Ge Oven Not Heating Up: Causes and Fixes

Quick Answer

A GE oven not heating usually indicates a burned-out bake element or a faulty igniter. The most common fix is testing these components for continuity and replacing the defective part to restore heat.

A cold GE oven usually means a dead bake element or a weak igniter, and ignoring it won't make it better. On electric models, that bake element sits at the bottom of the cavity and you can usually see the burn mark. Gas models are sneakier. The igniter glows but never gets hot enough to open the gas valve. I've seen people run their oven for months thinking it just 'takes a while to heat up.' It doesn't.

GeOvenSeverity: moderateDifficulty: intermediate75% DIY Success

Time to Fix

15–90 min

Difficulty

intermediate

Parts Cost

$0 (no parts needed)

Tools Needed

Phillips #2 screwdriver, Flat-head screwdriver

Ge Oven Not Heating Up: Causes and Fixes

OK so your GE oven isn't heating and you're trying to figure out if this is a $30 part or a $400 service call. Honestly, most of the time it's a $25-40 bake element or a $15-30 igniter. GE electric ovens are pretty straightforward to diagnose. Gas models have one tricky thing to know: a bad igniter can still glow orange but not actually open the gas valve. That's the one thing most people miss.

Common Causes

The bake element has burned through, which you can usually see as a visible crack, blister, or dark burn spot on the element itself. On some GE Profile models the element is hidden under the oven floor, so you won't see it without lifting that bottom panel.
Gas oven igniter is weak. It glows but it's not drawing enough current (needs 3.2-3.6 amps minimum) to open the gas valve solenoid. Igniter looks fine, gas never lights. This catches people off guard because they see it glowing and assume it's working.
The oven temperature sensor has drifted or failed open. GE sensors should read right around 1080-1090 ohms at room temp. If yours reads way high or shows OL on your meter, the control board thinks the oven is already at temp and won't turn on the heat.
Thermal fuse is blown, usually from the oven overheating during a self-clean cycle. Super common. People run self-clean and the next day their oven doesn't heat. The fuse is a one-shot deal, it doesn't reset.
Control board relay failure, specifically the relay that sends power to the bake element or igniter circuit. Less common but it happens, especially on older GE Profile and Cafe series units.
Broil element failed and someone accidentally had the oven on broil, or on some models the bake and broil elements both run through a relay that's now dead.

Symptoms You May Notice

You set the oven to 350, come back 20 minutes later, and it's completely cold. No preheat beep, nothing.
Gas oven: igniter glows orange for 30-90 seconds but the burner never ignites. You might catch a faint whiff of gas then nothing.
Oven takes way longer than normal to preheat, like 45 minutes to reach 350 when it used to take 12.
Visible burn spot, crack, or blister on the bake element at the bottom of the oven cavity.
Works fine on broil but won't heat on bake, or the other way around.

Can you reset a Ge oven to clear the NOT-HEATING code?

Unplug the oven or flip the breaker off for at least 60 seconds, then restore power. After it comes back on, let it sit for 2-3 minutes before touching anything. Then set it to Bake at 350 and give it a full 15 minutes to see if heat kicks on. Some GE control boards need a few minutes to reinitialize after a hard reset.

Tools Required for Diagnosis

Phillips #2 screwdriverFlat-head screwdriverMultimeter with ohms and continuity settingsFlashlight or headlampNut driver set (1/4 inch and 5/16 inch)Needle-nose pliersWork gloves

Diagnostic Checklist

Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.

ComponentComponent Under Test

Expected Range1080–1090 ohms

ConditionIf Open (OL) or infinite, replace component.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to fix a GE oven that's not heating?

Here's the honest breakdown. A bake element is $25-60 depending on your model, and it's a 20-minute DIY job. A gas igniter runs $15-40. A temperature sensor is $20-30. Thermal fuse is $10-15. If it's the control board, that's where it hurts: $150-300 for the part, plus $100-200 for a tech to install it. If you're staring at a board replacement on a 10-year-old oven, that's the point where you start pricing new ranges instead.

My GE gas oven igniter glows but won't light. Is that definitely the igniter?

90% of the time, yeah. GE gas ovens use a glow bar igniter that has to draw enough current, around 3.2-3.6 amps, to open the gas valve solenoid. When the igniter starts to wear out it still glows, but it's not pulling enough current to trip the valve. So you see orange glow, you might smell a little gas, but it never ignites. If it's taking longer than 90 seconds to light or not lighting at all, just replace the igniter. They're cheap and it's almost always the fix.

Can I use my oven's broiler if the bake element is broken?

Yeah, usually. The broil element is a separate component up at the top of the cavity. If your bake element failed but broil still works, you can use broil in a pinch for things like toast, open-faced sandwiches, melting cheese. But don't try to bake with only the broil element running. You'll get burnt tops and raw middles and it'll probably trip the element prematurely too.

How do I know if it's the control board and not a bad element?

Test the element first with a multimeter. If the element has good continuity (19-25 ohms on electric), the sensor's in spec at 1080-1090 ohms, and the thermal fuse is good, but the oven still won't heat, then yeah, you're probably looking at the control board or relay board. Some GE models have a separate relay board that controls the heating elements and that can fail while the main board is totally fine. At that point you either call a tech to do live voltage testing, or you start researching board part numbers for your model.

My GE oven stopped heating right after self-clean. What happened?

Self-clean is brutal on ovens. The cavity heats to 880-930°F to incinerate the residue, which is way above anything normal cooking does. That extreme heat can blow the thermal fuse, crack the bake element, or in some cases damage the control board. Check the thermal fuse first, it's the most common self-clean casualty and it's a $10-15 fix. If the fuse is fine, test the bake element next. I replaced three thermal fuses just last month from self-clean failures.

Is it safe to use my GE oven if it only heats on broil but not bake?

The oven itself isn't dangerous, no. The issue is just the bake element or its circuit. You can broil stuff fine. But get the repair done soon because if you start trying to use broil for everything, you're putting extra strain on that element and you'll end up replacing two parts instead of one.

Models Known to Experience NOT-HEATING Errors

This repair applies to most Ge ovens with this error code. Common model numbers include:

JB735SPSS, JB645RKSS, JS760SPSS, JB258RMSS, JB655SKSS, JGBS66REKSS, JGS760SPSS, JB255DJBB

Written by

Mike Sullivan

Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 20 years experience

Last verified for technical accuracy on March 17, 2026