3 Common Whirlpool Oven Control Board Problems – How To Troubleshoot?

Do you have a Whirlpool oven and the control panel is making the oven act crazy? Here are three common problems causing the F1 Error code… and what you can do to troubleshoot.

Your Whirlpool oven can work wonders and help you cook amazing meals. There are a lot of components involved in making that oven work, and all of them are coordinated by the oven control board. So, when that board is faulty, you’ll experience plenty of problems.

A problematic Whirlpool oven control board can prevent the appliance from turning on or off correctly. Besides that, you’ll also experience temperature control problems and other erratic behaviors. The oven will tell you that the board is not working correctly by displaying the F1 error code. At that point, replacing the board is your only option.

This guide will help you understand what it looks like when your oven control board stops working correctly. You’ll also discover what other possible causes to rule out before you look at the control board as the likely cause.

What Is An Oven Control Board, And What Does It Do?

First, it’s helpful to understand what the control board is and what it does for your Whirlpool oven. That will help you understand its problems much more effectively.

The oven control board is basically the ‘brain’ of your Whirlpool oven. It’s a printed circuit board with electrical and electronic components attached to it.

Those components work together to coordinate all your oven’s functions, whether that’s to bake, broil, or perform any other cooking tasks. 

The board takes any input you provide to the oven through its controls and then sends electrical signals and power to the relevant oven components.

Given how central the control board is, any minor or major problem that occurs to it will cause your oven to malfunction overall. As you’ll see below, a problematic control board will cause issues that prevent you from using the oven to perform your regular cooking tasks.

However, you should only check the control board last when you troubleshoot your oven for problems. While it can cause the issues you’re experiencing, it’s essential to rule out minor, more likely causes first.

Then, once you’ve ruled out all other possibilities, replacing the oven control board typically solves the issue and gets your oven running normally again.

Read: Whirlpool Oven With Locked Door E2 F3. What Is It And How To Unlock It?

What Are Common Whirlpool Oven Control Board Problems?

When your Whirlpool oven control board stops functioning correctly, it’ll cause one or more of the following issues:

1. Oven Not Turning On/Off

One of the first and most common oven control board problems that you’ll experience is a failure to turn the oven on in the first place. The display will remain blank, without any information or lights appearing when you turn the appliance on.

You’ll know that the control board is to blame for this after you’ve diagnosed the oven and checked for other incoming power problems. That includes checking the following:

• The oven’s power cord and plug
• The wall socket you plug the oven into
• The circuit breaker protecting the oven’s circuit

Suppose you troubleshoot those three points and find that everything is working as it should. In that case, the likelihood is high that your oven control board is the issue.

On top of that, the faulty board can also prevent you from shutting the oven off. That can be dangerous if the oven refuses to stop heating. 

If that happens to you, the only temporary solution is disconnecting the oven from its power source or shutting it off at the circuit breaker.

Read: Why Oven Not Cooking Evenly?

2. Temperature Control Problem

Another way that a problematic control board can affect you is that it causes temperature control issues inside your oven. More specifically, the oven fails to achieve and maintain whatever temperature you’ve set for your cooking task.

A faulty board will cause the oven to either overheat or not heat up sufficiently.

Of course, you’ll want to rule out other possibilities first. In this case, check and rule out these components first:

• The temperature sensor
• The heating element

Suppose those components are still in excellent working order, yet your appliance has temperature control problems. In that case, the most likely culprit is the oven control board.

You or a qualified technician must inspect the oven control board to look for problem signs.

Read: Oven Cooling Fan Noise. What Causes And How To Fix It?

3. Erratic Oven Behaviors

Earlier, you read that the control board is where the oven processes all your inputs and coordinates the oven components to carry out your instructions. As such, even the tiniest problem on that board can lead to erratic behaviors throughout the oven.

More specifically, a problematic board will cause the oven to do weird and unexplainable things like:

• Flashing its warning or indicator lights randomly
• Turning on and off without any input from you
• Suddenly shutting off while you’re using the oven
• Other unusual behaviors that you can’t find explanations for

These unusual behaviors can result from other problems like power supply disruptions. However, once you rule those out, you must troubleshoot the control board instead.

You’ll likely find that one or more of the components on the board have signs of damage, like burn marks due to electrical faults.

Read: Why Frigidaire Oven Door Is Locked. How To Unlock?

F1 Error Issue

As the oven control board experiences problems, it’ll likely also try to communicate those problems to you. Whirlpool models, in particular, will display the F1 error code when it senses that their board has become problematic.

Still, you must remember that the code by itself is not a confirmation that the control board isn’t working correctly. So, you must try to clear the code by resetting the oven.

You can do so very quickly by power cycling the unit, following these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the oven from its power source or switch its circuit breaker off.
• Step 2: Leave the oven alone for at least 60 seconds. Any retained electricity inside the oven will dissipate naturally and clear the error code.
• Step 3: Turn the oven back on and test it while keeping an eye out for the F1 error code.

Resetting the oven will allow you to see if the error code persists or disappears before coming back shortly after.

If the code reappears and it’s accompanied by other symptoms, you likely have a problematic control board on your hands.

Read: Top Reasons Why Gas Smell Coming From The Oven When Preheating

How Do You Fix A Faulty Whirlpool Oven Control Board?

The most practical solution to fix your problematic oven control board is to replace it with a new one.

In some cases, it’s technically possible to replace only the affected component on that board. However, sourcing a replacement for that component will be incredibly challenging.

On top of that, finding a technician with the specialized tools and knowledge to perform those control board repairs is yet another significant obstacle in your way.

The quickest way to get your oven operational again is to purchase a whole replacement board. You’ll find that buying complete replacement boards from the manufacturer is much easier than any other possible option.

Final Thoughts

The control board is the most central component inside your oven. It’s responsible for taking all your inputs and ensuring that the appliance carries out your instructions to a tee. As such, a problematic control board will affect your whole oven and prevent it from working correctly.

That board can prevent the oven from turning on or off correctly. It can also lead to temperature control problems, erratic behaviors, and trigger the F1 error code. When you rule out all other possibilities and confirm that the board is to blame, you must replace it with a new one.