My stove burners won't light

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
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Serious question here. All four used to work, then they all stopped, and the landlord came by and got two of them going again. Now those two don't light. I can hear and smell gas from any one of them, but none of them ignite.

Is there anything I can do to get them going? I'm trying to cook dinner.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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make sure to allow the gas disapate before lighting the burners, but YES, you can use a match to light gas burners when the electronic igniters fail.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
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Originally posted by: BoomerD
make sure to allow the gas disapate before lighting the burners, but YES, you can use a match to light gas burners when the electronic igniters fail.
From the description, he has no electric igniters. He has pilot lights. Typically there is one pilot light per side (i.e. one pilot for two burners).

He just needs to open the top of the stove and re-light the pilots. I've been doing that since I was 8 or so.

ZV
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,555
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That could indeed be the case...may be more of a problem than that, if the pilots keep going out.
 

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
15,945
11
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Thanks guys, now I'm cooking with gas :D

Zenmervolt, I will take a look at that tomorrow perhaps. I'm too caught up in the power ballad thread.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
44
91
Originally posted by: sm8000
Thanks guys, now I'm cooking with gas :D

Zenmervolt, I will take a look at that tomorrow perhaps. I'm too caught up in the power ballad thread.
Here's a quick way to tell if you have electric ignitors or not: Electric ignitors will have a small stick of metal that is next to the burner (very close to it). This is given an electrical charge when you first turn the gas on and it will generate several sparks until the burner catches. When functioning, electric ignitors make a distinctive "click-click-click" sort of sound. You can check for the electrode by the burners.

Good diagram showing a generic stove with typical pilot light locations. The "top pilot adjustment screw" adjusts the amount of gas going to the pilots, if they are going out often, you may be able to just turn the adjustment screw up a little to keep them lit.

ZV
 

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
15,945
11
81
Thanks! I do hear clicks when they work, so I will give that a look after things have cooled down.