Diagnosing and Repairing Gas Cookers

    Gas can be a very dangerous substance in the home and it is essential to understand what you can and what you cannot repair.

    For information on how to tackle and resolve faults and problems on a wide range of appliances see our other articles »
    Advice Articles

    If you smell gas in the building do not touch any electrical appliance as the spark generated from turning a switch could ignite and cause an explosion.

    First open all windows and doors to vent any gas, then contact National Grid Gas Emergencies (formally Transco Gas) on 0800 111 999 (24 hour emergency line), who will attend free of charge to investigate the cause.

    How a Gas Cooker Works:

    Gas (natural or bottled) is fed to the appliance up to the controls via a common gas rail. This supply must not leak as any gas can quickly build up to an explosive mixture that can (and does) destroy a house if ignited.

    A number of gas taps are sealed onto the gas rail and connect via pipework to the burner assemblies under the rings on the hob top or the burner assemblies in the grill or oven. As the gas enters the burner assembly it passes through the jet, this helps limit the amount of gas to the burner and produces a focused flow of gas into the assembly. Here air is drawn into the gas flow to produce the correct combustion mixture. The resulting gas and air mixture now emerges from the burner holes, and after being ignited burns to heat the oven, grill or ring.

    The gas tap to the oven is thermostatically controlled, so when the correct temperature is achieved the gas valve or tap closes to reduce the flame. To prevent the flame going out this valve incorporates a bypass that allows a small amount of gas to continue to reach the burner preventing "flame out".

    If the gas is correctly mixed by the burner and jet, and has sufficient oxygen it will burn with a blue flame. If sooting around the flame or a yellow flame is observed then this indicates the gas is not burning correctly. Check that the burners and jets are not contaminated from spills and clean with a stiff brush. If this does not resolve the problem it is important to call a qualified Gas Safe engineer as it is likely to be giving off poisonous carbon monoxide gas that can quickly build to fatal levels.

    Areas that are viable for non-qualified repair include doors, catches and hinges. As well as replacing any part that does not entail disturbing the gas pipes, for example knobs, pan stands, timers and electrical elements, burner caps and jets.

    Cooker Spares

    * All information provided is a guide only. BuySpares accepts no liability for any problems occurred while attempting any advice shown. If in any doubt contact a qualified repair service.