This guide will answer the “How to relight a pilot light on a gas stove” for you! If you own an older gas stove, it most likely contains a pilot light, which is a little flame that stays lit all of the time, ready to fire your cooktop burners. That flame can go out for various reasons, including dust, debris, a draft, or simply difficulties with old pilot light and burner gear. Your burners will not light if the flame goes out, which means no homemade meal for you!
It is beneficial when you yourself have knowledge about relighting the pilot lights burner, whether it’s your first or fiftieth gas stove. So, if your pilot light isn’t working anymore, gather your materials, roll up your sleeves, and relight that flame.
A gas stove is a must-have for certain home cooks. For many others, your house came equipped with a gas stove, and you’re still learning how to operate it. The pilot light is one most concerning aspects when having your gas stove. The pilot on certain stoves does not show up, and burners are flaring up all of the time when you say so. A day in a week, some stoves’ pilot lights go out, then you stood up there in the stove striving to relight it consecutively.
Lucky for you, relighting a pilot light is simple, but keep in mind that a persistent problem with your pilot light may indicate that your gas stove needs to be replaced (on average, a gas stove lasts about 13 to 15 years, depending on upkeep). Today’s gas ranges and cooktops feature an electric ignition mechanism that eliminates the need for a pilot light, making them more dependable and efficient.
Steps On Relighting Your Pilot Light On A Gas Stove
Here are seven steps on how to relight a pilot light on a gas stove:
Step #1. Make sure you have all of the materials you’ll need
Always begin a project by gathering the necessary equipment. To relight the pilot light, open the stovetop with a screwdriver and putty knife. To properly ignite the pilot light, you’ll need a long-barrelled lighter. Sharp panel edges will be protected by work gloves (or carefully used handtowels). A couple of pieces of wood or phonebooks may also be required to prop the cooktop open.
Required materials and equipment:
- Work gloves
- Pin or needle
- Screwdriver
- Lighter with a long barrel
- Putty knife
- Prop blocks
Step #2. Examine the burners
This is one repair that doesn’t require you to turn off the electricity or the gas. However, it would help inspect the burners to determine which ones may flare and which will not. This will usually indicate which pilot light you need to light. For gas cooktop burners, there typically are two pilot lights, one on each side. Test the flame on each burner by turning it on.
Step #3. Tidy up the stove
Know the ways on how you can tidy up your stove. Here are the following:
- Take away the grill frame
You’ll need to remove the stove top to get to the pilot lights. The first step is to clear the stove by taking out the massive, heavy grill frame. Place the grate on the counter or soak it in water for scrubbing.
- Burner caps must be removed
Except for enameled metal burner tops, your burners should now be visible. The intricate gas distribution in the burner head is hidden behind these sleek caps. Set the burner caps aside or soak them as well. Here’s how to clean gas stove burners grates and burner caps.
Step #4. Remove the stovetop
Now, here are the steps on how you can remove your stovetop:
- Slide the putty knife into a slot
You’ll now need to lift and release the stovetop. Insert your putty knife into the joint between the stovetop and the oven body.
- Set the side clips free
Two clips hold the cooktop in place near the right and left corners of the seam. To release the clips, firmly press them with the putty knife. As you press the tabs, the right and left clips will release.
- The stovetop should be pulled and lifted
Pull the stovetop away from the oven cabinet while lifting it. It will have more room to move and release from the upper control panel due to this.
- Keep the stovetop slightly open
Lift the stovetop until the gas lines and valves beneath it are easily accessible. With a few pieces of wood or phonebooks on either side, prop the cooktop panel open. Use the built-in prop on your stovetop instead.
Step #5. Turn on the pilot light(s)
It’s now time for you to turn on your pilot lights; here are the considerations:
- Determine the location of the pilot light holes
You can now see the pipes and pilot holes. That’s precisely what they are: tiny holes in the lines that stay illuminated even after the burners are turned off. Each stove usually has two pilot holes, one for the right side and one for the left. Look for a spot halfway between the burners in the pipes that could supply a flame for each.
- Pilot holes must be cleared
A bit of blockage in the pilot hole may be causing your pilot light to go out. Scrape a circle around the inside border of the hole with your needle or pin. You may or may not notice a cleared blockage right away. It’s a wise step to take because it can save you time by allowing you to bypass a section of troubleshooting.
- Use the long-barreled lighter to light each one
Point the tip of your long-barrelled lighter, also known as a grill lighter or long-stem lighter, at each pilot hole. Turn on the lighter and hold the flame in the gas trickle until a separate blue flame appears.
- Make sure the flame doesn’t go out
Remove the lighter and turn it off, but keep an eye on the flame for a few seconds. Your job is finished if it appears sturdy and stable. If it flickers or goes out, you’ll need to dig deeper into the problem.
Step #6. Reassemble the gas stove top back
It’s your time to reassemble the stove top. Here are the things that you should do:
- Reduce the heat on the stovetop
Now that the pilot lights are lighted, it’s time to reassemble your stove. Remove the props and slowly lower your stovetop back to its original horizontal position.
- Fit the stovetop and secure the clips
Place the stovetop’s sides over the oven cabinet’s edges. To tuck the stovetop beneath the control panel, you may need to raise and push. Firmly press the cooktop clips into place with your hands.
- Burner caps must be returned
It’s now safe to replace the small metal burner caps on the burners. Retrieve them from wherever you have them left aside or soaking, and place them on each burner according to size.
- The grill frame must be returned
Line up your grill frame on top of your burners, which you can get from the sink or a drying towel. You’re aware of how these go together. This is the last step before putting your fix to the test. It may be helpful to read about how to use a grill pan on a glass top stove.
Step #7. Put your success to the test
Congratulations. You’ve just lighted the pilot light on your stove if you’ve gotten this far. It’s time to put your skills to the test. Switch on each burner one at a time, making sure they give gas and ignite when you say so. If all of your burners light up, your repair was a success, and you should keep the screwdriver on hand for the next project.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read this post on how to relight a pilot light on a gas stove. We hope that we helped in guiding you to relight once again your gas stove’s pilot light. You may want to read about how to troubleshoot glass top stove burners and switches and how to install a pellet stove through the chimney.