If your Brown oven broiler is not working, the broil element is the most likely cause. An electric broil element should glow red when heating, so inspect it for holes, blisters, or other visible damage and test it for continuity with a multimeter. If you have a gas oven, a weak oven igniter may glow for more than 90 seconds without lighting the burner, indicating that it needs replacement. The control board is another common cause because it supplies voltage to the broil element or igniter. For gas models, a faulty ignition module or damaged bake or broil spark electrode can prevent the burner from lighting or cause intermittent heating. Check the electrode for cracks or a damaged tip, and verify proper grounding and polarity if the flame lights but goes out. A defective temperature control thermostat is less common but can also keep the broiler from heating. Before testing electrical parts, disconnect power and follow proper safety procedures. Enter your Brown range, stove, or oven model number to find the exact replacement broil element, igniter, control board, or other part for your appliance.
01 - Brown Range/Stove/Oven Broil Element
The broiler element may have burned out. When the broil element is heating properly, it glows red hot. If the element does not glow red, this indicates that the element is not heating. Often, if the element has burned out, it will be visibly damaged. Inspect the broil element for holes or blisters. To determine if the broil element has burned out, use a multimeter to test the element for continuity. If the broil element does not have continuity, replace it.
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The igniter glows to ignite the gas in the burner assembly. To determine if the igniter is defective, observe the igniter as the oven is heating. If the igniter glows for more than 90 seconds without igniting the gas flame, this indicates that the igniter is too weak to ignite the gas. If the igniter is weak, replace it.
An oven's control board will often be used to send voltage to the broil element or the igniter. If the control board is defective, the voltage may not be sent to the component and the oven broiler will not work. You can inspect the board for signs of damage or a shorted component. You can also use a multimeter to test for voltage reaching the broil element or igniter after reviewing the appliance's wiring diagram.
For gas ovens using a spark igniter, a faulty ignition module could be responsible for the oven only heating intermittently, resulting in an inaccurate oven temperature. If you do not consistently see a spark near the bake or broiler burner tube when the oven is turned on, use a multimeter to determine if voltage is reaching the ignition module. If power is present, the ignition module is likely defective and will need to be replaced.
05 - Brown Range/Stove/Oven Bake or Broil Spark Electrode
For broil burner ignition an oven broiler burner spark electrode is used to ignite the gas. The electrode is a device that sits right next to the broil burner. It functions like a spark plug. As power is applied to it a spark jumps from the spark electrode tip to the to the electrode shield, igniting the gas. If the electrode is broken or worn out the spark may not occur. Visually inspect the electrode assembly for cracks in the porcelain housing or damage to the electrode tip itself. Be aware that a proper ground and the correct polarity of the incoming voltage to the range is necessary for the electrode control to sense... the presence of a flame once the burner is ignited. If the burner goes off after ignition check for proper ground and the correct polarity at the wall outlet.
06 - Brown Range/Stove/Oven Temperature Control Thermostat
The temperature control thermostat regulates the broiler temperature. If the thermostat is defective, it may fail to heat the broiler element. The oven thermostat is not repairable—if the thermostat is defective, you must replace it.