Gas Stove Won't Light? 5 Fixes (Clicking, No Click, Gas Smell)
Quick answer: If a burner clicks but won’t light, it’s almost always wet, dirty or reassembled wrong. Dry it, clear the burner holes with a needle or paper clip, and make sure the cap sits flat on the right burner. Those are the first fixes GE Appliances lists. If nothing clicks at all, check the plug and the circuit breaker. And if you smell gas strongly, or the smell stays with every burner off, stop troubleshooting: get outside and call your gas company.
First: If You Smell Gas
A faint smell right after a burner clicked without lighting is normal. That’s the unburned gas from the burner you just tried. Turn the knob fully off, open a window, let it clear, then work through the fixes below. Connecticut’s utility regulator notes that a gas smell near an appliance may just be a burner valve left slightly open, which you can fix by turning it off.
A strong smell, or one that doesn’t fade with every knob off, is different. Treat it as a leak:
- Don’t flip light switches, use the phone near the smell, or strike a lighter or match.
- Leave the house and get everyone else out.
- Call the gas company or 911 from outside or a neighbor’s house.
What’s Wrong? Match the Symptom
| What happens | Likely cause | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks, but no flame | Wet or clogged burner, or a misaligned cap | Fixes 1–3 |
| Won’t light after cleaning | Water trapped in the burner holes | Fix 1 |
| Lights slowly or unevenly | Partly blocked holes, or a crooked cap | Fixes 2–3 |
| Clicks with a weak or no spark | Dirty igniter tip | Fix 4 |
| No clicking on any burner | No power to the stove | Fix 5 |
| One burner won’t click | Wrong knob or cap, or a faulty switch | Fix 5, then call for service |
| Keeps clicking after it lights, or when off | Moisture, or a knob not fully off | Fix 1, and push the knob fully off |
Fix 1: Dry the Burner
This is the most common cause, especially right after you’ve cleaned the stovetop or something boiled over. Water sitting in the burner’s holes blocks the gas, and the igniter keeps clicking without lighting it.
Turn off the stove and let it cool. Lift off the grate, burner cap and burner head, shake out the water, and let them dry completely. GE suggests air-drying them or setting them in a warm oven for 30 minutes. Put everything back and try again. It can take up to 10 or 12 clicks for a burner to light, so give it a few seconds before assuming it has failed.
Fix 2: Clear the Burner Holes
Grease and food boil-overs clog the small holes the gas flows through. With the stove off and cool, remove the grate, cap and burner head. GE recommends poking through the holes with a needle or a paper clip. Avoid wooden toothpicks, which can snap off inside a hole. Pay attention to the hole that sits closest to the igniter, since that’s the one that carries the first flame. Wash the parts in warm soapy water if they’re greasy, then dry them fully (Fix 1) before reassembling.
Fix 3: Seat the Cap Correctly
A burner cap that’s crooked, upside down or on the wrong burner stops the igniter from lighting the gas, and the flame comes out uneven. Most stoves have burners of different sizes, and a medium cap on a small burner won’t work. Each cap should match its burner and lie flat. Give it a light wiggle; it should settle into place and not rock.
Fix 4: Clean the Igniter
The igniter is the small white ceramic post with a metal tip beside the burner. When it’s coated in grease, the spark goes weak or jumps to the wrong place. Wipe the tip with a clean, dry paper towel, even if it looks clean, and press it down gently to make sure it’s seated.
Fix 5: No Clicking? Check the Power
The igniters run on electricity, so a stove that doesn’t click at all usually has no power. Check that it’s plugged in and that its circuit breaker or fuse hasn’t tripped. Then confirm you’re turning the knob to the Lite position. On a range, try the oven. If the oven works but none of the surface burners click, GE says the fix is a service call.
When to Call a Technician
If the burner is dry, clean and correctly assembled and still won’t light, or an igniter won’t click at all, the fault is usually an igniter, the spark module or the wiring. Those are parts swaps inside the appliance. The spark module runs on 120 V mains power, so the stove must be unplugged (or its breaker switched off) before anyone opens it up, and the gas supply shut off too. If you aren’t comfortable doing that, book a repair. And any gas smell that persists after the knobs are off is a job for the gas company, not a DIY fix.
If the stove has been giving you shocks rather than just failing to light, that’s a separate problem. See why a gas lighter or stove shocks you.
Need to Cook Now? Light It by Hand
A stovetop burner will light by hand while you sort out the igniter. The safe order is flame first, then gas: hold a lit long-reach lighter at the edge of the burner, then turn the knob to Lite. Full steps are in how to light a gas stove manually. A long lighter keeps your hand clear of the flame. A fuel-free piezo spark lighter works too and never needs refilling: start clicking it at the burner edge before you turn the knob, so the spark is already there when the gas arrives.
Never light a modern gas oven by hand. Most use a glow-bar igniter wired to a safety valve, and gas can build up in the oven while you try. The manual-lighting guide explains why.
FAQ
Why is my gas stove clicking but not lighting? The spark is working, but the gas isn’t reaching it properly. The usual causes are water in the burner holes, grease clogging them, or a burner cap that’s crooked or on the wrong burner. Dry it, clear the holes and reseat the cap.
Why won’t my gas stove light after cleaning? Water is still trapped in the burner holes. Take the burner head and cap off, shake out the water and let them dry completely, either overnight or in a warm oven for about 30 minutes, then reassemble.
Why does my stove smell like gas but won’t light? If you’ve just tried a burner, that’s the unburned gas from it: turn it off, air the room and fix the burner. If the smell is strong, or it stays with every knob off, treat it as a leak: leave the house and call the gas company from outside.
How many clicks does it take for a burner to light? GE says it can take up to 10 or 12 clicks. If it’s still not lit after that, turn it off, let the gas clear and check the burner.
Why won’t one burner on my gas stove light? If the others work, the problem is in that burner: wet or clogged holes, a misaligned or wrong-size cap, or a greasy igniter. If it doesn’t click at all while the others do, the igniter, its switch or its wiring needs a technician.
Can I use my gas stove during a power outage? The burners, usually yes, lit by hand with a long lighter. The oven, no. See the best flashlights for power outages for the rest of a blackout kit.