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Some time ago, the bottom heating element of the oven burnt. I replaced it. From there, the temperature can not rise to the assigned target (350° F). It stalls at around 200 and it is very slow to reach it. I thought that the element was the culprit but the vendor rejected the return and told me that the electronic board could have burnt too and that I should check that I get 240V at the element connectors. So I borrowed a multimeter and tried various things:

The continuity test around the element is ok. I get 0V when starting the Bake function. However, the temperature slowly rises, which puzzles me since I get 0V. If I test the top element I correctly get 240V when starting the Broil function. Can I safely consider that the electronic board is the culprit and purchase a new one?

Why is the temperature still rising slowly while I read 0V around the element?

The oven is a Whirlpool model YWFE745H0FS1.

Thanks helping me understand what happens.

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Why is the temperature still rising slowly while I read 0V around the element?

Most likely, your oven preheats with both elements. Usually they alternate so you should hear the "click" sound of a relay as this happens, perhaps every 15 seconds or so. If the bottom one is not working, you'll still get some heat from the top one but not as much, hence the slow warmup. It should be easy for you to confirm this is what is happening.

Once the oven considers warmup done, it will switch to bottom element only and no longer heat at all. Again, easy enough to check if you let it run for an hour or so.

Can I safely consider that the electronic board is the culprit and purchase a new one?

Safely? No. Nothing is certain when troubleshooting. But it's a reasonable guess and the next most likely culprit. But because of the cost of these, you should first check the wiring between the element and the control board, or simply check the voltage at the exit of the control board. Make sure there are no fuses there which might have blown. It's not fun to buy a $150 part and then find out it was a $1 part you really needed.

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    You're right. I was able to see that it preheats with the top element also. So as you suggested, I checked the voltage at the control board exit. It's 0V. I also checked the only fuse there is, a thermostat security, and its continuity is fine. So I guess the board is the one that is faulty... And unfortunately, it doesn't cost 150$. It costs ~400 CA$!
    – Nicolas Cadilhac
    Commented May 17, 2023 at 19:39
  • @NicolasCadilhac that's an even bigger ripoff than I expected. It might be worth trying to fix it yourself. Or finding someone locally to make the attempt if you don't have the tools and skill. As broil is still working, you probably just have a dead relay in there.
    – Olivier
    Commented May 17, 2023 at 19:56
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    One of the great disappointments (for me) of contemporary life is that fixing things is often more expensive than buying a new item. I bought a bunch of replacement parts for a charcoal kettle grill and once I had it fixed, I realized I spent more than what a new one costs. So deflating.
    – JimmyJames
    Commented May 17, 2023 at 20:29
  • @JimmyJames It is economy of scale. Making and shipping 100 parts in bulk to a manufacturer is way cheaper logistically than creating a way for you to purchase individual parts across multiple countries. You then have to deal with defects, damage, fraud, etc. The alternative is you DIY as many of the parts as possible, but that is quite a bit more advanced, and there's definitely risks involved.
    – Nelson
    Commented May 18, 2023 at 3:12
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    @Nelson economy of scale is only a part of it. I dare say not the most important one. In many areas, replacement parts that are made by 3rd party are much cheaper than the originals, and of the same quality. If scale was the deciding factor for price, that wouldn't be the case.
    – Mołot
    Commented May 18, 2023 at 11:55

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