Cooking
Stove Repair: Burners, Elements and Igniters
When people say the stove is broken, they usually mean the burners on top. This page covers gas burners, coil elements and glass-top zones, and how to tell which kind you have.
Booking online works too. With the stove's model number in the form, we can check part availability before we come.
First the appliance and its location, then your contact details. We follow up to schedule.
What “stove” usually means, and how the top works
In everyday speech, a stove is the whole appliance, burners on top and an oven below, which is what the industry calls a range. This page sticks to the cooking surface. If the oven is the problem, see the oven page. If the whole unit is dead, go to the range page.
On gas models, each knob opens a valve that sends gas to its burner and closes a spark switch, which makes all the igniters click until the flame catches. Older stoves may use a standing pilot instead. A single burner that won't light is usually a cap out of place, a clogged port or a wet igniter.
Electric coil stoves plug each element into a receptacle block and control it with an infinite switch that cycles power on and off. Glass-top stoves hide radiant elements under ceramic glass. A coil that won't heat is often the element or its receptacle, while one that stays on high is almost always the switch.
- Gas sealed burners
- Gas open burners
- Electric coil
- Glass-top radiant
- Induction
- Standing-pilot gas
Stovetop symptoms and causes
Figure out whether your stove is gas, coil or glass-top first. The causes differ completely.
- One burner won't light, the others do
- Burner cap off-center, clogged ports, wet or cracked igniter
- No burner lights, all of them click
- Gas supply valve closed, regulator or supply problem
- Clicking won't stop
- Water in a spark switch after cleaning, faulty switch or spark module
- Yellow, noisy or lifting flames
- Clogged ports, cap misaligned, air shutter out of adjustment on open burners, wrong orifice after a conversion
- Coil element won't heat
- Element, loose or burned receptacle, infinite switch
- Element stays on high
- Failed infinite switch
- Glass-top zone won't heat
- Element, limiter, switch or control relay
Checks you can make on the stovetop
- Take off each burner cap, clear the ports, and set the cap back so it sits evenly.
- After a boil-over or a wipe-down, turn off the power and let the burners dry for several hours before trying again.
- Move a dead coil element to a working receptacle of the same size. If it heats there, the original receptacle or switch is at fault; if not, it's the element.
- On a glass top, look for a control lock and wipe off spills that can confuse touch controls.
- Check the breaker. Electric stoves use a double breaker, and gas stoves still need a working outlet for the igniters.
Before you touch anything: Turn off the power before unplugging coil elements or cleaning around igniters. If you smell gas that doesn't go away once a burner lights, turn off all the burners, leave the house and call 911 and Washington Gas from outside. A burned or melted receptacle is a fire risk; stop using that element.
When the stove needs a technician
- A burner won't light with a clean, properly seated cap.
- The igniters keep clicking after everything has dried out.
- An element stays on high or won't turn on at all.
- A receptacle looks scorched or an element sparks.
- The flame is large, yellow and noisy, or you smell gas.
A stove repair visit
On gas stoves the technician checks spark, gas flow and flame; on electric stoves, the elements, receptacles and switches are tested with a meter. Switches and wiring behind the control panel are reached from the back or by lifting the cooktop.
You'll hear what failed, get a quote, and approve it before any work begins. Gas connections are leak-tested after gas work. For rentals, the quote can go to the owner or property manager while the tenant lets us in.
Repair or replace your stove?
Burner parts, igniters, switches, elements and receptacles are usually quick, inexpensive repairs. A basic stove with a failed control board and plenty of other wear may not be worth fixing, and we'll say so.
For rental properties, a sturdy stove that's otherwise sound is usually worth keeping. If you do replace, confirm whether you need gas or electric, and whether the new stove needs a different outlet or gas connector.
Why Book Us for Stove Repair
Burners and elements tested properly
Spark, flame and resistance readings confirm which part failed before anything is replaced.
Gas connections leak-tested
Any gas connection we work on is checked for leaks before we leave.
Easy for landlords
The quote goes to whoever approves repairs, even when someone else lets us in.
See the Maryland neighborhoods and ZIP codes we cover, or request a stove repair.
Stove Repair in Houses, Townhomes and Condos
Garden apartments and rental houses around College Park and Hyattsville often have basic coil or gas stoves that get worked hard, while the postwar ramblers and split-levels around Silver Spring and Wheaton commonly cook on gas from Washington Gas. Landlords, property managers and tenants all call about stoves, so tell us who approves the repair when you book. Any gas connection we work on is leak-tested afterward.
How a Stove Repair Visit Works
Book the Visit
Let us know which burners, the oven or both are affected, and whether the stove runs on gas or electric.
Find the Fault
We test burner igniters or coil elements, infinite switches, the bake and broil circuits, and the gas connector where there is one.
Approve the Price
You get a clear diagnosis and a price. On an older stove, we'll say plainly whether the repair is worth it.
Fix and Check
Each burner is lit or heated and the oven brought up to temperature before we pack up.
Related Services
More appliances, brands and areas on this site.
Stove problems we repair
The stove faults we diagnose, from ignition and burner problems to elements, switches and controls.
- Not Igniting
- Burner Not Heating
- Gas Odor from Stove
- Uneven Heating
- Gas Burner Not Lighting
- Oven Section Not Heating
- Surface Element Not Heating
- Clock / Timer Not Working
- Control Panel Not Responding
- Oven Temperature Inaccurate
- Broiler Not Working
- Self-Clean Not Working
- Storage or Warming Drawer Not Working
- Stove Not Level
- Anti-Tip Bracket Not Installed
- Oven Door Problem
- Stove Moving When Using Oven Door
- Power Cord or Terminal Block Issue
- Burner Weak on One Side of Grate
- Oven Baking Lopsided
- Burner Indicator Light Stuck On
- Wrong Burner Igniting
- Yellow Flame on One Burner Only
- Oven Takes Long Time to Ignite
- Burner Cap Misaligned After Cleaning
- Broil Element Incorrect Position
- Gas Regulator on Stove Failing
- Pilot Light Out (Older Standing Pilot Stove)
- Thermocouple Failure
- No Power for Electronic Ignition
- Stove Top Porcelain Discolored
- Oven Temperature Knob Not Controlling Oven
- Burning Smell from Storage Drawer
- Burner Cap Cracked or Damaged
- Stove Top Surface Chipped or Cracked
- Broil Drawer Issue
- Gas Stove Will Not Self-Ignite at All
- Oven Not Responding to Controls
- Low Gas Pressure Affecting Stove Performance
Stove brands we service
Stove brands that come up most, with a few model notes, and then all the rest.
- GE Appliances stove repair
- Whirlpool stove repair
- Frigidaire stove repair
- Samsung stove repair
- LG stove repair
- Maytag stove repair
- Amana stove repair
- Kenmore stove repair
Where we repair stoves
Each area page adds notes on the stoves we see in its homes, plus its ZIP codes. Or book below.
More reading on stoves
Stove Repair Questions
The questions that come up most often. Anything not covered here, ask us when you call, or add it to the booking form's notes field.
Have a different question?
Tell us what make it is and what's going wrong. A few things can be settled over the phone, and anything else gets looked at during the visit.
Mostly. People say stove, manufacturers say range, and both mean an appliance with a cooking surface and an oven. We use the stove page for burner and element problems and the range page for problems with the whole appliance.
Usually water from a spill or from cleaning has gotten into a spark switch or around an igniter. Turn off the power and let it dry for several hours. If the clicking continues, the switch or spark module has probably failed.
Check that the cap is seated evenly and the ports are clear. If the igniter clicks but the flame doesn't catch, the igniter may be wet, dirty or cracked. Silence from just that burner suggests a broken igniter or a loose or damaged lead.
With the power off, swap it with a working element of the same size. If the swapped element heats, the problem is the original element; if not, the receptacle or switch is the more likely cause. Look for scorch marks on the receptacle.
Yes. When you book, tell us who will let the technician in and who approves the repair: the tenant, the owner or a property manager. We explain the fault and quote it before any work starts.