Perhaps your oven isn’t heating up to the appropriate temperature. You can find this issue in some models of Whirlpool ovens. This article will go through steps to troubleshoot the whirlpool oven temperature not accurate issue and explain why it may be happening.

The accuracy issues may be due to the thermostat or vents being set incorrectly, which could cause the oven not to heat up enough, or they could also be caused by other issues, such as a faulty timer. 

The most common way to ensure that your oven is heating up correctly is by measuring air temperatures with an infrared thermometer.

What is an infrared thermometer?

An infrared thermometer is a device that you can use to measure temperatures remotely. Infrared thermometers have been used for years in industrial facilities and homes where temperature control is needed, such as floor heating, garage doors, and water heaters. In addition, infrared thermometers help monitor the temperature of remote areas of buildings.

A typical infrared thermometer works as follows: 

• When you place the infrared thermometer at a remote location and turn it on, it sends out a beam of invisible infrared light. 
• The infrared light then bounces off walls, objects, and other things in the room. 
• The infrared thermometer then reads the amount of reflected infrared light and converts it into a temperature reading.

How does an infrared thermometer work? 

An infrared thermometer has a powerful laser that projects a beam of invisible infrared light onto a measured object. A detector picks up the reflected beam, which converts the invisible beam into an electric signal. That electrical signal is then sent to a microchip calculates the object’s temperature. Finally, the temperature reading is displayed on a digital readout on the instrument.

Checking the air temperature inside your oven

The first step in troubleshooting is checking the oven’s air temperature. The air temperature inside your oven will tell you how much heat is being produced by it and if the range is working at all. Infrared thermometers can be used for this purpose.

You should be able to find a probe attachment for the IR thermometer in your local hardware store or online. Some thermometers come with a probe, but most will require one to be purchased separately.

To perform this test:

• Plug your oven into an outlet and set it to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or whichever temperature you want to test with nothing inside of it. 
• Then, using the probe attachment, check the air temperature in different areas of your oven. 
• The infrared thermometer should be level and touch the oven walls and the air inside.

Heating element test.

The electric oven’s heating element is a coil of wire that generates heat by conducting electricity. As this coil of wire heats up, it converts electricity into heat. When attempting to troubleshoot your oven’s heating element, you will still want to use an infrared thermometer to check the temperature inside your oven.

You will also want to check the temperature of the heating element. The thermometer is placed at each end of the heating element, and readings are compared to look for differences. If your oven is not heating up, check the resistance of the heating elements using an Ohm meter.

And if you are dealing with an electrical issue, be sure to turn off the power before performing these tests. According to electrical safety requirements, all circuit breakers or fuse boxes should be locked or taped in an off position when work is performed on or near them. This includes testing to see if your oven receives power when plugged in.

To perform this test:

• Remove your oven from the wall outlet and set it to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or whatever temperature you want to test) with nothing inside of it. 
• Then, using the probe attachment for your infrared thermometer, check the air temperature in different areas of your oven. 
• The infrared thermometer should be leveled, touching the oven walls and the air inside.

Timer test

Most oven timers are digital and display a series of dashes. This is meant to represent minutes on an analog clock, but if you press too lightly or not on this dot, it is possible to end up setting an incorrect time.

A digital clock will also work if you prefer to do the test with an oven timer instead of a digital watch or another device. In this test, you’ll be using your oven timer again. This time, however, it will not be off. 

• So first, you need to set the timer for 30 minutes to make sure that it won’t go off before you can make any changes.
• Then remove your oven from the wall outlet and set it to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or whatever temperature you want to test) with nothing inside of it. 
• Then, using the probe attachment for your infrared thermometer, check the temperature in different areas of your oven. 
• The infrared thermometer should be leveled, touching the oven walls and the air inside.

This test will compare your oven’s timer to a clock or digital watch. You want to ensure that the time displayed on your oven timer is 30 minutes less than a clock. Because digital timers are connected via electricity, they sometimes only run when plugged in.

If you suspect a problem in your oven’s thermocouples, you want to check temperatures at different points in the heating chamber with an infrared thermometer. This may help locate the problem within your oven and fix it more easily.

Typical oven thermocouples

Thermocouples are typically found in the heating chamber of gas and electric ovens. They are used to measure the temperature of whatever is being cooked. Thermocouples work by creating a small gap in a metal alloy, which allows electricity to flow through it. The thermocouple is then connected to electronic circuits, which convert the electrical current into a temperature reading.

In an oven, thermocouples control the heat by turning on and off various components of your stove. This is done through the thermocouple located in the oven’s heating chamber. For example, the heating element and thermocouple are turned on when you put food into your oven. This allows the elements to heat the oven, whereas a stove will stay hot even if it is unplugged.

You can check your oven’s thermocouples by inserting a probe into the heating element. Next, plug your oven into an outlet and set it to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or whatever temperature you want to test with nothing inside. Use an infrared thermometer to check temperatures at different points in your oven.

Less common oven thermocouples

Most ovens will have thermocouples in the heating chamber, but some may also have one in the broiler. If your oven is equipped with a broiler, you may want to test it by inserting a probe into the broiler element. Next, plug your oven into an outlet and set it to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit with nothing inside. Finally, use an infrared thermometer to check temperatures at different points in your oven.

For this test, you will require the temperature probe attachment for an infrared thermometer. Normally, thermocouples that measure oven temperature are used in the heating chamber. But sometimes, they have a second use—monitoring broiler heat.

This is important to note because if your broiler is not working correctly, but your heating chamber seems to be functioning properly, you might have a problem with your oven’s thermocouple. If this is the case, replace both thermocouples rather than just one of them if you test it and find a problem.

You will require the probe attachment for an infrared thermometer for this test. It is necessary since most ovens that measure temperature do not have a thermocouple in the broiler. Therefore, you need to insert the thermocouple into these. Most ovens use a thermocouple in their heating chamber, but they also have one additional broiler element that you may want to test.

You will need an infrared thermometer and probe attachment to test the heat in your oven’s broiler. 

• First, create a small opening by removing your oven rack from the top of your oven, then insert both probes into the broiler element. 
• Now, plug your oven into an outlet and set it to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit with nothing inside. 
• Check oven temperatures with an infrared thermometer.

Oven thermocouple location

You can use the probe attachment for an infrared thermometer to locate where an electric or gas oven’s thermocouples are located. The probe attachment should be able to determine this by being inserted into the element. If the thermocouple is attached, the reading on your infrared thermometer will start going up immediately. If not, you will need to continue looking deeper into your oven.

One thing to look out for with this test is that the probe attachment can quickly become dislodged if it is not inserted correctly. For example, if your thermocouple happens to be located too deep in your oven, then this probe can fall out before you even get a reading if it is not inserted correctly. Therefore, every time you use an infrared thermometer, you should double-check the probe attachment depth to ensure one end is more profound than the other.

As mentioned earlier, thermocouples are located in different places depending on your oven type. The temperature probe attachment for an infrared thermometer can help you find where your thermocouples are located. First, remove the oven rack from the top of your stove. Then, insert the probe attachment into the element and watch to see if it starts registering a temperature change.

This thermocouple is located in the heating chamber of an oven, usually towards the backside. It usually faces out toward the oven door on most residential gas stoves. Most gas stoves will have one thermocouple in their heating chamber.

Conclusion

This thermocouple can determine the temperature of your oven’s heating element. To do this:

1. Take a long wire and stick it into your oven’s heating element.
2. Ensure that the meter you use reads in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit since most ovens are designed to use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit.
3. If not, check the temperature in both units to see which one is correct.