What Is a Heating Element?

A heating element is the resistance coil that converts electrical current directly into heat — the bake and broil elements in an electric oven, the coil under an electric cooktop burner, or the element that dries dishes in a dishwasher. Electric ranges typically have separate elements for baking and broiling, so one can fail while the other keeps working.

A failed bake element is often visible: a section of the coil that doesn't glow red while the rest does, or a visible blister, crack, or burn spot on the element itself. On glass-top electric ranges the element is hidden under the glass, so uneven heating or an error code is usually the first sign instead. (Induction cooktops heat with a magnetic coil rather than a resistance element.)

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if my oven's bake element is bad without opening it up?

Turn the oven to bake and watch the lower element through the door glass. A healthy element glows an even red within a few minutes; one that stays dark, glows unevenly, or has a visible crack or blister is failing.

Can one oven element fail while the other still works?

Yes — bake and broil elements are separate circuits on most electric ranges, so it's common for one to stop working while the other still heats normally. That's actually a helpful clue when diagnosing which component has failed.