The humble oven is one of the most used appliances people have in their homes, so when they stop working, it can be incredibly annoying.
One of the major problems people have with their ovens is when the heating element stops working. Thankfully, replacing your oven element is quite a simple task if you have the right tools and you carefully do it.
All you need to do is carefully remove the old heating element and then install the new one in the exact same way as you take the old one out.
But before we explain how to replace your heating element, it’s important you make sure that your element actually needs to be replaced.
How Do I Check if My GE Heating Element Needs to Be Replaced?
The simplest way to work this out is to turn your oven on and then check if the element is bright red. If not, it needs to be replaced. If the heating element is only working partially or if it has noticeable cracks in it, then this is also evidence that it needs to be replaced.
Once you’ve determined your heating element needs to be replaced, you will need to purchase the correct replacement heating element for your specific GE oven. Most of the large appliance parts retailers will have the right model for you, and thankfully they aren’t that expensive to purchase.
Once you have the right replacement part, you can follow these 4 simple steps to install your new element.
This guide covers the following GE oven models:
P2B940SEJSS
JD630SFSS
JM250DFBB
JM250DFWW
JD630DFBB
JS645ELES
JS645FLDS
JS645DLWW
JS645SLSS
PGB935BPTS
PGB935YPFS
JB480SMSS
JGB660FPDS
JGB660EPES
JGB660YPFS
JGB450DEKWW
JB655FKDS
JB655EKES
JB480DMBB
JGB660SPSS
JB480DMWW
JB655YKFS
JGB645SEKSS
JGB660DPWW
JGB660DPBB
JB645FKDS
JB645EKES
JB655SKSS
JGB635REKSS
JB655DKBB
JB655DKWW
JB645RKSS
JB625RKSS
JGB635DEKBB
JGB635DEKWW
JB645DKBB
JB625DKWW
JB645DKWW
JB625DKBB
JB258RMSS
JB256RMSS
JB258DMCC
JB258DMBB
JB258DMWW
JB256DMBB
JB256DMWW
Step 1 – Preparation
- Turn the power off to your oven. You can do this by either unplugging your oven or, if that isn’t possible, turning the circuit breaker off.
- Once unplugged, you can open the oven door and remove the oven racks so you have access to the heating element. Once removed, place the racks safely out of the way.
- If your particular model of GE oven has a base cover, you will need to remove it and then place it safely out of the way.
- Before removing the old element, put on safety glasses and gloves.
Step 2 – Remove the Old Heating Element
- Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the two screws that hold the heating element in place. Once removed, place them somewhere safe for when you install the new heating element.
- Pull the heating element away from the oven wall slightly, and then disconnect the two wires that link the element to the oven. Make sure the wires don’t fall into the hole, so you can connect them to the new heating element.
- Once you’ve disconnected the wires, you can then remove the heating element and place it out of the way. You can now install your new heating element into your oven.
Step 3 – Install the New Heating Element
- Remove the new heating element from its packaging.
- Attach the wires to the new element (exactly how they were in the old one).
- Place the heating element into the correct position, and then screw the two screws that you removed earlier into place.
- You should now have a completely new and functioning heating element in your GE oven!
Step 4 – Test the New Heating Element
- Plug your oven back into the power socket or turn the circuit breaker back on.
- Turn your oven on to a high temperature.
- When your new heating element heats up, it might start to lightly smoke; this is the protective factory coating burning off and is nothing to worry about.
- If your new element is working correctly, it should be bright red and will reach the temperature you set it to.
- Once you’ve tested your oven, you can put the oven racks back in, and if your particular oven has a base cover, you will need to turn your oven off and wait for it to cool down before reattaching it in place.
- If your new oven heating element doesn’t work, then you will need to call a qualified technician to come and look at the oven, as you might have an electrical problem that needs to be fixed.