Electric Stove Burners Not Working? Here’s What Usually Causes It
Nothing throws off dinner like turning on a burner and… nothing happens.
Just a cold coil staring back at you.
If that’s the case, no worries, we have made a simple breakdown for Toronto homeowners to help find the underlying causes.
Why Electric Burners Stop Heating
Electric stoves aren’t super complicated. Power goes in, the element heats up and shuts off occasionally to keep steady temperature - you cook your food.
If any part of that chain breaks, the burner stays cold.
From what we see around Toronto, here are the usual suspects:
The burner coil burned out
The switch behind the knob isn’t working
On older stoves, the little plug-in receptacle burned out
Wiring or connectors are loose or damaged
The stove isn’t getting the 240V power it needs
Let me walk you through each one.
1. The Burner Element Burned Out
This is honestly the most common thing.
The coil just wears out over time. It heats up, cools down, heats up, cools down - eventually the coil burns at a certain spot killing the continuity of the spiral.
What this usually looks like:
The burner suddenly stopped working
The burner heats up only in certain areas and not a full red lit spiral.
If it’s a plug-in coil, try taking one from another spot. If the “dead” one still doesn’t work anywhere, there is your answer.
2. The Burner Switch Isn’t Working
This is the part behind the knob that actually controls the heat.
If it burns out, the stove can still show that the element is turned on, but that burner won’t heat - or it will only heat on high, or it will heat up randomly without anyone turning it.
What people usually tell us:
“It works sometimes but not always.”
“It only gets hot on max.”
“The light comes on but the burner stays cold.”
That’s classic switch failure.
3. Older Insert-Style Stoves Have Burned-Out Receptacles
If you have one of those older stoves where the coils plug into a little socket, those sockets can burn out too. It's pretty common.
You’ll notice stuff like:
The burner doesn’t sit tight anymore
You see black burn marks
The burner only works if you wiggle it
Once the receptacle burns, that burner will act up until the part is replaced.
4. Loose or Burned Wires
Inside the stovetop, there are wires that connect everything together.
Sometimes they burn, sometimes they come loose, sometimes a connector melts.
If this happens, the burner loses power even though everything else seems normal.
5. Not Enough Power (240V Issue)
Electric stoves run on 240 volts. If the outlet, breaker, or wiring in the home drops one of the voltage “legs,” half the stove might stop heating while the other half still works.
What this feels like:
Some burners work, some don’t
Oven might also act weird
Breaker looks ON but is actually half-tripped
Sometimes the stove is totally fine — it’s the outlet or panel that’s the problem.
We encourage our customers and readers to be very careful when testing live power since an untrained person can cause himself a lot of harm or shorten the circuit.
When to Call Us
If you’ve tried swapping burners or checking basics and it’s still not heating, we can handle the rest.
Call us if:
A burner suddenly died
You smell something electrical
Burners heat only sometimes
More than one element stopped working
You aren’t sure if it’s the stove or your home’s power
We fix electric stoves across Toronto and Vaughan all the time. This is everyday stuff for us.
Why Toronto Customers Trust Us
We’re a small, family-run repair company. No tricks, no upselling, no pressure.
We show up, figure out what’s wrong, and get your stove working again.
Why people call us:
350+ 5-star reviews across all platforms
Every service call is waived with a repair
Same-day or next-day service
Warranty with every part replacement.
Fair pricing with no surprises
Book Your Stove Repair in Toronto
If your stove burner isn’t heating, let’s fix it so you can get back to making meals.