How To Diagnose Your GE Stove?

A GE stove will last for years, that is only, of course, if it’s properly cleaned, maintained, and periodically serviced. 

So how do you maintain, service, and diagnose problems with your GE stove on your own? Keep reading to find out!

However, always remember that the first thing to do when attempting to service or repair your stove by yourself is take the appropriate safety precautions, which includes making sure the power supply is off. 

Also, if you don’t have any experience performing stove repairs, it might be better to contact a professional repair company, rather than risk hurting yourself or damaging your appliance?

Gas Burner Won’t Light

When your GE stove gas burner doesn’t light up properly, the first thing you’ll want to do is check your gas supply, and that it is, in fact, turned on. Then, after ruling out any issue with your gas supply, you can move on to checking the burner elements themselve, or the spark electrodes.

Check your gas supply

It’s one thing if your gas supply was turned off. 

However, if you suspect a leak in your gas supply, it’s vital that you turn your home’s main gas supply off immediately and contact a professional. 

Even if there’s a small leak in the gas supply or your GE stove wasn’t installed properly (and/or by someone without the right specifications), you may experience issues such as having trouble getting your burners to light. 

Suspect something’s wrong with your gas supply? Call a professional right away!

Clogged Burner Element

Over time, your GE stove’s burner elements can get clogged with food and other dirt, dust or grease particles. 

When this happens, the burner won’t be able to get a sufficient flow of gas for the burner to ignite. The flame produced from a clogged burner element is usually much weaker or inconsistent, or it simply won’t light up at all. 

Fortunately, a dirty or clogged burner element is often easy to fix. 

Remove the burner cap and then the burner. 

Use a metal pin or paperclip to push the debris from the burner holes. 

Then, replace the burner and cap, and test the burner element to see if you’ve resolved the issue.

Faulty Spark Electrode

The spark electrode in a GE stove is what ignites the burners. If the spark electrode is faulty, there’s nothing to actually ignite the flame. 

To test your spark electrode, turn on one of the stove burners. 

You should hear a clicking sound and see a spark. This means the spark electrode is working. 

However, if you don’t hear anything, the spark electrode is faulty and will need to be replaced.

Oven Won’t Heat

A GE stove that won’t heat is a major problem, and can literally leave you starving.

You’ll want to diagnose this issue by checking the heating elements, temperature control thermostat, and control board.

Damaged Heating Element

Damaged heating elements are the most common reason why your GE oven won’t heat up. 

When you turn your oven on, the heating element should get hot enough to cook your food. If damaged, your oven will feel colder than it should, or it won’t produce any heat whatsoever. 

Check the heating elements for signs of damage like cracks or blisters. 

If you see any, you’ll need to replace the heating element with a new one. 

Faulty Temperature Control Thermostat

All GE stove models have a temperature control thermostat. This is the device that registers the temperature of the oven when it’s turned on. 

If the temperature control thermostat is faulty, your oven won’t reach the correct temperature. Often, resulting in longer cooking times. 

Knowing for certain whether or not your stove has a faulty thermostat requires a multimeter. 

In other words, you may need to contact a local appliance repair service to get a proper diagnosis.

Oven Control Board

The GE stove control board allows you to set the temperature of the oven and control any other features you oven may have. If the control board is faulty, it can also be the reason why your oven won’t heat up properly. 

Try unplugging your oven from the outlet, waiting a few minutes, and then plugging it back in. 

If this doesn’t solve the problem, you likely need a new oven control board. Reach out to a repair technician to confirm this diagnosis.

Malfunctioning Broil Element

If the broiler element is malfunctioning, the GE stove may still heat, but food will come out baked unevenly, or often raw. 

Check the broil element for cracks, blisters, and other signs of damage. Replacing the element with a new one will fix this issue.

Faulty Oven Control Board

The GE oven control board can also impact baking. If you see an error message on the display screen, you’ll know you have a major issue and should contact an appliance repair service for assistance. 

A well-trained appliance repair technician can identify, diagnose, and fix this issue.