my oven takes way longer to preheat than it says, like 30 minutes to hit 350.

— asked by Jamie

Quick answer: The bake element is likely weakening but not fully dead. It's heating inefficiently.

Diagnosis

The bake element is likely weakening but not fully dead. It's heating inefficiently. Temperature sensor could also be off.

How to Fix It

Test the bake element. Unplug range. Access element terminals at back of oven. Measure resistance. Should be around 20-30 ohms. Significantly higher means it's failing. Replace it.

If That Didn't Work

Test the oven temperature sensor resistance at room temperature. Compare to chart in service manual. A faulty sensor gives wrong info to the control.

Heads Up

A slow-heating oven wastes a lot of energy. Do not rely on the preheat indicator. Always verify temp with a standalone oven thermometer.

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