Stainless gas range with burner grates under white cabinets and a hood

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Gas oven lights then goes out, or keeps re-igniting

First separate normal cycling from a fault: the burner shuts off and relights to hold temperature. On glow-bar (hot-surface) ovens, a weak igniter can glow but pass too little current to hold the safety valve open, so the flame drops out. On direct spark ignition (DSI) ovens the module must sense the flame through the ground path; a poor ground, reversed polarity, a dirty or cracked electrode or a failing DSI module makes it lose the flame and re-spark. The gas valve, pressure and orifices are licensed gas-technician work only.

Single source ~60 min moderateBrands: All

Before you start

Smell gas, hear gas flowing without a flame, or see delayed/whooshing ignition or flame rolling out: turn the oven off, do not operate switches near the smell, ventilate, leave and call the gas utility or a licensed gas technician
Gas valves, oven safety valve, regulator, burner gas pressure, orifices and gas lines are blocked: no adjustment or replacement by non-licensed workers
Unplug the range (or breaker off) and turn off the appliance gas shutoff before touching the igniter, electrode, wiring or burner
Live amp-draw tests on the igniter circuit are for trained techs only

Diagnostic steps

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OnCall Tech is a reference tool for trained technicians and can make mistakes. Always disconnect power and confirm with the manufacturer's documentation before you work.

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