Oven broiler does not heat: Broil may require a specific rack, closed or partly open door by model, and a separate upper element or gas igniter. Test it independently from Bake. Check your manual for the door position and rack for Broil on your model.
What this covers
- Ranges & ovens · broil
What it does not cover
Differential
Likely causes of “Oven broiler does not heat”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Broil is being used with the wrong door position or rack
What separates it The oven bakes normally but the broiler does not glow, and the manual asks for the door to be ajar or closed for Broil.
How to confirm Check your manual for the door position and rack for Broil on your model.
- 2
The control is locked or set to the wrong mode
What separates it The display shows a lock symbol or the control accepts Bake but not Broil.
How to confirm Unlock the controls and select Broil High on an empty, cool oven.
- 3
The upper element or igniter has failed
What separates it The lower element heats in Bake but nothing glows at the top in Broil, or the igniter never glows on a gas model.
How to confirm On an empty, cool oven, watch the top element for a glow after a minute of Broil.
- 4
A supply or safety valve fault on a gas oven
What separates it The igniter glows but the burner does not light, or you hear clicking without a flame.
How to confirm This is a service diagnosis and should not be tested repeatedly.
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether Bake works normally and whether the display shows an error.
- Whether the top element glows, or the igniter glows without lighting.
- The door position and rack used for the Broil test.
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedObserve before changing anything
ReversibleSelect Broil High on an empty cool oven and observe the upper element or ignition without touching it.
Isolate the failing boundary
ReversibleConfirm mode, door position, control lock and energy supply using the exact manual.
Apply the narrow correction
ReversibleReset controls once after cooling; leave element, igniter and valve repair to service.
Verify the result and stop at the boundary
ReversibleStop for gas odor, arcing, repeated clicking without flame or breaker trips.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Stop for a smell of gas, arcing, repeated clicking with no flame, or breaker trips.
- !Leave element, igniter and valve repairs to qualified service.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Should the oven door be open when broiling?+
It depends on the model. Some ovens broil with the door closed and some with it slightly open, so follow your manual.
Does broil need the door open?+
It depends on the model. Some need the door ajar; others need it closed. Check the manual.
Is there a separate broil element?+
Many electric ovens have an upper element for broil, and gas ovens have a separate ignitor. If it fails, bake may still work.