Fixing a Gas Stove that Doesn’t Ignite
Gas stoves are undoubtedly very advantageous, but you can hardly showcase any of your culinary prowess if you’re unable to light your stove. The problem of why is my gas stove not lighting remains to be one of the most commonly asked questions. You can solve all of your troubles through simple troubleshooting procedures that can fix your gas stove.
- Clogged feed
One of the most common reasons is my gas stove, not lighting clogged debris, which blocks the gas flow to the igniter. You’ll know this if you can see sparks, hear clicking sounds and smell the gas, but the flame won’t ignite. You can fix this quickly by lifting the grate off your burner cap and place the burner from your range top aside. Make sure it is cool before picking it up barehanded. You might need to untighten the two screws holding the burner in its place if your stove is of a newer model. A regular nut driver or socket wrench will be enough to do the job.
Take a look at the small hole at the back of the burner, which paves the way for the gas to the igniter. This can very easily get clogged by debris or grease. Clean it properly, wash the surroundings with warm soapy water and soak the burner base in vinegar or warm water overnight. Reinstall the burner, and you’ll have your problem solved.
- Loose connection
Another major reason for a stove not igniting is some connections getting loose on the top. This can commonly occur while cleaning or installation. If the wire that connects the igniter to the module isn’t properly secured, you’ll have problems lighting your stove. The very first thing to do is to unplug the stove from the wall or flip the breaker. Remove the grate, burner cap, and then the sealed burner base to have a clear look at the loose connections or disconnected wires. Reconnect the disconnected ones, secure the loosened wires, reinstall the sealed burner base, burner caps, and grate, and restore the stove’s power connection. This will solve your issue.
- Replacing the igniter
If all of the connections are secure and in place and cleaning the grease doesn’t solve your problem either, then you’re probably dealing with a faulty igniter. To be one hundred percent sure, shut off the lights and monitor the color of the sparks that come out of the igniter when you turn the knob. They should be blue-white; if they’re not, it’s time to replace your igniter. For a perfect replacement, check the model number of your oven and order an igniter replacement from the company or purchase it from a nearby hardware store.
For the replacement, disconnect the stove from the power and gas connection, lift the burner head from the stove, and put it upside down. Use a screwdriver to detach the wiring from the igniter, install the new one, and put back the burner base, cap, and grate. Resisted the power for the gas stove, and that should fix your issue of why is my gas stove not igniting.
- Faulty igniter wiring harness
If only one of the burners doesn’t receive the spark, but others are working normally, then it’s probably the issue of a faulty igniter wiring harness. Wire harnesses can get short out if a burning liquid boils over them, or they might have been stripped over time. For the replacement, turn off the gas, unplug the stove, and remove the grates and burners. After that, remove the control knobs, and remove the metal stovetop using screwdrivers. Just unscrew bolts and look underneath the panel by opening the oven door. After removing the front panel, you can easily put aside the top panel. After that’s done, pull the oven forward and pull the back panel aside as well, which will expose the wiring harness to you. Here, you’ll see two wires connecting to the back of the oven and the front of the stove. Take the back wire off using a plastic clip and free the other wire as well from the spark module terminal. After you’re done with this, pull the four switches of the gas valve shafts and thread the new igniter harness in its place. Reconnect the wires from the back and spark module terminal and put all the parts back in their designated places.