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Common-problems-with-a-gas-hob

Main problems with a gas hob

Often a gas hob is chosen for its looks rather than its functionality. It needs to look good in its surroundings and blend in with the modern decor. Nonetheless, there are still a few irritating problems that crop up from time to time, which we will highlight here together with some easy fixes.

Please Remember you are dealing with a volatile product (gas) and the fixes we suggest are simple ones without the need to call a gas engineer. If the fix goes beyond our suggestions then, to be on the safe side, you must call a gas safe registered engineer.

The gas burner doesn’t light up

There can a few reasons for the gas hob not igniting, from a restricted gas flow to a faulty ignition switch.

A few simple checks:

When you press the ignition you will notice a clicking sound as the spark is generated – power goes to the ignitor generating a small spark, at the same time a tiny flow of gas enters the burner, the spark ignites the gas, and Voilà you have a flame to cook with.

That’s when everything is normal. If there’s a fault it could be one of two things:

  • You hear clicking and can see the spark but fail to smell any gas, the problem is likely to be with the gas flow?
  • However, if you smell gas but fail to hear that familiar clicking sound, it looks like a faulty ignition?

Fixing both of these problems is quite easy, after which the hob should be functioning correctly.

  • Disconnect the hob from the electrical supply.
  • Remove the grate and burner cap.
  • Remove the burner grate lift off the burner cap.
  • Inspect if any debris is in or around the burner base.
  • Remove the burner base.
  • Thoroughly clean with hot soapy water and a stiff brush.
  • Use a sturdy (plastic) toothpick to gouge out any foreign objects in the burner holes.
  • Replace the above items.
  • Reconnect to the electrical supply and test to see if it works correctly.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need to replace the igniter. Check the meter to see if the gas supply lever is fully open.

Good hob management: This is cleaning down after each cook. Every food particle remaining will become baked into the burner after every cook and become harder to remove, if the time between clean downs is too long.

Electric burner not working

Electricity provides heat instead of gas in this instance.

Fault: Heating plates sometimes won’t heat up making cooking impossible.
Action: the element could be faulty and it isn’t much you can do about it other than calling a service team Ltd appliance engineer. It depends on the manufacturers whether a single burner can be replaced or it’s a new hob? So, be prepared.
Fault: Heat control is an issue when the knob is turned. Knob keeps spinning without raising or lowering the temperature?
Action: Switch connections lose or broken? check the grub screw that secures the knob to the shaft has not come loose. Tighten the grub screw to see if it resolves the issue? If broken phone the sales department of the manufacturers for a replacement part.
When the burner is turned on it trips the fuse.

Action: It could be an electrical fault causing this problem? Reset the fuse, if it trips out again it looks like the fault is an electrical one, and should be handled by a qualified electrician.

If you live in London, you can rely on serviceteam Ltd. We can provide highly qualified plumbers, electricians and gas engineers to fix all domestic emergencies. Visit https://serviceteam.co.uk for further information.

The gas stove won’t light

Clicking is normal after turning on the heat, however, if it’s continuous and persists there are a couple of reasons why:

  • Burner cap misaligned.
  • Burner Holes blocked.
  • The flame isn’t steady it flickers or the color is not blue, which indicates burnt food or dirt stuck in or around the gas jets.

Easily resolved, re-fit the burner cap in the correct position, clean the blocked holes with the help of a toothpick/paperclip, and clean the cooker surface with a recommended gas hob cleaner. Contact serviceteam to get you gas hob or cooker replaced now.