Your stove is arguably the most important appliance in your kitchen, so when it isn't working properly or at all, it can have a huge effect on your life. Not only is it frustrating to be without it, but costs can rack up quickly as you're forced to rely more and more on takeout to feed your family. If you are planning on hiring a home appliance repair service to fix your stove, it can be helpful to have an idea of what has gone wrong before the repair technician arrives at your house.

Below you will find several common symptoms of failed gas stoves and their most likely causes. Once you have an idea of the problem, a professional can confirm your suspicions and get your stove running perfectly again.

A Note on Safety

If you intend to do any troubleshooting on your stove (and especially if intend to remove parts in the process), it is important to follow proper safety procedures. This means that you should disconnect power to your stove before conducting any serious troubleshooting steps. If the plug is in a particularly inconvenient position, cut power to the outlet from your breaker box.

Low Flame Regardless of Setting

Gas stoves produce a flame by passing a mixture of gas and oxygen through a burner disc and igniting the mixture with either a pilot light or electronic ignition. The intensity of the flame is controlled by adjusting a knob which controls the amount of this mixture that is allowed to reach the cooktop. Because of this method of operation, if any flame is produced at all, then you can safely rule out of the pilot light or igniter as the problem.

With ignition no longer a likely culprit, the next suspect is an obstruction in the fuel flow. You can check to make sure that the holes in the burner are not clogged, but if this is not the issue, then the problem probably lies with either the burner tube which carries fuel to the burner or the valve which controls how much fuel is allowed to enter the tube. If you are comfortable with DIY work, your stove's manufacturer likely has disassembly instructions that will allow you to check for these problems. If not, it's time to call in a professional.

Note that if all burners have a low flame, then you can rule out individual burners and valves. In this case, the issue lies either with the gas supply to the house or with the regulator for the stove.

No Flame at All

Ignition problems will generally result in no flame at all, and the type and source of the problem will depend on whether your stove uses electronic ignition or a pilot light. If the problem only occurs with a single burner, then you may not really have a problem at all. Check for obstructions in the burner, clean it thoroughly, and be sure to dry it out entirely. If this doesn't work, removing the burner to check for obstructions in the tube or valve is a good idea as well. If your stove using electronic ignition, check for faulty connections while you have the burner out.

If this fails to solve the problem, then you may have a failed igniter. You can attempt to replace the igniter yourself, but at this point, it is likely worthwhile to call a professional to fully diagnose the problem and avoid spending money on unnecessary parts.

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