Troubleshooting an Oven Ignitor

Your oven needs a functional burner to ignite.

Like many gas-powered appliances, your oven uses an ignitor to light the burners. This ignitor is found inside the unit and works in conjunction with the pilot light. If the pilot is working and your oven still won't light, it's the result of a faulty ignitor. Even if you don't know much about kitchen appliances, you can take quick steps to troubleshoot and diagnose the problem.

Things You'll Need

• Steel wool
• Phillips screwdriver

Instructions

1. Turn your thermostat to a temperature above room temperature and check the furnace. If the pilot light isn't lit, the pilot light is the problem, not the ignitor. If the pilot light is on and the burners don't light, proceed to the next step.

2. Turn off your furnace via the main power switch located on the unit.

3. Slide the front panel from the furnace. Notice the metal rod next to the pilot light. This is the heat sensor. If it's dirty, it won't allow the burners to light.

4. Clean any soot or grime off the heat sensor rod, using steel wool.

5. Turn the power on and try the furnace again. If it still doesn't ignite, proceed to the next step.

6. Locate the ignitor in the furnace. This is the ceramic component near the pilot assembly. Check the wiring to make sure it's plugged securely into the ignitor. If it isn't, plug it in.

7. Try the furnace again. If it still doesn't work, you will need to replace the ignitor. You can do so by unplugging the ignitor wiring, removing the mounting screws and removing the ignitor from the furnace.

References

• Dave's Repair: Gas Oven Ignitors
• Appliance 411: Understanding Gas Oven Ignition Systems