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Stuck trying to figure out why your oven light won’t turn on?
I’m so sorry to hear that! Without a good working oven light, you won’t be able to tell if your food is done without opening the door and letting out all the heat.
But don’t worry; I’m here to help!
To fix an oven light that isn’t working, you’ll need to disconnect the oven from its power source and remove the light bulb and cover. Then, refer to the manufacturer’s manual and replace the light bulb with a new, compatible one.
Ready to get your oven light working again? Let’s dive right in.
Why trust us? This article was written by Craig Anderson and James Blackford.
Craig has helped thousands of other homeowners repair their appliances since 2016.
James is one of our resident appliance experts with over 16 years of experience. He currently works as a Master Technician for SquareTrade, and runs his own appliance repair business.
Oven Light Not Working? Follow These 4 Simple Steps
If your oven light is not working, don’t worry! In this section, I’ll guide you through the steps you need to follow to replace the bulb.
#1 Grab Your Gear
When fixing an oven light that is not working, it’s important to ensure you have all the necessary materials to fix the problem.
You’ll need your oven’s manual, a compatible lightbulb replacement, and a screwdriver.
#2 Check the Oven Power
Just because your oven light isn’t turning on, it doesn’t mean that the bulb will always be the problem.
So, if you attempt to turn your oven on, but nothing happens, chances are your oven is not receiving electricity.
If such cases, check your plug first off to see if it got dislodged or disconnected from the outlet. However, calling in a professional is best if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.
You should also look at the circuit breaker in your home to ensure it isn’t tripped.
#3 Find the Right Bulb
If you’ve ensured the power is still on, but the oven light isn’t working, it’s time to replace the bulb.
Keep in mind that it’s important to be careful when selecting a replacement bulb for your oven.
While some newer and more advanced ovens feature model-specific LED lights, many ovens still use traditional appliance bulb types.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you could stick any old bulb inside your oven, and it will be fine.
I’ve seen that if a little speck of liquid falls onto a regular household bulb in an oven, it can shatter.
Check your oven’s manual to ensure you’re buying the exact type of bulb made for your oven. It will be more resistant to extreme temperatures, and you won’t have to worry that something bad will happen.
If your oven has an LED bulb, you’ll probably need to order the replacement part online.
#4 Replace the Bulb
My usual advice for replacing an oven light is to wait for the unit to cool down completely to avoid getting burned.
Once your oven has cooled down, look at the inside top where the bulb is typically located.
Keep in mind that the bulb is often shielded by a cover of some sort that helps protect the bulb from coming in contact with any foods or liquids.
All ovens are different, so the protective cover can come off by gently pulling or twisting it off. Other shields have a small clip that is screwed into the top of your oven.
Take your screwdriver, remove the screws, and put them in a secure place so you can put everything together when you’re done.
Throughout the replacement process, you should be mindful of the oven door and the pressure you put on it. Putting all your weight on the oven door while working can be easy, and you could damage the door and cause it not to shut fully.
Once the cover is off, unscrew the old bulb and screw in the new, compatible one. Dispose of the old bulb properly.
Test the light switch on your oven to see if that fixes the problem before putting the shield back on.
What If My Oven Light Still Isn’t Working?
If you’ve gone through the steps above and your oven light won’t turn on, there could be a bigger problem with the electrical wires.
It could be that over time the wires degraded, and some have lost the physical connection required to function properly.
Without a background in electrical work, I don’t recommend solving these types of issues on your own. There is a large chance you could injure yourself or damage your oven beyond repair.
Call an electrician when you believe you have electrical issues, so they can safely take a look without risking any harm to you.
How Long Does an Oven Light Last For?
In my experience, oven bulbs are typically built to last around 900 hours. So, if you were to use the oven light 8 hours a day, it would take about four months for your bulb to start fading and stop working.
Of course, the bulb’s lifespan depends on how much you use your oven light. There really aren’t any reasons your bulb should be on eight hours a day because you won’t be cooking for that long every day over four months.
Instead, you’ll probably only turn on your oven light when cooking something. So, you can expect your oven light to last an entire year without replacing it.
From what I’ve seen, an issue with the connection could cause the bulbs to not last that long.
Loose connections with your oven bulb can cause it to blow fairly early in its lifecycle. As the power cuts in and out, it overwhelms the bulb and could cause more sensitive materials to blow.
If you have to replace your bulb several times a year, you’ll need to check for an electrical issue.
FAQ About Oven Lights
Will My Oven Work Without a Light?
Your oven will still be able to heat up your meals just like it normally would without a light. The light doesn’t affect the actual performance of the oven at all.
The only problem is you won’t be able to see your food to tell if it’s changing to the right colors or if something bad is happening inside.
What Kind of Light Bulb Goes in My Oven?
Standard ovens typically use 40-watt incandescent appliance bulbs, but there are other models that use halogen bulbs up to 50 watts.
It’s extremely important you don’t put a regular bulb inside your oven because it could easily shatter and cause glass to go everywhere.
Check your oven’s manual to see the exact wattage and type of bulb you need to get.
What’s the Difference Between an Appliance Bulb and a Regular Bulb?
The main difference between them is that the appliance bulb is shatterproof, and the regular bulb is not. This keeps your appliance bulb safe from extreme temperatures and hot foods or liquids.
The appliance bulb is typically an incandescent A15 bulb, compared to the A19 regular bulbs, making it slightly smaller, and it can run on 130 volts.
Wrapping Up: Oven Light Troubleshooting
Hopefully, now you know how to fix an oven light that won’t turn on.
Remember, to keep your light working, check if the oven has power, purchase the right type of bulb, and go about replacing the old one.
With a new light, you can see exactly when your cookies turn golden brown so that you can pull them at the right time.
Thanks for reading, and if you still need more help with your oven, check out our related articles below.
Have a great day!
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