Have you recently experienced a power outage in your home, and now your oven doesn’t seem to be working properly? This can be a very frustrating situation, especially if you’re in the middle of preparing a meal — but it’s not unusual, and there are several potential fixes you can try.
If your oven isn’t working after a power outage, it may be due to a tripped circuit, control panel issues, or faulty wiring. Try resetting the oven, checking the fuses, and making sure the breaker has been reset properly. If it’s still not functioning, call a professional for help.
Let’s take a closer look at the potential reasons why your stove isn’t working as usual and the steps to take in order to reset it.
Why Won’t My Oven Turn Back on After a Power Outage?
There are several reasons why your oven might not turn back on after a power outage, including a problem with the breaker box, the fuse, or even an issue with the oven itself. In many cases, a power outage can result in a power surge that affects your oven’s settings or even the wiring within, in some cases.
While most recent ovens have advanced features that are designed to help prevent issues like these, they still occur from time to time. And if your oven is on the older side, they’re even more likely.
Some of the most common reasons your oven won’t turn on after a power outage include control panel or circuit breaker issues. It could also be that you unknowingly engaged the delay start feature that exists on some ovens.
It’s important to note that different oven models may require slightly different approaches to troubleshooting. We’ll cover some general options that apply in most cases, but check your oven’s manual for the most accurate information related to your appliance.
Let’s go through each of the possible issues in more detail, so that you can figure out which one you’re dealing with.
Note: if your gas oven isn’t igniting, you may have a different issue which I’ve also written an article about.
The Circuit Breaker Is Tripped
The most likely reason for your oven not turning on after a power outage is that the surge has caused the circuit to trip, and it needs to be reset. Go back to your breaker box and check that everything’s been reset.
If the circuit breaker keeps tripping whenever you use the oven, then you may have too many appliances in use at once. Check what else you have plugged into the same circuit, and adjust as needed.
If that doesn’t help, it may be time to call an electrician for some professional advice.
The Delay Start Feature Is Turned On
In some cases, you may have engaged your oven’s delay start feature, and it’s keeping your oven from turning on immediately. This is a feature that allows you to schedule when you want your oven to turn on to reduce the amount of time you need to wait for it to preheat before you get started cooking.
If this feature is turned on for any reason, you’ll need to disengage it before you can use your oven normally. Check your oven’s manual to see how to deactivate the feature.
Control Panel Issues
In some cases, a power outage can cause certain features of your oven’s control panel to become engaged, such as the child lock. If the child lock is on, the oven won’t function.
Again, check your oven’s manual for the exact procedure needed to turn off the child lock — or any other control panel functions that may have been activated.
Faulty Wiring
The worst-case scenario is that your oven won’t turn back on due to faulty wiring that wasn’t detected until the power outage. Unless you happen to have some electrical experience under your belt, you’ll probably need professional assistance in this case.
How to Reset Your Oven
Luckily, resetting your oven is something that can typically be done without having to call in a professional. Keep in mind that you must follow the steps completely in order to avoid causing more damage to your oven.
Here are the steps you should take to reset your oven if it’s not working properly after a power outage:
- Check the breaker box to ensure that the oven breaker is not tripped. Locate the appropriate breaker (hopefully labeled with something like ‘kitchen’ or ‘stove’), and make sure it’s in the ‘on’ position. Flip it if necessary.
- Ensure that the fuses on the breaker box for your oven are still in good condition. If you flip the breaker and the appliances on that circuit continue to have issues, there might be an issue with the breaker itself.
- Make sure that your power cord is properly connected to both the oven and the wall outlet. If you’re not sure where the cord is located, check your manual. It’s often accessible from the storage drawer at the bottom of your appliance.
- Allow the electrical control panel to boot up naturally after you’ve plugged everything back in, and check that there are no error messages displayed. If there are, check your manual’s troubleshooting section for further instructions.
- After checking that there are no error messages, set the oven to do a cleaning cycle to make sure it’s operating properly. If your oven is able to complete the cycle without issue, it’s a sign that you can proceed with normal use.
Once you’ve completed these steps, your oven should be back in good working order in no time at all. However, if you continue to have problems, you should contact a professional repair person to have a look and take the next steps.
The Final Word
The bottom line when it comes to why your oven isn’t working after a power outage is that many potential causes could be the culprit. Luckily, with some patience and a can-do attitude, you should be able to diagnose the issue and get things up and running again.
However, if you’re having trouble, don’t hesitate to call a professional. Ovens can be dangerous when they’re not functioning properly, so you want to be absolutely sure that yours is in good shape before you prepare your next meal.
other oven articles you might be interested in
Double Ovens: Why The Bottom Oven Isn’t Working But Top Is
Why Your Oven Light Won’t Turn On
Oven Door Hinge Stuck? Easy Fix
Oven Display Not Working? Here’s How To Troubleshoot And Fix It Fast
