WFI910H0AS Whirlpool Oven extremely slow heating and cools off

[psubsee2002]

Model Number

WFI910H0AS

Brand

Whirlpool

Age

1-5 years

About 2 years ago, we purchased a Whirlpool WFI910H0AS when we redid the kitchen.

It had worked well for the first 22 months, then 2 months ago, the oven started having problems heating up and maintaining heat.

Here's some of the things we noticed:

• When using "Bake", the oven heats extremely slow and doesn't always reach the set temp. While testing to write this post, it took almost 40 minutes to try to heat up to 350 degrees. It made it to 330 (on the console display) when it stopped increasing. In the past, it has reached the set temp but even when it did reach the set temp, the results were roughly the same
• The actual temp (by comparing to an oven thermometer) was reasonably accurate while it was still heating
• When the temperature (per the console display) peaked at 330 degrees, the console display did not change. At the same time the temp per the oven thermometer started dropping quickly. Within 20 minutes of hitting 330, it was down 250 degrees and was down below 225 10 minutes later (the display console still read 330)
• There are no error codes or any visible/audible indication from the oven that there is an issue
• Broil appears to work as expected (based on cooking results), but I have not verified temperature manually.
• The cooktop works as normal.

My wife mentioned that she remembers seeing a small spark in the bottom of the oven a few months ago, but the timing is unclear. I'm not sure if the spark happened before, after, or at the time the oven stopped working.

My original thought was a bad element, but since broil works (and the only element I see is on top away from the spark), I didn't think that was a problem. I don't have much experience troubleshooting appliances, so I'm not sure where to begin. But I am handy enough to tackle most simple fixes, so I'm not intimidated with trying to fix this myself. So any thoughts on what is wrong or how to begin?

 

[rickgburton]

The bake element and broil element work together in preheat and it sounds like the bake element is not working. Your range has a bake element. If you don't see it, it has a "hidden" bake element under the floor of the oven. You can check it for continuity from the back of the machine.

It's #14 in the parts diagram here: Whirlpool W10779716 Elmnt-Bake

 

[tys90]

Sorry to dig up an old thread but your problem sounds exactly like mine and I have the same model. Did you figure out what the problem was?