Gas Burner Won’t Light
Some people might argue that gas appliances are outdated and belong to the previous century, but we all love the sturdiness and efficiency of our gas cooktops or stoves. And sometimes, we may simply prefer “real” fire’s heat when we cook our meals. It is true, gas ranges and cooktops have a very small amount of weak points. The piping is normally incredibly sturdy – and gas leak is almost never a case. We would just like to remind you to call a gas company immediately if you detect a gas leak – this is not a subject of a DIY repair. There may be broken knobs, but another popular problem with the gas cooking appliances is a broken igniter. There may be other issues, which may prevent the burner from lighting, and we will list them in this article. Luckily if you have a simple issue with your igniter you can still use matches (check out this extensive manual on how to operate matches), but what if the igniter works just fine? In this case, you need to troubleshoot your burners urgently.
If your igniter is not clicking or there is no electrical arc
Firstly, lift the hood of your cooktop and make sure your igniter is clean
Sometimes there may be food remains or liquids that would prevent the igniter from working. Keep in mind that the gap between the igniter and the burner itself should not be larger than usual – make sure to check that the burner assembly is not misplaced.
The next step would be to check if your appliance has sufficient power supply
Sometimes, although rather rarely, the problem may be related to insufficient power, or the lack of power in general.
Check if your oven has lights on when you open the door – if it is not the case then your appliance might lack power in general. Make sure to check if your gas stove or cooktop is plugged in and that the circuit breaker hasn’t tripped.
Check parts for continuity
Unfortunately, the problem can be literally buried deep inside the guts of your gas range – one of the things to do would be to check the circuit for continuity. We would recommend to call a professional to do this, however you may do it yourself if you have the necessary expertise. Next, make sure to check the igniter itself for continuity and check the wires. Sometimes the igniter may be glowing but not producing the electric arc – in this case the igniter has to be checked with an amp meter by a qualified person. If the igniter is at fault, it has to be replaced.
If your igniter is working properly, but the burner doesn’t light anyway
Clean and check the burner
Often there may be a problem with your burner or with the gas supply. The first thing to do is to check and to clean the burner. Make sure there are no liquids on it, and there are no food remains on or inside your burner. Sometimes, the burner ports may be clogged.
Check the burner cap alignment. It should be located exactly in the middle of the burner, not too far from the igniter and not too close to it.
Is this the first time the burner is used or the gas supply was recently reconnected? In this case the problem can be caused by the air inside the piping of your appliance – turn on the burner for a short period of time and let the air out. Make sure there is no gas smell, since the problem may be not related to the gas supply after all.
Make sure there is no external cause
Sometimes a strong draft may prevent your burner from igniting.
Feel free to give us a call if you have diagnosed your appliance on your own, but failed to find the problem, or in case you want a trained technician to install a replacement part in your appliance!