What to Do When a Stove Burner Won't Heat or Light

Quick answer

A stove burner not working is often caused by a burner part that isn’t seated properly, food or water spilled into a gas burner, a tripped breaker, or a control that isn’t fully set. On gas stoves, start by making sure the burner cap and base sit flat and are clean and dry. This guide is for beginners with an electric coil, smooth-top or gas cooktop who want to try safe checks before calling a qualified technician.

Safety first

• Gas smell means leave. If you smell gas (often a rotten egg odor), don’t touch the knobs, flip light switches, use a phone inside or light anything. Leave the home and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
• Keep a carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless gas a burner can produce when it burns poorly. A working CO alarm on each level of the home warns you before you notice symptoms.
• Work only on a cool cooktop. Burners, grates and glass tops stay hot long after they’re turned off.
• Cut power before handling parts. For anything beyond turning the knobs, switch off the range’s circuit breaker if you can’t safely reach the plug.
• Never touch gas lines or valves, and never remove the cooktop surface, control panel or wiring covers.
• Stop using a cracked glass cooktop. A crack can expose electrical parts underneath.

Before you begin

Check which burners are affected. If one burner fails but the others work, the cause is usually local to that burner. If nothing on the range works, start with power and the gas supply.

Find the model number on the rating label, which is often under the cooktop lid, inside the oven door frame or behind the storage drawer. Download the owner’s manual from the manufacturer’s support site. Manuals show how your burner parts fit together and how to clean them, and that varies by brand and model.

Finally, check for a control lock. Many smooth-top ranges have a lock that disables the cooktop, shown by a padlock icon or a word on the display.

Possible causes

Things you can check yourself:

• A tripped breaker, or a range that came unplugged when it was moved
• A cooktop control lock that’s turned on
• On gas: a burner cap or burner base that’s crooked or upside down
• On gas: food, grease or water from a boil-over blocking the burner ports (the small holes the flame comes out of) or wetting the igniter
• On electric coil models: a removable coil that isn’t pushed fully into its socket
• A knob that isn’t fully turned to the right setting, or a knob that slips on its post

Problems that need a technician:

• A worn igniter or spark module (the parts that make the clicking spark)
• A failed coil element or a bad burner socket on coil models
• A failed element, sensor or switch under a glass cooktop
• A faulty burner control switch, valve or wiring
• Any problem with gas pressure, gas valves or the gas line

Safe checks for gas and electric burners

1. Check power. If the display or other burners are dead, look at the breaker panel. A tripped breaker sits in the middle; switch it off, then on. Gas ranges also need power for the igniters, so a gas burner may not click or light while the range has no power.

   Is the burner working now? If yes, you’re done. If the breaker trips again, stop and call a technician. If not, keep going.

2. Turn off the control lock if your cooktop has one, following the manual. The method is usually holding a button for a few seconds.
3. Gas: let it cool and look at the burner. With the knob off and the cooktop cool, lift the grate. The burner cap (the flat metal disc on top) should sit perfectly flat and centered on the burner base below it. A cap that’s even slightly tilted can stop the burner from lighting or give an uneven flame.

   Was the cap off-center? Reseat it, then try the burner. If it lights with an even blue flame all around, you’ve fixed it. If not, go to step 4.

4. Gas: clean and dry the burner parts. Many manuals let you lift off the cap and base for cleaning. Wash them in warm, soapy water, rinse and dry them fully. Clear the ports only with the method your manual recommends; avoid wooden toothpicks, which can snap off inside. Wipe around the igniter gently with a dry cloth. Let everything dry completely, even overnight after a big boil-over, then put the parts back exactly as the manual shows.
5. Gas: try it once. Turn the knob to Lite or High and listen for clicking. If it clicks and lights within a few seconds, you’re set. If it clicks but doesn’t light, turn it off and wait a few minutes before one more try.

   Still clicking but no flame, or no clicking at all? Turn it off and call a technician. Don’t keep the gas on while it clicks, and don’t try to light it with a match.

6. Gas: watch the flame. A healthy flame is mostly blue and even around the burner. Large yellow or orange flames, flames that lift off the burner, or soot on pans can mean a burning problem. Stop using that burner and call a technician or your gas utility.
7. Electric coil: reseat the coil. With the range off and cool, and only if your manual says the coil lifts out, raise the coil slightly and pull it straight out of its socket. Check it for breaks or bubbles, then push it firmly back in until it sits level. If one coil fits several sockets, you can swap it with a working one of the same size to see whether the problem follows the coil. Never touch a hot coil, and don’t use a coil with visible damage.
8. Smooth-top: check the setting and the surface. Make sure you’re turning the right knob or pressing the right zone. Some burners have two sizes; check the zone setting. A hot-surface light that stays on after use is normal.

   No heat after these checks? It’s time for a technician.

When to stop and call a qualified technician

• You smell gas at any point (leave first, then call your gas utility or 911 from outside)
• A gas burner clicks but won’t light, or won’t stop clicking after it’s clean and dry
• Flames are mostly yellow, uneven after cleaning, or cause soot
• An electric burner stays dead after reseating, or a coil looks damaged
• A glass cooktop is cracked, or a zone won’t heat or won’t turn off
• The breaker trips, or you notice sparks, smoke or a burning smell

Contact the manufacturer’s service network through its support site, or a qualified appliance technician. For other signs that mean stop now, see our appliance warning signs guide.

FAQ

Why does my gas burner keep clicking after it lights?

Often there’s moisture or food residue around the igniter, or the cap isn’t seated straight. Turn the burner off, let everything cool and dry, clean as your manual describes, and reseat the cap. If the clicking continues, call a technician.

Is it safe to light a gas burner with a match?

This guide doesn’t recommend it. Some manuals describe a method for power outages, so follow only what your own manual says, and never try it if you smell gas.

Why is my gas flame yellow instead of blue?

A yellow or orange flame can mean the burner isn’t getting the right mix of air and gas, which can lead to soot and carbon monoxide. Make sure the cap is seated and clean, and if the flame stays yellow, stop using it and call a technician or your gas utility.

Can I use one burner if another one is broken?

If the problem is limited to one burner, there’s no gas smell and no burning smell, you can usually keep using the working ones. Stop using the whole range if you notice sparks, smoke, a gas smell or a cracked glass top.

My oven also stopped working. Is it the same problem?

It could be, especially if you lost power or gas to the whole range. Work through our oven not heating checks, and browse other oven and stove guides.