Sometimes you don’t realize how much you rely on an appliance until it breaks down. It becomes crystal clear when you need to get dinner ready and find your Maytag oven, not heating.
Maytag ovens are one of those that work perfectly and make cooking easier and more enjoyable for you. However, sometimes they can suddenly stop heating, leaving you to figure out how to prepare your dinner.
So in this article, we’ll guide you through the most common reasons for the Maytag heating problems and their possible solutions.
Why is your Maytag Oven not Heating?
No one wants to deal with a malfunctioning oven, especially when the result is a cold dinner.
But unfortunately, there is a range of settings you need to test to see what is causing the heating issues.
1. Enabled “Control lock.”
“Control lock” is an option included in many appliances; the Maytag oven is no exception. It helps to prevent your children from accessing the oven controls. No keys will respond to touch if the “Control lock” option is on. So the oven won’t start heating.
2. Enabled “Delayed start.”
If you don’t need to cook your food immediately, use the Maytag oven “Delay start” option. The cooking starts at a specified time, and the oven turns off when the cooking is complete.
This comes in handy when you need to go out but want to find your meal already cooked once you get home.
If you’ve enabled “Delayed start” and someone else tries to use the oven, it won’t heat till the delayed cooking option is canceled.
3. Enabled “Sabbath mode.”
“Sabbath mode” keeps your Maytag oven on in the baking setting until it is canceled. If the “Sabbath mode” is enabled, other oven functions won’t work, and the heating elements won’t turn on immediately.
This will also give you the impression that the oven isn’t heating. You will see the “Sabbath,” “Sab,” “5A6”, or “5Ab” indicating that the “Sabbath mode” is enabled. To get your oven back to normal, you have to disable it.
4. Enabled “Demo mode.”
“Demo mode” is used when the Maytag oven is on sales display. The oven is then connected to the 120V power source so potential buyers can test the control panel.
However, the heating element does not turn on when the oven is in “Demo mode.” If you’ve recently installed your Maytag oven, “demo mode” might be what prevents your oven from heating.
5. Lower-voltage wall outlet
If you use an electric oven or range, you should plug it into a 240V wall outlet. The range will turn on if only 120V is used, but the heating function won’t work.
A 120V power source is only used with electric Maytag ovens and ranges when a “Demo mode” is enabled in a sales store. This mode prevents the heating element from heating. It works for display to turn on the oven but doesn’t heat it.
The low-voltage wall outlet is the first to check if the Maytag oven is not heating.
6. Incorrectly set oven control
For your Maytag oven to start heating, you must set the unit to a specific function, bake or broil. The oven won’t start heating if you heat the start button without selecting specific functions.
7. Faulty temperature sensor
The oven temperature sensor’s purpose is to communicate the temperature in the oven to the control board. It helps the control board to regulate the cycles and maintain the set temperature.
This sensor is usually located at the top of the oven interior. So if it appears faulty, the sensor will give the wrong temperature signals to the control board. As a result, the heating cycle might not start.
8. Faulty oven igniter
To get your Maytag oven to work, the igniter has to start the burner. Correspondingly, if the igniter has issues, it won’t heat enough.
As a result, the igniter won’t signal to the gas valve to the oven and send gas to the burners to turn on.
9. Damaged bake element
When turned on, your Maytag oven bake element could be to 250°F-375°F for ideal baking or roast results. It is used in all cooking functions except broil and should glow red.
If you’ve turned on your oven to bake or roast, but the oven won’t heat up, and the bake element is not glowing red, it is most likely damaged and needs replacement.
10. Shorted thermal fuse
The thermal fuse stops oven current flow, so your oven doesn’t overheat. The fuse can short or trip due to the high temperatures it tries to prevent.
If the thermal fuse is tripped, it won’t let the oven heat, while the shortened fuse will continuously signal to overheat. As a result, the heat cycle won’t start.
11. Malfunctioning oven controls
The last but not least reason why the Maytag oven might not be heating is malfunctioning oven controls. The control board is to blame if the timing and other functions work fine, but the oven won’t heat.
The control board is the heart of your oven, as it controls all components.
If the Maytag oven control board malfunctions, it will flash the F error code. You should look for a professional who’ll fix this.
How to fix a Maytag Oven not Heating
Since there could be various reasons why the Maytag oven won’t heat, there is quite a list of solutions.
As long as you’re comfortable working with the tools, it shouldn’t be hard for you to troubleshoot the heating issues.
1. Disable “Control lock.”
Disabling the “Control lock” is the simples fix for your oven heaving issues. You need to follow simple two-step instructions. First, make sure the oven and timer are off.
Then press the “Control Lock” pad and hold it for about 3 seconds. Your oven should beep once the “Control lock” function is deactivated and display the “Control unlocked” message.
However, check your user manual first, as the control keys vary depending on your model.
2. Disable “Delayed start.”
If the delayed cooking is enabled, you will see “Delay” on display. To disable it press the “Cancel” button. It is as simple as that.
Any cooking styles will be canceled. The current time will be displayed instead.
3. Disable “Sabbath mode.”
Since the “Sabbath mode” setting may vary depending on the model, three options exist to disable it.
First, try to press the “Cancel” button and hold it for about three seconds. Then open the door and tap 7-8-9-6. Choose the “Sabbath mode” and hit “Start” to save the changes. Once you close the oven door, “Sabbath mode” should be disabled.
4. Disable “Demo mode.”
To disable “Demo mode” in your Maytag oven, tap the Clock/Setting until you see the “Demo mode” displayed.
Then press 1 to adjust the control settings (3 for some models)—Press “Start” or “Cancel” to save the settings and exit.
5. Check wall outlet voltage.
Use the multimeter to test the wall outlet for voltage and leave it charged. For that, set the multimeter for a voltage range. Insert the black probe into the “Neutral” (right) prong of the wall outlet.
Then insert the red probe into the “Hot” (left) prong of the wall outlet. After that, check the multimeter reading. The value should be close to 240V. If it is around 120V, it indicates the low voltage of your Maytag oven.
6. Check oven control
Before hitting starts, you should set the bake or broil functions first, as we’ve told you earlier. However, before that, please consult the user’s manual to learn more about them.
To set the bake function in your Maytag oven, select “Bake” on the control panel and use number pads to set the desired temperature. Then hit the start button.
Set the broil function the same way: by hitting “Broil” and selecting the low/medium/high number.
7. Check the temperature sensor
Before you replace the temperature sensor on your Maytag oven, you need to check a few things to determine whether it’s malfunctioning.
First, check if the temperature setting in the oven is inaccurate by more than 50°F.
Then if the oven sensor is still in the same position or has moved, remember that the temperature sensor should sit at a 90° angle to the rear oven wall.
And finally, the temperature sensor should show some resistance. If it doesn’t, then you most likely need to replace it.
8. Replace the temperature sensor
It would be best to replace the temperature sensor once you have determined it is faulty. To accomplish this, turn off the oven and unplug the power cord.
After that, unscrew the back panel of the range, locate the wire that leads to the sensor, and disconnect it from the wire harness.
Remove the rod by loosening the sensor’s mounting screw. Tighten the mounting screw and connect the sensor wire to the harness after inserting a new sensor into the oven.
9. Check the igniter
First, make sure the igniter glows when you turn on the oven. It is near the burner tubes at the back of the oven.
If the igniter does not glow, it is either not heating or heating sufficiently to light the burners.
To replace the igniter, you should first switch off the electricity to the oven and unplug the power cable. Then, remove the back panel, and locate and disconnect the igniter connection wire from the harness.
Insert the wire into the oven through the passage hole. Remove the oven door and racks from the front of the oven.
Unscrew the bottom panel of the oven to gain access to the burner area, then remove the screws that conceal the igniter and pull it out. Replace the old igniter and reassemble everything.
10. Fix the bake element
To replace the damaged bake element, shut off the power supply and open the oven to take out the racks. After this, loosen the mounting screws to remove the baking element.
Slightly pull the element towards you to see the connection wires and disconnect them. Connect the wires to the newly baked element and push them to the back of the oven. That’s it.
11. Fix the thermal fuse
To fix the thermal fuse, remember to turn off the oven first. Then open the back part of the oven and disconnect the wires on the fuse.
Remove the screw that fastens the thermal fuse to the oven assembly. Then place the new thermal fuse where the old one was. Tighten the securing screen and reconnect the fuse wires.
12. Fix the control board
Replacing the control board does require some skills. But if you’re comfortable doing this on your own, do the following.
Remove the control panel once you switch off the oven and unplug the power cord. Then pull out the white and red harness plugs that connect the control board to the assembly. Take out the screws holding the control board and remove them.
Make sure to have a replacement control board on hand. Place the new control board instead of the old one and secure it. Then check the functions.
13. Reset your oven
Try resetting your oven before you decide to replace the control board.
To reset the Maytag oven, you need to switch off the power to the unit and leave it off for a minute. Then turn the power on and turn on the oven. Check if the error disappeared and test the heating function.
Adrian is an ISCET licensed professional that has completed the National Appliance Service Technician Certification Exam and has the expertise to diagnose and repair any appliance. He is well-versed in the latest technologies and techniques and is always up-to-date on the latest industry standards.
