With the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic still ongoing and the UK government currently advising us to avoid unnecessary contact with other people, you may be hesitant to invite a tradesperson into your home right now. But if your oven has broken down, what choice do you have?

Well, actually, you may be able to resolve the problem yourself. There are plenty of useful resources available for self-isolating homeowners who want to fix their own cookers - for instance, a repairman living in the Algarve has recently been offering appliance repair advice via video chat, and naturally there are loads of 'how to fix it' blogs and YouTube videos on the World Wide Web.

Ordering the right parts for your oven

Of course, even if you're doing your own repairs, you may still need a new part to get your appliance working properly again.

And that's where we come in. Here at Cooker Spare Parts, we stock an enormous range of high-quality spares for gas, electric and dual fuel appliances, including:

• Ovens
• Hobs
• Grills
• Cooker hoods

To find the part(s) you need for your cooker, simply go to our homepage and enter your appliance's manufacturer (e.g. Belling) and model number (e.g. DB90) - we'll show you a full list of compatible parts.

Some useful how-to guides

If you're not quite sure how to repair your oven, some of our previous blog posts may come in handy.

Here are some of our most popular articles - click to read:

• How to Fix an Oven That's Not Getting Hot Enough
• My Oven's Not Working (But the Grill Is)
• What to Do if Your Fan Oven's Not Heating Up
• If Your Oven Keeps Cutting Out...

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When preparing a family meal or showing off your culinary skills, the oven is one of the most frequently used appliances. Whether you have a gas or electric oven, we'll discuss what to do when you suffer from this issue.

Please note: we always recommend you use an electrical or gas-safe registered engineer to carry out repairs.

Signs You Have A Problem

Is your oven taking longer than it should to cook your meals? Have you been following all cooking instructions to the letter - selecting the right temperature and leaving your food in for exactly as long as you're told - only to find that, when you open the door, everything is still lukewarm and half-raw?

If so, the problem may be that your oven isn't getting hot enough. Just because you're turning the knob to 200°C, doesn't mean that the oven is actually reaching that temperature.

If you're constantly having to pop your dinner back in for another few minutes just to get it cooked properly, there's probably a problem with your appliance that needs to be addressed.

Common Causes

Now that you've discovered the first signs your oven is not heating up correctly, it's time to find the cause of the problem. Here is our recommended checklist for electric and gas ovens:

1. Defective electric oven thermostat.
2. Faulty electric oven element.
3. Broken gas oven thermostat.
4. Damaged gas oven burner or ignition electrode.

You'll Need

Once you've found the culprit, you'll need to find the correct replacement part. For this you'll need the following:

• Model and serial number - this will be found on the data badge on the cooker/oven.
• Owner's manual (optional).

Defective Electric Oven Thermostat

If you notice that your electric oven isn't heating up to the correct temperature and food comes out under-cooked, this many be caused by a defective electric oven thermostat.

Thermostats measure the temperature inside the oven cavity, switching the electric element on and off to maintain the desired temperature.

The Fix

Firstly, check that the temperature sensor isn't touching the oven walls, as this will affect the accuracy of the internal temperature readings. If it is, reposition so it isn't touching the wall and see if this helps.

If you're still suffering with the same issue, you'll most likely need to replace the whole thermostat. Luckily these are inexpensive parts that are around £10-£30.

Simply give our team a call on 02920 452 510, or email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com with your appliance model and serial number. Alternatively, input your details into the search bar above.

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Faulty Electric Oven Element

Is your oven not heating up at all, no matter which temperature you select? For fan ovens specifically, you may notice that cold air is being blown into the oven cavity. This is a sign that your electric oven element is faulty.

Electric oven elements are the part that generates heat and often glows red when it is switched on. If you find that your element is deformed, bulging or blown, it is time to find a replacement.

The Fix

There is an easy solution to this problem, you'll need to replace the complete element. Fortunately, these are around £8-£30.

Get in touch with our team on 02920 452 510, or email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com with your appliance model and serial number. Alternatively, use the search bar above.

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Broken Gas Thermostat

Similar to electric appliances, gas ovens also have thermostats that maintain a constant oven temperature by adjusting the size of the flame on the burner accordingly.

If your food is always under-cooked, you may need a replacement thermostat.

The Fix

Before purchasing a replacement thermostat, make sure you check that the temperature sensor isn't touching the inside oven wall. Simply adjust the position and test to see if this has fixed the problem.

Still not working properly? Then you'll need to replace the entire gas thermostat. Thankfully we supply a wide range of parts that start from just £25.

Simply give our team a call on 02920 452 510, or email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com with your appliance model and serial number. Alternatively, input your details into the search bar above.

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Damaged Gas Oven Burner or Ignition Electrode

For the more serious issue of your gas oven not heating up at all, you may have a damaged oven burner or ignition electrode.

When you set a temperature on the oven, you should hear clicks followed by the sound of gas igniting.

The Fix

If you don't hear the gas igniting and the clicking stops, you'll probably need to replace the ignition electrode. Luckily these are just £5-£20.

Should the issue continue, you may have a damaged oven burner. This can be a complex problem, so we would recommend you find a gas-safe registered engineer to take a look at your appliance.

For additional help, call our team on 02920 452 510, or email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com with your appliance model and serial number. Otherwise use the search bar above.

Buy Ignition Electrode

Haven't found the answer to your issue or need help sourcing a replacement part?

Give our spares team a call on 02920 452 510 or email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com with your appliance's model and serial number details.

Oven element

It's great having a cooker with two ovens: not only does it give you more space for big dinners, it also allows you to cook at two different temperatures simultaneously. If your top oven has a grill function, you can even grill one thing while oven baking another!

Of course, the downside of having another oven is having another thing that can break down. Sometimes the entire appliance will malfunction, putting both of your ovens out of action, but it's more common for just one of them to fail - not so totally disastrous, but still very frustrating when it happens.

Today, we'd like to focus on the bottom oven; if yours has stopped working, you may find the solution you seek below.

From here on out, we'll specifically be referring to ELECTRIC ovens. If your GAS oven has broken down, please see our previous troubleshooting post - My Gas Oven Won't Light.

Common Causes

There isn't just one reason your bottom oven might stop working, but luckily this checklist will let you check for the most common faults.

• Power supply
• Electric oven element or thermostat

Please note: we always recommend you use a qualified electrical engineer to diagnose and perform the repair to your appliance.

What You'll Need

Once you've found the defective cooker part, you'll need the following to find the correct replacement for your appliance.

• Model and serial number - this information will be found on a data badge on the appliance.
• Owner's manual (optional).

For further assistance, feel free to call our team on 02920 452 510, email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com, or use the search bar above with your model and serial number.

What to Do

Unfortunately there isn't a simple one answer fix to why your bottom oven may have stopped working. However, there are a few quick checks you can do to ensure a smooth repair.

Plugged In

Make sure it's plugged in. First of all, ensure that the appliance is plugged in properly and switched on at the wall.

Power Supply

Find out if any electricity is actually reaching the appliance. If the cooker isn't doing anything at all - if the clock is off, the lights aren't coming on, and neither the hobs nor the ovens are warming up.

The most likely problem is that no power is actually reaching the appliance.

Assuming that everything is plugged in and switched on, this is probably due to a faulty power supply - it might be that the plug itself is damaged, or that the cable is defective.

Alternatively, you may find that there's a loose connection at the rear of your cooker.

Need help finding the correct power supply for your appliance? Contact our team on 02920 452 510, email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com, or use the search bar above with your model and serial number.

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Electric Oven Element or Thermostat

Replace the broken part. If you've performed the three checks listed above and found everything to be A-OK, it's probable that one or more of the parts in your bottom oven need to be replaced. 

The most likely culprit is the oven element - that is, the part of the oven that actually heats up - but simply replacing this may not be enough to ensure that the problem doesn't happen again.

You need to ask why the oven element failed in the first place; for example, it could be that your thermostat broke, and your oven element overheated and failed as a result of this.

Looking for some extra help finding the correct part? Call our team on 02920 452 510, email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com, or use the search bar above with your model and serial number.

Buy Oven Element Buy Electric Thermostat

Good luck with your attempts to bring your bottom oven back to life, and remember: for safety reasons, you should not attempt any electrical repairs unless you are a qualified electrician!

Do you need help finding the correct replacement part for your appliance?

Give our spares team a call on 02920 452 510 or email us on enquiries@cookerspareparts.com with your appliance's model and serial number information.