Gas Oven Won't Heat Up? Here's What's Usually Going On

If your gas oven clicks, smells faintly of gas for a few seconds, and then never actually lights, a weakening igniter is almost always the reason. The igniter has two jobs: it has to glow hot enough to trip the safety valve that releases gas, and it has to ignite that gas. As it wears out over the years, it often still glows, but no longer gets hot enough to open the valve — so gas never flows and the burner never lights.

This is different from an electric oven that will not heat, which more commonly points to a failed heating element (you can usually see if an element is not glowing) or a faulty thermostat/control board.

Igniters are a wear item, not a sign anything was done wrong, and they are a fairly straightforward and inexpensive repair. We would generally recommend against attempting this one yourself, since it involves working around a gas line and voltage at the same time — this is a good one to have a technician handle.

If you smell gas strongly, or it lingers, turn off the oven, do not attempt any repair, and ventilate the area before calling us or your gas utility.