Stove burner not igniting
easy 15–45 min
Tools: toothbrush or small brush, straightened paperclip or needle, towel, screwdriver · Materials: replacement igniter if the ceramic is cracked
Steps
- Turn the burner off, lift the grate and the burner cap, and let everything dry if anything boiled over — a wet igniter clicks but will not spark until it is dry.
- Clean the burner ports with a brush and clear blocked holes with a paperclip; food in the ring blocks gas from reaching the igniter.
- Wipe the white ceramic igniter with a dry toothbrush; grease on it kills the spark.
- Refit the cap exactly — it must sit flat and centred, and a cap set slightly off is the most common reason one burner will not light.
- Turn the knob and watch: a blue spark that jumps to the burner means the igniter works and gas is the issue; no spark on one burner means that igniter or its wire; no spark on any burner means the spark module.
- If the burner lights with a match but not the igniter, the igniter gap or wire is the fault — a technician's job on most cooktops.
Stop and call a pro if
- you smell gas when the burner does not light — turn the knob off, open a window, and do not use the stove until it is checked
- the burner lights with a large yellow flame or the flame lifts off the burner
- the spark module or wiring needs replacing — that is behind the cooktop with the gas line
Rules in the Netherlands: Werk aan de gasaansluiting zelf is voorbehouden aan een erkend installateur; het schoonmaken van branders en ontstekers mag je zelf doen.
Rules in the US: Anything past the burner — the valve, the manifold or the connector — is licensed gas work in most states.
What a pro does that you can't
An appliance technician replaces the igniter or spark module, checks the burner valve, and tests the gas pressure and connections for leaks.
DIY cost: $0 for a clean; $15–40 for an igniter