When the burners on top work but the oven below will not heat, the cause on a gas range is most often the oven pilot: many commercial ranges have a thermocouple safety that lets gas reach the oven burner only while the pilot is lit. After that, check the oven gas valve and thermostat setting, dirty burner ports and, on an electric range, the circuit and the elements.
Shop the equipment in this article: commercial electric ranges, convection ovens and commercial hot plates. Freight is included on every order.
Work through the checks below in order, from the easy ones to the ones that need a technician. If you smell gas at any point, stop, shut off the gas supply to the range and call your gas company or a licensed gas technician. Do not try to light anything.
1. Confirm gas is reaching the range
If the top burners light and hold a flame, gas is reaching the range. If nothing lights, look for a closed shutoff valve on the supply line behind the range, a quick disconnect that is not fully seated after cleaning, or a building gas supply problem. On a range that was just installed, check that it was set up for the gas you have. The commercial range pages on our site ask you to tell us natural gas or LP when you order, because a range built for one gas does not run properly on the other until it is converted.
2. Check the oven pilot
Most gas range ovens have their own pilot. The Cookline CR36-6 page, for example, describes a thermocouple safety system that lets the oven run only while the pilot is lit. If the pilot is out, the oven will not heat no matter where you set the dial.
- Look through the pilot sight hole or under the oven bottom for a small steady flame.
- If it is out, relight it following the steps in your owner’s manual.
- If it lights but goes out when you release the knob, the thermocouple or the pilot flame itself is the usual suspect. A weak or yellow pilot flame often points to a dirty pilot orifice.
3. Check the thermostat and the dial
It sounds simple, but a dial knocked to the off or pilot position after cleaning is a common cause. Turn the thermostat to a middle setting and listen for the main oven burner to light. Use the oven range on the product page as a guide: our Standard Range ovens are listed at 200 to 500 F, Cookline gas range ovens at 250 to 550 F, and the Dukers gas range ovens at 175 to 500 F. Set an oven thermometer on the center rack to see whether the oven reaches the dial setting. If the burner lights but the oven stays far below the setting, the thermostat may need calibration or replacement by a technician.
4. Clean the oven burner and the oven bottom
Grease and food that fall through and bake onto the oven bottom can block burner ports and air openings. Cookline gas range ovens, for example, use a U-shaped burner under the oven floor. With the range cold and the gas off, remove the oven bottom panel as the manual describes, brush the burner ports clear and look for spider webs or debris in the air shutter. A burner that lights with a lazy yellow flame instead of a steady blue one is not getting the air it needs. Our article on gas range burner flames burning yellow covers the same problem on the top burners.
5. Look at the door and racks
An oven that heats slowly or unevenly but does heat is a different problem. Check that the door closes fully, that the hinges are not bent and that sheet pans are not blocking the burner baffle or covering the oven floor. Leave space around pans so heat can move.
6. Electric range ovens
On an electric range, check the circuit breaker first, then whether the oven elements glow when the thermostat calls for heat. Our Cookline ER36-208 electric range lists an oven range of 140 to 500 F and runs on 208 V; the ER24 and ER36 models come in 208 V and 240 V versions. An element run on a lower voltage than it was built for heats more slowly, so match the model to your supply. Element and thermostat replacement should be done by an electrician or service technician.
When to call a technician
- The pilot will not stay lit after relighting.
- You smell gas, or the oven burner lights with a roar or a flame that lifts off the burner.
- The burner lights but the oven never reaches the setting on an oven thermometer.
- Any repair that means opening the gas valve, thermostat or wiring.
Our ranges carry the manufacturer’s warranty; Standard Range and the Cookline electric ranges, for example, list 1 year parts and labor on the page. Check the warranty before paying for an outside repair.
What to buy
If the range is past repair, compare widths, tops and oven types in our commercial ranges and stoves category, or look at commercial electric ranges if you do not have gas. To add baking capacity without replacing the range, a countertop or floor model from convection ovens works alongside it. Freight with liftgate delivery to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price, and lease-to-own financing is offered on items from 500 dollars.