When your stove won’t heat up, the problem is rarely the power supply—it’s usually the stove heating element, the metal coil inside your oven or hob that glows red when it’s working. Also known as bake element or element coil, it’s one of the most common parts to wear out in electric ovens and hobs. Unlike a boiler or water heater, this part doesn’t need complex plumbing or gas lines—it’s just a simple electrical component that gets hot, cools down, and repeats that cycle hundreds of times a year. Over time, that constant expansion and contraction cracks the internal wiring, and eventually, it stops working.
Most people assume a broken stove means the whole oven is dead. But often, only one element is gone. If the top burners work but the oven won’t heat, it’s almost always the bake element, the lower heating coil in electric ovens that’s responsible for baking and roasting. If the broil function doesn’t work but baking does, that’s the broil element, the top heating element used for grilling and browning. Both are easy to check: turn the oven on and watch—if one doesn’t glow red while the other does, you’ve found your issue. You don’t need an electrician for this. A trained appliance technician can replace it in under an hour, and the part usually costs less than £50.
Some folks try to fix it themselves. And sometimes, they succeed. But if you’ve ever seen a cracked or blistered element, you know it’s not just ugly—it’s dangerous. A damaged element can arc, spark, or even cause a small fire if left unchecked. And if the problem isn’t the element at all—maybe it’s the thermostat, the control board, or a faulty relay—you could waste hours swapping parts that don’t fix anything. That’s why most repair guides start with the element: it’s the easiest thing to rule out. If it’s bad, replace it. If it’s fine, call a pro.
The good news? Stove heating elements rarely fail suddenly without warning. You’ll notice signs first—longer preheat times, uneven baking, or parts of your food coming out raw while others burn. These aren’t just annoyances—they’re early warnings. A 10-year-old oven isn’t necessarily done for. If the rest of the unit is solid, replacing a single element can add years to its life. And since most modern ovens use standard-sized elements, finding a replacement isn’t hard.
What you won’t find in a hardware store is a universal fix. Elements vary by brand, model, and wattage. A Samsung element won’t fit a Hotpoint, and a 2500-watt coil won’t work in a 2000-watt oven. That’s why DIY repairs often go wrong—people buy the wrong part. That’s also why local repair shops still exist. They’ve seen hundreds of these failures. They know which elements fit which models. They don’t guess—they check.
If you’re wondering whether to repair or replace your oven, the answer often starts with this one part. A new oven can cost £500 or more. A heating element? £30. Labor? Under £100. That’s a no-brainer if your oven is under 12 years old and the rest works fine. Even if you’ve got a 20-year-old oven, replacing the element might be the smartest move—until something else breaks.
Below, you’ll find real stories from people who faced the same problem: an oven that wouldn’t heat, a hob that went cold, or a broiler that stopped working. Some tried the DIY route. Others called a pro. All of them learned something. Whether you’re checking your own element for the first time or just trying to understand why your oven failed, these posts will show you what actually works—and what’s just a waste of time.
Learn how to tell if your electric stove element is bad with simple visual checks and a multimeter test. Discover common signs, how to replace it yourself, and when to call a pro.
