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| Photo 1: Remove the old igniter Unplug the oven, lift out the burner cover and remove the screws that secure the igniter. |
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| Photo 2: Install the new igniter Disconnect the terminals and plug in a new igniter. Reinstall it. Tuck the wires back down and attach the igniter with screws. |
Solutions
If your gas oven won't heat, first look for simple problems. Make sure the oven is plugged in and there's power to it. If the oven light won't come on, check the receptacle for power. Our repair pro tells us he often “repairs” an oven by plugging it in or flipping a circuit breaker. He still has to charge for the service call. Ouch! If you have an older oven with a mechanical rather than a digital clock, check to make sure you haven't bumped it off the manual setting. This will keep it from coming on immediately. If these solutions don't work, check the lighting mechanisms before calling a repair service.
If your gas oven won't heat, first look for simple problems. Make sure the oven is plugged in and there's power to it. If the oven light won't come on, check the receptacle for power. Our repair pro tells us he often “repairs” an oven by plugging it in or flipping a circuit breaker. He still has to charge for the service call. Ouch! If you have an older oven with a mechanical rather than a digital clock, check to make sure you haven't bumped it off the manual setting. This will keep it from coming on immediately. If these solutions don't work, check the lighting mechanisms before calling a repair service.
There are three different mechanisms for lighting the burners in gas ovens:
1. Pilot lights. A pilot light oven has a small flame (pilot light) that must remain lit to ignite the burner. You can identify a pilot light oven by looking at the burner assembly, usually visible through the broiler drawer opening. You'll see a gas tube with a “thermocouple” mounted near its tip. The thermocouple is a small cylinder with a thin copper tube leading to it. If your pilot light is out, refer to your stove manual for lighting instructions, or call the local gas company. Few ovens now have pilot lights, and we won't cover repairs here.
2. Spark ignition. If you turn your oven on and normally hear clicking, you have a spark ignition pilot assembly. It's a pencil-shaped porcelain tube with a metal tip on one end and a wire running to the other end. Since it, too, is less common, we won't cover repairs here.
3. Glow coil igniters. If your oven has a glow coil igniter (the most common type), it will look similar to the ones shown in Photo 2. You can spot it at the rear of the burner (Figure A and Photo 1). When you turn on the oven, the igniter should glow brightly, signaling the gas valve to open and lighting the burner.
If the igniter is bad, it won't open the gas valve and your oven won't come on. If the igniter fails to glow, glows dimly or fails to light the burner after glowing for 30 to 45 seconds, replace it (Photos 1 and 2).
Start by removing the oven racks and lifting out the metal burner cover on the bottom of the oven compartment. Then follow the steps in Photos 1 and 2. Your oven may look a little different, but the procedure is the same. This is also a good time to clean out the little holes in the burner with a stiff-bristle brush.
Handle the new igniter carefully and avoid touching the dark gray element. Body oil will decrease the life of the igniter.
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| Figure A: gas Oven Details Look for the igniter at the back of the gas burner in the oven. |
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