Electric Range, Oven, or Cooktop With No Power? Here's Why
When an electric range goes dead — or the oven works but the burners don't (or vice versa) — the cause is usually one 'leg' of the 240-volt supply. Here's how to read the symptom and where it's safe to look.
⚠️ Before you start
- Electric ranges run on 240 volts through a large double-pole breaker. Never probe inside the range or its outlet unless the power is off.
- The most common cause — a lost 'leg' of 240V — can leave parts of the appliance energized even when they seem dead. Treat it as live until proven otherwise.
- A warm or discolored range cord or outlet is a warning sign of a loose, overheating connection. Stop using it and get it looked at.
An electric range is one of the biggest loads in your home, and the way it fails tells you a lot. The key idea: your range runs on 240 volts made from two 120-volt "legs." Lose one leg and you get strange, partial failures. Here's how to read them.
The tell-tale symptom: half of it works
If the oven heats but the burners don't (or the reverse), or the clock and lights work but nothing gets hot, you've almost certainly lost one leg of the 240-volt supply. The control board and some elements run on a single 120V leg; the big heating elements need both legs for the full 240V. So with one leg gone, part of the range keeps working while the rest goes dead. This is a supply problem, not a broken appliance.
Where a lost leg comes from
- A double-pole breaker that's tripped on one side (the handle may look only partly moved).
- A loose or burned connection at the breaker, in the range outlet, or where the cord lands.
- A burned range receptacle — the high current these draw can overheat a loose plug connection over time.
What you can safely check
- The breaker. The range is on a large double-pole breaker (often 40–50A). Reset it fully OFF, then ON. If it trips again or doesn't restore power, don't keep forcing it.
- The cord and outlet — by look and feel only. A warm, discolored, or melted range cord or outlet is a clear warning of a loose, overheating connection. Stop using the range and get it inspected.
Where it becomes a pro's job
Finding and fixing a lost leg means working inside a 240V circuit and possibly replacing a burned receptacle — that's electrician territory. If the range itself is at fault (a bad element, infinite switch, or control board), that's an appliance technician. Either way, the high current here is not the place to guess.
Bottom line
"Half the range works" is the fingerprint of a lost 240V leg. Check the breaker, look and feel for a warm outlet or cord, and hand the rest to a pro — burned range connections are common and worth a professional eye.
📞 When to call a professional
Checking the breaker is a homeowner step. Diagnosing a lost 240V leg, a burned range outlet, or internal appliance faults is electrician (or appliance-tech) work — this is a high-current circuit that deserves respect.
Frequently asked questions
The oven heats but the surface burners don't (or vice versa) — what does that mean?
An electric range gets 240 volts from two 120-volt 'legs.' If one leg is lost — a half-tripped breaker, a loose connection, or a burned contact — you can lose part of the range while other parts still work on the remaining leg. It's the classic 'half the range works' symptom, and it points to the supply, not the appliance.
The digital clock/display works but nothing heats — electrical?
Yes, likely a lost leg again. The control board and clock run on 120V (one leg), while the heating elements need the full 240V (both legs). So the display can look fine while nothing gets hot. Check the breaker first, then it's a job to find the loose or burned connection.
The whole range is completely dead — where do I start?
Start at the panel: the range is on a large double-pole (240V) breaker, often 40 or 50 amps. Reset it fully off then on. If it trips again or won't restore power, the issue is the breaker, the range outlet/cord, or the appliance — and a burned range receptacle is common enough that an electrician should inspect it.
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