Need stove repair near you? Call (437) 524-1053 — same-day service, 90-day parts & labour warranty. A stove burner that won’t heat—whether gas or electric—can bring meal prep to a halt. Stove burner failures are among the most common and most repairable appliance issues we see in Toronto kitchens. The diagnosis depends on whether you have a gas range, electric coil range, smooth-top electric range, or induction cooktop.
Gas Stove Burner Not Working
1. Clogged or Dirty Burner Cap and Ports
On gas burners, the burner cap sits above the burner base and has small ports where the gas flame ignites and spreads. These ports clog with food spills, grease, and cleaning product residue—especially after boil-overs. When ports are clogged, the flame is weak, uneven, or won’t ignite at all even though you can hear clicking.
Fix: remove the burner cap and grate, wash the cap in warm soapy water, and clear the ports with a toothpick or straightened paperclip. Dry completely before reinstalling—wet burner components are the top cause of clicking-but-not-lighting calls in Toronto.
2. Failed Gas Igniter
The igniter is the ceramic tip that creates a spark when you turn the burner knob to ignite. Igniters fail in two ways: the tip cracks or chips (visible damage), or the winding inside the igniter wears out electrically. When the igniter fails, you turn the knob, hear no clicking, and the burner doesn’t light.
If one burner’s igniter clicks constantly while you’re trying to light a different burner, the constantly-clicking burner’s switch contact is stuck or corroded. This is often caused by liquid spilled into the igniter housing.
Igniter replacement: $90–$160 including parts and labour. We carry igniters for Samsung, LG, Bosch, Frigidaire, and GE on the service van.
3. Faulty Spark Module
All the igniters on a gas range connect to a single spark module (also called an igniter switch board). This module sends the high-voltage spark pulse to each igniter. When it fails, none of the burners will click—or all of them click continuously without being commanded to.
Signs of spark module failure: no clicking on any burner, or all burners clicking at once. Replacement: $120–$220.
4. Failed Gas Control Valve
If the igniter clicks and sparks correctly but the burner still won’t light, the gas may not be reaching the burner. The control valve regulates gas flow when you turn the knob. A worn or stuck valve may not open fully. This requires a gas-certified technician to diagnose and replace. Ventilate the kitchen and wait 5 minutes if you smell gas. If the smell is strong, leave the house and call your gas utility.
Electric Stove Burner Not Working
5. Burned-Out Heating Element (Coil Range)
Coil heating elements are the most serviceable part of a stove—they simply plug into a receptacle block under the burner. When an element fails, it may show a visible break or burn spot, or it may look normal but have lost continuity.
You can swap elements between burners to test: if the suspected bad element doesn’t work in a known-good position, the element is bad. If it works in the other position, the receptacle block has failed. Element cost: $30–$60 for the part. With a service call: $80–$140.
6. Failed Infinite Switch (Surface Element Switch)
The infinite switch connects your control knob to the heating element and varies power delivery across a continuous range of heat levels. When the switch fails—usually with burned internal contacts—certain heat settings stop working or the element won’t work at all.
This is the most common electric stove repair we do in Toronto, especially on Whirlpool, Maytag, and GE ranges over 6 years old. Replacement cost: $100–$160.
7. Glass-Top and Induction Burner Failures
On smooth-top electric ranges, the heating element is a coil embedded beneath the glass-ceramic surface. These fail similarly to coil elements, but replacing them requires removing the cooktop glass ($140–$240).
Induction cooktops have additional failure points: the induction coil itself, the power electronics board, or the control board. Induction element repair: $200–$380. If your induction cooktop shows an error code, note it before calling—it significantly speeds up diagnosis.
Gas safety reminder: If you ever smell gas near your stove and the burner is not on, do not attempt any diagnosis. Leave the home, leave doors open as you exit, and call your gas utility (Enbridge: 1-866-763-5427) and 911 from outside. Gas leaks are not an appliance repair situation.
What to Check Before Calling
- Is it a gas or electric stove? Which specific burner is affected?
- Gas: do you hear clicking? Do you smell gas when you turn the knob?
- Electric coil: is the element visibly damaged? Can you swap it with another burner?
- Electric smooth-top: does the indicator light show the burner is receiving power?
- Any error code on the display panel?
Repair vs. Replace
Most burner repairs cost $80–$280—far less than a new range ($600–$2,500). Even an induction element repair at $380 is worth it on a quality range. We generally recommend repair when the range is under 12 years old and the issue is isolated to one or two burners.