There is nothing worse than planning your latest culinary masterpiece only to find your Wolf oven isn’t heating up as expected. Perhaps your oven is not heating up enough, or your oven won’t heat up at all. Wolf does produce some of the finest appliances on the market, but just like ovens of all brands, they are capable of developing heating issues. Preheating your oven is an important step in the cooking process – the following guide will troubleshoot common issues Wolf oven users run into. Another option is hiring an appliance repair specialist so you can be certain the job gets done right and that’s exactly what Alpha Tech Appliance does best.
No Power to Oven
The first thing you should do when you run into a heating issue with your Wolf oven is a power assessment in order to see if your appliance has the necessary electricity to start and warm-up. Gas ovens even require power to light and provide energy to certain components. “OE” is a very common fault code with Wolf and will be displayed should you have a power issue.
Assessing common power issues:
-Ensure your oven is properly plugged into an outlet that is working right
-Ensure the outlet is providing the necessary voltage. Electric ovens need a 240V outlet while gas ovens run on 120 volts.
-Ensure there are no tripped circuit breakers – reposition any should they be flipped.
Oven Has Power but Won’t Turn On
If you are noticing that your Wolf oven does in fact have power but still won’t heat up, you’ll want to inspect the following components:
-Overdoor switch
-Oven control panel
-Gas igniter
-Electric heating element
The most likely reason your Wolf oven has power but won’t heat up properly is due to a damaged or broken heating element as this component experiences significant wear and tear with the constant heating and cooling process. It is not unheard of to have the element burn out. But prior to inspecting your heating element, you should do a hard reset of the oven by unplugging the appliance from the outlet. If you have ruled out any issues with the power supply, look for signs of damage to the heating elements. These signs include blistering, cracks, breaks, and discolouration.
When switched on, the ignitor generates a spark that in turn lights your gas oven. So – if the ignitor can’t generate a spark, the oven won’t be able to heat up. Unfortunately, a visual inspection is a difficult way to determine if you have issues with your ignitor. You’re going to need a multimeter to perform a proper test. This is something the handy homeowner can do on their own, but it is always recommended that you hire a professional appliance repair technician. These experts have the knowledge and the equipment to diagnose and resolve the problem in minimal time.
Your oven’s control panel allows you to set cooking temperatures, along with providing control to any of the other features your Wolf appliance is equipped with. The panel will allow you to turn on the broiler, set the timer, and turn on the light, among others. A good indication of a broken control panel is an error message in the display window. Another indication that you have an issue with your control panel is when it fails to respond to your touch. If you come across an error message try turning the appliance’s power off. Wait a few minutes and turn it back on. This trick might reset the circuit and restore power to your control panel.
If the light in your oven doesn’t turn off – despite a properly closed door – you are likely dealing with a broken oven door switch. Additionally, another good way to determine if your oven door switch is broken is to attempt to run a self-clean cycle. If the door switch is broken, your oven won’t be able to tell that the door is closed properly, and therefore the cleaning cycle won’t start, and the oven won’t produce heat. But do not worry – a certified appliance repair technician will happily service your oven and have you cooking up a storm in no time.
A blown fuse could also be a potential reason why your oven isn’t heating up properly. Luckily, this is an easy fix. First things first, unplug your Wolf appliance. Look for the breaker connected to the oven and if your fuse is blown, replace it. You will know it is blown if there is a visible gap in the wire or a dark or metallic smear inside the glass.
Oven Preheating Issues
In order for your oven to function properly, it will need to be properly preheated. It is always recommended to allow your appliance to heat up until it reaches the desired temperature prior to cooking. You will know when the appliance has finished preheating when the indicator light turns off or if the digital display keeps the set temperature displayed.
There are also several factors that can affect the way your Wolf oven preheats – these include:
Size – your oven’s interior may be larger than other brands on the market and thus require a longer period of time to preheat.
Voltage – Electric wall ovens and dual fuel ranges that operate on a lesser voltage could take longer to preheat.
Gas – Wolf gas stoves that run on propane may require longer preheating times than those that use natural gas.
Door seal damage – Check the gasket surrounding the oven door. If it is ripped or damaged, heat can escape from your oven, which in turn will elongate the preheating time. It is recommended that you replace the damaged gasket in order to allow your appliance to heat properly.
Convection Fan Issues
Convection style Wolf appliances use a fan to circulate hot air. The result of this is a faster, more even cooking process. But if this fan malfunctions, air won’t circulate and you’ll notice that the oven does not heat very well and takes longer to cook food properly. When your oven is off, test the fan’s rotation by turning the blades by hand. If the blades turn but the fan doesn’t work, you could be dealing with a malfunctioning fan motor.
Faulty Wolf Oven Bake Element
Your bake element is located at the bottom of the oven – look for a metal coil. When working properly, this coil gets really hot and glows red. When the oven is off, inspect this coil for damage such as blisters or breaks. This is a simple way to determine if your oven element is not working.
Faulty Wolf Igniter
If your oven’s igniter isn’t strong enough to open the valve and ignite the gas, your oven won’t heat up. To determine if you have a faulty igniter, watch it as it tries to light the gas. If it fails to ignite the gas or doesn’t generate a spark at all, it will need to be replaced.
If you aren’t the handiest of homeowners and can’t resolve the issue with your Wolf stove. Or if you’ve followed this handy guide but still can’t seem to get things heating up properly, reach out to a professional. The experts at Alpha Tech Appliance can quickly diagnose and fix the problem and have you cooking again before you know it.