GE Oven Bake Element Replacement - Signs & How-To

GE Oven Bake Element Replacement — What This Part Does

The bake element is the lower electric resistance heater inside the oven cavity. GE identifies it as the lower heating element used for bake operation. When you turn on bake mode, current flows through the element’s coil, generating heat that cooks food from the bottom up.

The element fails when the heating coil breaks internally (open circuit), shorts to the metal frame, or suffers physical damage from repeated heat cycling. Over time, expansion and contraction from normal use crack or blister the metal casing, and the element stops heating or heats only in sections. This is normal wear, not a control-system problem.

Jump to Replacement Steps

Signs It Needs Replacing

• Oven does not heat at all in bake mode The bake element stays cold when you select bake, and the oven cavity temperature does not rise.
• Element glows only in sections or unevenly Part of the coil glows red while other sections remain dark, indicating an internal break or weak spot.
• Visible cracks or blisters on the element You see cracked metal, warped sections, or blistered areas on the surface of the heating coil.
• Arcing or sparking from the element The element sparks or arcs during operation, a sign of internal shorting or exposed coil.
• Element is broken or separated The metal coil is physically broken in two or has separated from the mounting bracket.
• Oven heats unevenly or too slowly Food cooks poorly on the bottom, or the oven takes much longer than normal to reach set temperature.

How to Replace It

1. Unplug the range from the wall outlet or switch off the circuit breaker at the electrical panel.
2. Remove all oven racks from the cavity to access the bake element mounting screws.
3. Locate the two mounting screws holding the bake element to the rear oven wall and remove them with a screwdriver.
4. Pull the element forward carefully to expose the wire terminals on the back side.
5. Disconnect the two wire connectors from the element terminals, noting which wire goes to which terminal for reassembly.
6. Test the old element with a multimeter set to resistance: measure across the two terminals (a healthy element typically shows 15 to 50 ohms, while a failed element reads open circuit or infinite resistance), then measure from each terminal to the metal oven frame (any reading other than infinity indicates a shorted element).
7. Remove the old element completely and connect the two wire terminals to the new bake element, matching the original wire positions.
8. Push the new element back into position against the rear oven wall and secure it with the original mounting screws.
9. Restore power to the range, set the oven to bake at 350°F, and confirm the element glows red and the oven begins heating normally.

The Part You Need

Related Error Codes

If this part is failing you may also see one of these codes:

• Ge Oven F0 error code
• Ge Oven F1 error code
• Ge Oven F2 error code
• Ge Oven F20 error code
• Ge Oven F3 error code
• Ge Oven F350 error code
• Ge Oven F4 error code
• Ge Oven F5 error code
• Ge Oven F6 error code
• Ge Oven F7 error code

When to Call a Pro

If the oven still does not heat after you replace the bake element and verify it glows normally, the problem lies in the wiring, terminals, oven control board, or temperature sensor. Diagnosing and repairing those components requires tracing live circuits and testing control boards, work best handled by an appliance technician. Also call a pro if you are not comfortable working inside an electric range or if the wire terminals or internal oven wiring show burn marks or melted insulation. For gas line, burner, or igniter work, or if you ever smell gas, stop and call a licensed technician.