Most ovens last 13-15 years, but signs like uneven heating, slow preheating, or control panel failures mean it’s time to consider replacement. Learn when repair makes sense and what to look for in a new model.
Oven Longevity: How Long Should Your Oven Last and When to Replace It
When you buy a new oven, a key home appliance used for baking and roasting food, typically powered by electricity or gas. Also known as a cooker, it’s one of the most used appliances in the house—and one of the most expensive to replace. Most modern electric ovens last between 13 and 15 years if they’re cared for. But that’s not a guarantee. Some fail after 8 years. Others keep going past 20. What’s the difference? It’s not magic. It’s how you use it, what parts wear out, and whether you fix small problems before they turn into big ones.
The real question isn’t just how long your oven lasts—it’s when it stops being worth fixing. A oven control board, the digital brain that manages temperature, timers, and settings can fail after 10 years. Replacing it costs between £150 and £300. If your oven is 12 years old, that’s a gamble. Is it worth spending half the price of a new oven just to get a few more years? Often, no. Then there’s the heating element, the coil inside the oven that gets red-hot to cook food. It burns out. It’s cheap to fix—under £50. But if you’re replacing elements every year, your oven is tired. It’s not the part. It’s the whole system.
Things like slow heating, uneven cooking, error codes, or sparking aren’t just annoyances—they’re signs your oven is running on borrowed time. A 20-year-old oven isn’t just outdated; it’s inefficient. New models use 20% less energy. That adds up over time. And if your oven’s control board is glitchy, or the door seal is cracked, you’re wasting money every time you turn it on. Repairing an old oven makes sense only if the fix is simple, cheap, and the rest of the unit is solid. Otherwise, you’re throwing good money after bad.
You’ll find posts here that break down exactly what kills ovens, how to test if your element is dead, whether replacing the control board is worth it, and what to look for in a new one. No theory. No fluff. Just real-world advice from people who’ve seen hundreds of broken ovens—and know when to fix them, and when to walk away.