Oven
Broiler Not Working
The broil setting starts but the top element stays dark, or the top burner of a gas wall oven will not light.
Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm
- 5 checks before you book
- 5 questions that narrow it
- 5 causes, cheapest first
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What it
usually means.
The broiler is the heat source in the roof of the oven: an exposed element on electric models and a separate burner with its own igniter on some gas wall ovens. It works hard at very high heat for short periods, which makes it wear faster than the bake side. When broil stops but bake still works, the problem is almost always in the broil circuit itself: the element or burner, its igniter, its wiring, or the relay that switches it.
The 5 causes, cheapest first
Answer these first
Does the top element glow at all, even partly, on broil?
Is there a visible break, a bulge or a burned spot on the element?
On a gas oven, do you hear the igniter or see a glow at the top?
Does the oven heat normally on bake?
Did broil stop working after a spill or grease fire under it?
Check these
before you book.
Oven broiler not working: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.
Confirm in the manual whether your oven broils with the door open or closed, and set it that way.
With the oven cold, look at the broil element for a split, a blister or a dark spot.
Run bake for a few minutes to confirm the rest of the oven heats.
Also worth checking
- On a gas oven, note whether you hear or see the broil igniter; never touch the gas parts.
- Say whether bake still works when you book.
How soon does it need a visit?
Not urgent. Bake still works in most cases, so the oven can be used for most cooking. If the element sparked or burned through, keep the oven off and switch off its breaker.
The causes,
cheapest first.
5 things oven broiler not working turns out to be, from door position for broil to relay for broil not closing.
The cost guide-
01 no repair
Door position for broil
Some ovens need the door fully closed on broil and others broil with the door ajar. Following the manual avoids a broiler that cycles off early.
-
02 low
Broil element burned out
The element in the roof often shows a split or a bright, blistered area where it failed. It is the most common cause on electric wall ovens.
-
03 low to moderate
Broil igniter weak or failed
On gas ovens with a separate broil burner, its igniter wears the same way the bake one does and stops opening the valve.
-
04 low
Terminal or wire at the broil element
The connection at the back of the broil element takes a lot of heat, and it can loosen or burn.
-
05 moderate
Relay for broil not closing
The control switches broil through its own relay. If the element tests fine, the control is the next suspect.
-
What it costs
Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side
Open the cost guide
What else
it could be.
Most often confused with oven not heating, then oven slow to preheat.
All problems
The makes
it happens on.
30 makes on this site; oven broiler not working can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.
All 30 brandsOven Broiler Not Working,
where we come out.
9 metros, each with its own page.
All service areasTampa BayFL · 31 areas
Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas
New York MetroNY · 75 areas
HoustonTX · 36 areas
ChicagoIL · 50 areas
Los AngelesCA · 95 areas
San DiegoCA · 31 areas
Questions about
oven broiler not working.
The broil element sparked and then went dark. Is it safe?
Why does broil switch on and off by itself?
Does a gas wall oven have a separate broil burner?
Can I still bake while the broiler is out?
Back to your everyday
Still seeing oven broiler not working?
Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.