Cooking on a
gas-fuelled
range holds several distinct advantages over using its electric
counterpart. For starters, you have significantly more control over the
temperature of your cooking surface. When you turn off the heat on a gas range,
it’s simply gone, unlike on an electric cooktop, where the element is no longer
powered, but the residual heat takes entire minutes to dissipate. However,
cooking with gas does come with some potential drawbacks as well. One of the
most common problems that owners of gas stovetops encounter is a stubborn
burner that refuses to light with the normal ignition procedure. When this
happens, there are a few potential causes, and several possible solutions. Whether
you decide to attempt a gas appliance repair on your own or opt to enlist the
help of a professional appliance repair technician will ultimately come down to
your preference between financial savings and risk reduction.
Save Money
Taking on any home repair job has the potential to save you
money over booking a service call with an appliance technician, and if you have
the aptitude and attitude, there are a few things to keep in mind before
tackling the job of fixing your gas range. For starters, always make sure that
you unplug your stove before working on anything. The combination of gas and
the significant potential for ignition presented by electrical work is an
obviously dangerous one. Once you have ensured that there is no electrical
current running to the stove, make sure you can’t smell any gas. If the burners
are all off, you should not smell any. If you do, either because a burner is
on, or there is a leak somewhere, immediately turn off the gas line leading to
the stove and clear the area to allow it to properly ventilate. If there is no
gas odour in the room, proceed to check the pilot light, clean the ignition
system, remove and inspect the burner assembly and so on until you’ve found the
problem and fixed it.
Peace of Mind
Some people are nervous enough about having open flames as
part of their everyday cooking routine, let alone the notion of working on a
combination of gas lines and electrical cords and cables. There’s no point in
downplaying it – there are very real risks associated with working on a
malfunctioning gas
appliance. With proper care and preparation, those risks can be mitigated,
but one of the surest ways to get the most peace of mind possible is to allow
an experienced home repair specialist to come in and do the very work they’re
trained to do. A veteran appliance repair person has dedicated their career to
knowing gas or electric appliance repair procedures inside and out, and often
carry a guarantee for their work, giving you lasting assurance that your
kitchen and home are safe and sound once the job’s done.
The choice of what to do if your stove burner sparks but
won’t light is entirely up to you: tackle the project as a do-it-yourself
adventure or bring in an expert to set your mind at ease.