Electric Stove Keeps Turning Off? 4 Steps to Diagnose & Fix

Has your electric stove decided that it likes to turn off by itself?

Don’t worry – you’re not alone. Electric appliances turning themselves off can be quite a common issue, and thankfully there’s a few simple explanations with easy fixes. We’ll walk through all of these potential causes for electric stoves in this article.

If your electric stove keeps turning itself off, first check your circuit breaker and ensure the fuse is switched on (and isn’t faulty). Then try turning off other major appliances on the same circuit as the electric stove. Also check the stove’s power cord to ensure it’s fully plugged in and not damaged.

There are several potential issues that could lead to an electric stove shutting off on its own, and ways to diagnose it and fix the problem. Above are some of the most basic, but there’s more to it than that.

Let’s explore four reasons that might cause your electric stove to cut out, and walk through the steps to help you diagnose and fix it. 

Why Do Electric Stove Burners and Ovens Cut Off? 

Electric stove burners or ovens may shut off for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you assume that the reason is because of the particular brand of stove in your home. The stove brand or model could potentially be a clue as to why the stove shuts off. That is not always the reason that an electric stove cuts out on its own for what seems like no reason.  

The issue of electric stoves cutting out on their own is surprisingly not a new problem. Check out the sites of several appliance manufacturers or different forums about this very issue. You will discover that people asked questions about electric stoves turning off on their own starting several years ago, and that these problems existed with different stove brands and models. 

What about today? Does this modern age of touch pads, flat cooktops on electric stoves, rapid heating, Wi-Fi connectivity and other features cause the electric stove to turn off by itself? Does having an older stove make it more likely to turn off on its own? There are several reasons that any electric range may cut off without you manually shutting it off, along with tips for each issue. 

1. Overheating 

A stove that overheats may shut off on its own, whether it is one or more stovetop burners or the oven of your electric stove. This is not always a new feature, because the idea to automatically cut off was included in some stoves manufactured in the late 1990s. This feature is often included in many electric stoves manufactured today.  

The National Fire Protection Association reveals that cooking was the number one cause of home fires and injuries related to home fires between 2014-2018. Cooking was the second cause of fire-related deaths during the same time period. Ranges and cooktops, and in particular electric ranges, accounted for more than 60 percent of home cooking fires. 

Many electric stoves come with safety features that shuts a stove off after a certain period of time, or even that shuts off with only a few minutes of inactivity around the stove. The features are potentially frustrating for some homeowners or tenants of rental properties. Keep in mind that the manufacturers consider these as safety features. 

General Electric 

One example is that General Electric (GE) indicates that after 1995, the company added an automatic shutoff feature to several electric stove models. The company added the 12-hour shut off to other models in the late 1990s. Some people, unfortunately, walk away from their stove, either forgetting that they forgot to turn one or more of the burners off. 

GE explains that beginning in 2018, the UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory) regulations require that electric coil top ranges have “temperature limiting capabilities.” The burner periodically cuts off automatically. 

LG Electric Range 

Does your LG stove turn off just when you need it to cook that special meal for the family, for someone special or for a holiday meal? Error codes sometimes show on the display when there is an issue with the range cooking properly. LG follows the same requirements and regulations of the Underwriter’s Laboratory to help prevent potential fires from overheated stoves. 

LG recommends that even when the cooktop indicates that it is cut off, do not touch the cooktop surface. It will likely remain hot, particularly if you set it at a higher setting. 

KitchenAid 

There is no indication from KitchenAid that their electric stove cooktops or ovens turn off on their own because of an overheating problem.

There is likely another issue causing your KitchenAid stove to turn off on its own. The problem requires a professional diagnosis and possible repair. 

The Solution to the Electric Stove Cycling On and Off 

The solution to your stove cutting off and on during cooking is to not worry if it cycles on and off. General Electric indicates that cycling on and off is a normal function on electric stoves if you set the temperature at a setting other than Hi. The cycling allows for maintaining an even temperature in the selected setting. 

The unlike a gas stove, electric stove burners cycle on and off when you set the temperature on Hi. The cycling on and off when on Hi protects the stove from extreme temperatures. 

Make sure that your pans and skillets are the correct size for the particular burner and that they are flat pots and pans that make contact with the sensor. 

2. Faulty Element 

Some electric stoves turn off on their own because of a faulty element. Wear and tear, damage, or grease and spills often contribute to a faulty element. Check the elements when cool for these issues.  

The next step is to turn the stovetop or the oven on if you do not see obvious signs of an issue related to the element. Does the element heat up? Does it still glow red? You likely have a faulty element if there is little to no heat or if the element fails to glow red. 

Faulty Element Solutions 

Do you have the knowledge and experience to change or repair a faulty element? Most electric stove owners likely do not have this expertise. Contact a professional repair person to repair the element to stop your stove from cutting off. 

You cannot replace coil burners or elements that do not have Sensi-Temp burners on GE electric ranges manufactured after 2018 because of regulations. 

3. Ventilation Issue 

Do you have poor ventilation around your electric stove? Poor ventilation sometimes causes heat to build up in an electric stove or grill.  

The ventilation problem results in substantial overheating, so that the thermostat trips because of this problem. The built-in circuit breaker in some modern ovens trips, which sometimes leads to the oven cutting off.

Solution to Poor Ventilation 

Does poor ventilation cause your stove to shut off?  Pull the stove a little bit away from the wall to allow for space for air to properly circulate.  

Do not install a new stove all the way against a wall to prevent ventilation issues. Make sure that you do not push your electric stove all the way to the wall when you move it to clean or retrieve an object that fell next to or behind the stove. 

Thermostats sometimes become faulty, so check the thermostat to make sure that it works properly. 

4. Electrical or Cord Issues 

Electrical stoves do not last forever, even if they have the latest technology and features. Older stoves, along with newer electrical stoves, sometimes have electrical issues or power cord issues. There are dangers associated with electrical and faulty cords or cables. 

There are a variety of components that can be responsible for electrical issues. Cords and cables sometimes have damage or normal wear and tear issues. The electric stove often shuts off by itself if it has one of these issues. 

Solution for Electrical or Cord Issues Cutting Off the Stove 

Inspect the cords and cables to your stove. Do the cords or cables look frayed or show signs of extreme wear and tear?  Some stove models make it easy for you to know when there is an electrical or cable issue.

Watch for error codes and refer to your instructions manual or check the error code online at the stove manufacturer’s site. Follow instructions from the manufacturer when this is the reason for your stove cutting off. 

Other Reasons That Your Electric Stove Cuts Off 

Some stoves have built-in safety features that cause them to shut off automatically. There are also products that some people buy to help protect against fires that cause the stove to shut off. 

Seniors are not the only ones that forget to turn the stove off or forget that they have something cooking on the electric stove. Manufacturers realize that safety features that cut a stove off likely help to prevent fires. You likely have nothing to worry about if you discover that the stove cut off on its own after you left the kitchen. 

Did you leave the oven door open? Some Samsung electric ranges shut off after one minute if you leave the door open to the oven.  

Check your power supply and the circuit breaker if your electric range shuts off on its own. 

There are four likely reasons that an electric stove cuts off. Fixing it is often a quick and easy solution. Some reasons for the stove are more complex when the stove shuts off.

Do not attempt repairs if you are not qualified to diagnose why the stove cuts off and to make the repairs. Contact an experienced technician to get your electric stove working again without it mysteriously shutting off.