If you are having problems with your gas hob not lighting or not staying lit, this article is for you.
A gas hob isn’t too complicated of a thing. In fact, a gas hob only has three basic elements to it.
However, it’s still tricky to figure out why your gas hob isn’t staying lit sometimes. So, let’s explore gas hobs, a few problems that can occur with them and the solutions.
Components of a Gas Hob
Just before some causes and solutions, let’s explore the components of a gas hob. A gas hob has three basic elements, as we said. These are:
Gas burner assembly
Ignition system
Safety system
For the purposes of this gas hob article, we’re going to assume that the gas hob is lighting but then going out. So, the two basic elements of the hob that we need to focus on are the burner assembly and the safety system.
Cause #1: Thermocouple Problems
A thermocouple is basically the safety system of your gas hob. It is a piece of pipe situated in the flame of the burner.
When the flame is turned on, this piece of pipe (which is filled with gas) heats up and expands. This basically tells the gas valve that there is still a flame and that it should still be delivering gas to the burner.
So, when you turn your gas burner on and have to hold it for a few seconds, these few seconds are what heat the thermocouple up. The problem with thermocouples can come when they are situated in the flame incorrectly or is the thermocouple is faulty.
Some people have noticed that thermocouples can become loose over time too, so it’s worth checking yours.
If your thermocouple is faulty or not sitting in the flame correctly, there isn’t a way of cobbling together a solution. A thermocouple is a safety feature that cannot be bypassed.
So, the solution to any thermocouple problems is to check its positioning, if that’s fine, it is likely faulty, and a replacement is needed.
Cause #2: Poor Flame or Blocked Jets
Problems with gas hobs can be caused by a poor flame. What happens here is that the flame cannot reach the thermocouple or not provide enough heat for the thermocouple to keep the gas valve open. This likely means that the burner is blocked or dirty.
The solution for a poor flame or blocked jets is cleaning. Cleaning a gas hob is pretty simple. You can remove the large part of a gas burner and ensure that all of the little holes are clean.
When you lift off the burner, you should see a small brass nut with a small hole in it. That is the gas jet, if that is blocked, you can try using a piece of wire to free anything blocking the jet.
Conclusion
These are the most common reasons a gas hob may light up and then go out.
Now, a word of warning. If you intend to replace any parts of your gas hob, you must make sure that they are the correct parts for your hob. Also, if you’re not sure about something, stop.
Trying to fix a gas hob by yourself can be extremely dangerous. It is best to get a gas engineer out if you can’t find a simple solution to your gas hob issues.
We hope this look at gas hobs and their lighting issues has been helpful. For more information about cookers and hobs, please explore our website further. We have loads of cooker articles on here that can help you choose, maintain and cook with your hob!
Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.
