Top-rated independent appliance repair across the Southeast
Gas Burner Won't Light
If one gas burner won't light, start with a clogged port or a dirty igniter on that burner; if all of them quit at once, look at gas supply or power. You turn the knob, hear gas hissing, get click, click, click and nothing. Or maybe no clicking at all, just a smell that makes you shut the knob off fast. Below is how to tell the two apart, plus what's safe for you to touch and what isn't.
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What the symptom is actually telling you
A gas burner needs gas at the port, a spark or flame to light it, and a clear path for both, all at the same moment. When one burner won't light but the rest do, the trouble is almost always at that burner, either a clogged port or a dirty igniter. When every burner clicks and none catch, think gas supply or the spark module. When nothing clicks anywhere, that points at electrical, since the igniter needs power even on a gas range. Notice whether you smell gas. That one detail splits the diagnosis in half. Does the range still light with a match? Then you have spark trouble, not gas trouble.
Cause one: a dirty or wet burner (start here)
This is the most common and the cheapest. Boil-overs leave sugar and grease in the burner ports. Atlanta humidity keeps spills damp longer than you'd think, and moisture under a burner cap stops a spark cold. Symptoms: clicking that never catches, a flame that lights on one side only, a lazy yellow flame where you expect blue. Pollen season adds fine dust that settles into open ports on a range nobody used all summer. Cleaning the cap, the head, and the little ceramic igniter tip fixes a surprising number of these calls before anyone needs a part.
Cause two: igniter or spark module
Each burner has a small ceramic igniter that throws the spark. They crack, they carbon up, and they weaken with age. Signs of a failing one: clicking that sounds weak or uneven, a burner that takes ten seconds to catch while the others go instantly, or clicking that keeps going after the flame is lit. If all burners click together when you turn just one knob, the spark module is usually the suspect. On models with a glow bar instead of a spark, you get no clicking at all, just gas and no light. Both are technician parts, not cleaning jobs.
Safe checks you can do right now
Turn the knob off and let any gas clear before doing anything else. Then confirm the range is plugged in and the breaker hasn't tripped, because no power means no spark. Once the cooktop is cool, lift off the burner cap and look for crust in the ports. Wipe the cap and burner head with a damp cloth and dry them fully. Clear the small igniter tip gently with a dry toothbrush. Check whether other gas appliances are working; if the water heater is out too, the problem is your supply, not the stove. Stop there. Don't remove the cooktop, don't touch gas lines, and don't force a valve.
What we do differently on a service call
We test for spark voltage at each igniter and read the module output instead of guessing by ear. We verify gas pressure at the manifold and inspect the safety valve on burners that have one. Port openings get measured and cleared properly, and we check the orifice size against the fuel type. A range converted from natural gas to propane, or the reverse, will misbehave forever until that's right. We also look for what homeowners can't see: chafed igniter wiring, a spark electrode sitting at the wrong gap, a warped burner head. Then every burner gets tested before we leave. Call us to get on the schedule.
Gas Burner Won't Light — fast answers
Is it safe to light the burner with a match until it's fixed?
For a short stretch, usually yes, as long as gas flows normally and there's no gas smell with the knob off. But a burner that won't spark often has a second issue behind it. Get it looked at rather than living with matches.
Why do all my burners click when I only turn on one?
That's typical of a spark module problem or a shorted igniter feeding back through the circuit. Often one wet or cracked igniter sets off the whole group. A technician isolates which one.
I smell gas but the burner won't light. What now?
Shut the knob off and open windows. If the smell lingers or is strong, leave the house and call your gas utility first, before you call us. We'll handle the repair once the gas side is cleared.
How it works
- Step 1
Tell us the symptom
Call us or fill out the form. Describe what the machine is doing: the noise, the smell, the error code. Brand and rough age help us load the right parts.
- Step 2
We schedule a window
Metro Atlanta traffic is real, so we book arrival windows that hold up. You get a heads-up before the technician rolls out, and we work around your day where routes allow.
- Step 3
Diagnose, then repair
The technician tests the unit, finds the failed part, and explains what's wrong in plain words. You approve the work before anything gets replaced. Most common parts ride on the van.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quote before work starts
Why homeowners call us
- Built for Southern humidityDamp air punishes appliances. Dryers take longer, gaskets grow mildew, ice makers sweat and freeze up. We see these patterns weekly, so we check for them instead of chasing the obvious part first.
- Pollen-season know-howSpring coats every condenser coil in yellow film. A fridge that struggles in April often just can't shed heat. We clean it, test airflow, and tell you what actually failed versus what was choked.
- Six states, one teamGeorgia and the states around it. Same intake and same diagnostic approach whether you're inside the Perimeter or two hours out, with the same clear explanation at the end. One call reaches the whole service area.
- All major brands, independentWe are not tied to any manufacturer. We service what's in your kitchen and laundry room regardless of badge, and any repair-or-replace recommendation comes from the machine itself, not a brand relationship.
- All major brands, gas & electricOne independent crew for Whirlpool, Samsung, GE, LG, Maytag, Bosch and more.
- Straight answersNot worth fixing? We say that out loud, and often it saves you the visit fee.
About this guide
If the safe checks didn't fix it, the fault is real
Tell us what you tried and what it did. The booking itself takes a minute.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quotes
- All major brands
- Gas & electric
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