have pets that shed in the house or live in a dusty environment.

Step-2. Evaporator Fan Motor

The evaporator fan motor is used in side-by-side refrigerators and refrigerators with a top or bottom freezer to circulate air over the evaporator coils which converts heat from the coils into cold air that is then circulated throughout the refrigerator from the spinning fan blade.  The evaporator fan motor is located in the back of the freezer compartment on a refrigerator.  The most common symptoms of a faulty evaporator fan motor are, the refrigerator is warm, the refrigerator is noisy, the freezer compartment is too warm, or both the fridge and freezer are too warm.

Step-3. Condenser Fan Motor

The condenser fan motor is located in the very bottom part of the refrigerator behind the access panel on the back side of the fridge.  It is used to draw cool air through the front grill and circulate the air around the compressor and through the condenser coils, then moving the hot air out into the room.  It also aids in evaporating water from the drain pan beneath the fridge.  Some typical symptoms of a bad condenser fan motor are, the refrigerator is warm, the fan turns slower than normal, the compressor is noisy or the freezer is warm.

Step-4. Temperature Control or Cold Control

Check the cold control knob/dial located in the refrigerator section, is it set at too warm of a position?  If so, this will not allow the fridge to operate often enough to stay cold, try turning the dial to a colder position.  Note – The refrigerator cold control dial should only be turned about 1/8 of a turn in a 24-hour period, you will need a refrigerator thermometer to adjust and set the refrigerators temperature correctly. You can purchase a refrigerator thermometer fairly cheap from almost any hardware store.  The factory suggests the cold control knobs indicator dial be set at the mid-range, 12 o’clock position.  The optimum temperature inside of a refrigerator for safe food storage is between 34 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.   If the temperature is any colder than 34 degrees F food will freeze, any warmer than 40 degrees F food will start to spoil quickly.  Adjust the cold control knob 1/8 of a turn every 24 hours, and take notes of how much colder the fridge has become and repeat the process until you hit the optimum temperature range, between 34 degrees F and 40 degrees F.

Step-5. Overloading The Shelves

If the refrigerator shelves have been overloaded with food, sometimes this can block the normal cold air flow into the fridge’s cabinet from the air inlet damper, thus not allowing the cold air to circulate into the refrigerator section.  Overstocking the shelves can also disrupt the refrigerators air flow system, not allowing the cool air to circulate properly the way the refrigerator was designed to do.

Step-6. Refrigerator Door Gasket

The refrigerator may be warm caused by a faulty door gasket.  If the refrigerators door gasket is not making a proper seal between the fridge’s door and the console, this will let the cold air escape and the room temperature air to enter.  Visually inspect around the door and make sure that the gasket is sealed correctly into position and does not have any folds, creases or gaps anywhere.  This usually happens around the corners of the door gasket.  If the gasket is damaged, it will need to be replaced to solve the problem.

Step-7. Door Light Switch

The door switches operate the lights in both the refrigerator and freezers food compartments, the light switch also operates the evaporator fan motor in the freezer section.  When the refrigerator door is open, this releases the switch to the off position and the evaporator fan shuts off.  If the light switch has failed, the evaporator fan won’t be able to circulate the cold air into the refrigerator cabinet.  Test the light switch for continuity using an analog multimeter or a digital meter.  if the switch has continuity, it is good, if the test shows that it does not have continuity, it is faulty, and the switch will need to be replaced.

Step-8. Light Stays On

If the refrigerators interior light stays on, this can cause the refrigerator to be warm.  You can test the light switch for continuity using a digital or analog multimeter, if the test shows the switch has continuity, it is good.  If the test shows no continuity, the switch is faulty and will need to be replaced.

Step-9. Excessive Use

If the refrigerator is being used more often than normal, repeated door openings in a short amount of time will cause the temperature in the fridge to rise temporarily, then cool back down to normal operating temperature the longer the refrigerator door stays shut.

Troubleshooting a Bosch refrigerator that’s not cooling – (video)

LG Dryer Won’t Heat Up

by | Mar 9, 2022 | Clothes Dryer Repair, LG Dryer Repair

If your LG dryer’s not heating, use the following troubleshooting steps to help you isolate the problem, find the faulty parts and replace or repair them to get your dryer heating properly again.

WARNING – If you are attempting to repair any dryer yourself, be aware that you are working with potentially dangerous electrical currents that can cause serious bodily injury or death.  Always remove the electrical power source from the appliance before you ever begin working on it.  If you are attempting to repair any household gas appliances yourself, always be sure to turn off the gas that is designated to the appliance before you ever begin to repair it.  Be aware that clothes dryers have extremely sharp edges and moving parts that can cause serious bodily injury or death.  Be aware that there are many other dangers and precautions involved in dryer repair besides those listed above.  We strongly suggest that you please read our DISCLAIMER before any further actions are taken or proceeding any further.  Always think safety first!

LG Electric Dryer

(1.) Power Supply – The first thing you should check if your electric LG dryer won’t heat is the dryer’s 220 circuit breaker located in the home’s main circuit breaker box.   You will need to locate the breaker box and find the 220 breaker that is dedicated for your dryer.  Flip the breaker off and on a few times even if it looks like the breaker is already in the on position.  A standard size electric clothes dryer runs on 220 volts and if half of the two-pole breaker is tripped the dryer motor will run on 110 volts but the heating element will not heat up.  If your clothes dryer still won’t heat up after flipping the breaker switch, some further troubleshooting will need to be performed on the dryer itself.

(2.) Safety Warning – Please be certain that the electricity has been turned off or disconnected completely to the dryer that you are repairing, please double check before you proceed to troubleshoot any further.

(3.) Thermal Fuse – The dryer thermal fuse is also known as the thermal cutoff fuse and the temperature fuse.  The thermal fuse is used as a safety device cutting off the electricity to the dryers drive motor and the heating element to keep the clothes dryer from getting too hot.  Note – Once this fuse has blown, it cannot be reused.  If your dryer’s thermal fuse has blown, you will need to check for lint build up or blockage in the clothes dryer’s lint filter, vent hose or ventilation system, before installing a new thermal fuse, only to have it blow out again.  Lint buildup prevents proper air flow in a dryer and is the most common reason for a dryer’s thermal fuse to blow.

(4.) Heating Element – The heating element is used to heat the air before it enters into the drum on an electric dryer.  If your electric dryer is not heating, you will need to visually inspect the element for damage.  If the element coils are intact and no signs of damage are found, you will need to test the element for continuity using a multimeter.  If the element does not have continuity the part is bad and will need to be replaced.  Before installing the new heating element, you will need to check for loose or burnt wires that lead to the heating element and repair or replace them before connecting the wires onto the new element.  Loose wire connections and burnt or damaged wires can cause the newly installed element to short out.

(5.) Cycling Thermostat – The cycling thermostat is normally located on the clothes dryer’s blower housing.  The thermostat is used to cycle the heating element off and on during the drying cycle to regulate the temperature of the air entering the clothes dryer.  Using a test meter, you will need to test the cycling thermostat to see if it has continuity, if the test shows that it does have continuity the thermostat is good.  If the test shows that the thermostat does not have any continuity, then the part is bad and will have to be replaced with a new thermostat.

(6.) High-Limit Thermostat – The high-limit thermostat is located on the dryers heating element housing.  It is used to monitor the dryer’s temperature and will shut the heating element off if the clothes dryer gets too hot.  You will need to test the thermostat to make sure that it has continuity using a test meter, if the thermostat has continuity the part is good.  If the thermostat does not have continuity, the part is bad and will have to be replaced with a new thermostat.

Troubleshooting a LG dryer that won’t heat – (video)

LG Gas Dryer

(1.) Safety Warning – Please be certain that the electricity and the gas have been turned off or disconnected to the gas dryer that you are repairing.  Please double check before proceeding to troubleshoot any further.

(2.) Thermal Fuse – The dryer thermal fuse is also known as the thermal cutoff fuse and the temperature fuse.  The fuse is used as a safety mechanism, cutting off electricity to the dryer motor and the burner assembly to keep the clothes dryer from getting too hot.  The fuse can be tested using a test meter.  If the fuse does not have continuity, the part is bad and will need to be replaced.

(3.) Igniter – The igniter is located inside of the burner assembly in a gas dryer.  It is used to ignite the gas into flame for heat.  If the igniter is bad, the gas will not light and the clothes dryer won’t heat up.  Using a digital meter or multimeter you will need to test the igniter to see if it has continuity.  If the test shows that it does have continuity, the igniter is good.  If the igniter does not have continuity, then the part is bad and will need to be replaced.

(4.) Gas Valve Solenoid Coils – The gas valve solenoid coils also referred to as the ignition coils are mounted just in front of the gas burner assembly.  Their function is to open the gas valve to let gas flow into the burner assembly.  If you can see that the igniter is glowing red hot and the burner does not light, it is likely that one or both of the coils are bad.  Solution – replace both of the ignition coils.

(5.) High-Limit Thermostat – The high-limit thermostat is located on the dryer’s burner assembly.  It is used to monitor the temperature in the dryer and will shut the burner off if the dryer gets too hot.  You will need to test the thermostat to make sure that it has continuity using a digital meter or a multimeter.  if the thermostat does not have continuity, the part is bad and will need to be replaced with a new one.

(6.) Cycling Thermostat – The cycling thermostat is normally mounted on the clothes dryer’s blower housing.  It is used to cycle the gas burner off and on during the drying cycle to regulate the temperature of the air entering the dryer.  Using a test meter, you will need to test the cycling thermostat to see if it has continuity.  If the test shows that it does have continuity the thermostat is good.  If the thermostat does not have any continuity, then the part is bad and will need to be replaced with a new one.

(7.) Flame Sensor – The dryer flame sensor is used on a gas dryer as a safety device.  the sensor is used to prevent high levels of gas from building up in the dryer.  The sensor senses heat that is emitted from the igniter and monitors if it is hot enough to ignite the gas and light the burner.  You will need to test the sensor for continuity using a test meter.  If the test shows that the sensor does not have any continuity, the part is bad and it will need to be replaced with a new sensor.

Troubleshooting a LG dryer that won’t heat – (video)
Top