Although they’re becoming less popular in British kitchens many people still prefer gas cookers because they’re cheaper to run and gas hobs provide great instantaneous heat control.
There are thus still plenty of gas cookers around, and also plenty of things that can go wrong with them, particularly if they are not regularly maintained, cleaned and serviced.
The gas oven burner won’t ignite
Of course the burners in most modern gas ovens ignite automatically when you turn the oven on. If this doesn’t happen then there is probably a loose connection somewhere in the control module, or a fault with the igniter itself. If the burners won’t light at all, even using a match, they could be blocked with grease and debris, or there may even be an obstruction in the gas line or gas supply. Note that the same applies to the gas burners on a gas hob – if they won’t light they’re not receiving a supply of gas for some reason. Professional investigation is needed. Gas appliances are dangerous and should only be worked on by a qualified member of the Gas Safe Register.
The gas oven temperature fluctuates
If your gas oven is not cooking evenly, failing to reach the required temperature, or experiencing temperature fluctuations then you need to find out why. It could be that the temperature sensor/thermostat inside the oven is not working properly, or has been moved so that it is touching the wall of the oven affecting its ability to measure the internal temperature accurately. If the thermostat is faulty it will need to be recalibrated or replaced.
Gas cooker door won’t close
This is a serious problem because if the door is not closing correctly the oven will be losing heat, reducing its efficiency and increasing its workload. The main cause is usually faulty door hinges and/or springs, and the problem can be rectified by replacing these. A perished, worn or loose door seal could also be a cause of the door not fitting properly, or if there is a door catch it may have worn out and you’ll need a new one fitted.
Smoke issuing from gas oven
Quite rightly you ought to be alarmed if smoke billows from your gas cooker during its operation. Not only will the smoke make the cooking food taste appalling, but it will certainly impact on the breathing of everyone in the house as well as possibly be a pre-cursor to oven failure or a fire.
If the oven is brand new a little smoke may be normal when it is first turned on – check the manual to see if the appliance needs “burning in”. A smoking oven at any other time simply means that something is burning. Most likely it is either food remains that have been dropped in the oven or splattered grease that is being incinerated, and might even catch fire. The solution is to manually clean the oven thoroughly – preferably with natural cleaning agents rather than chemicals.
Gas odour
If you detect the smell of gas emanating from your gas cooker at any time, whether it is in use or not, don’t hesitate to turn off the gas supply immediately at source, ventilate the house and call for professional help. This could be a very dangerous situation. A gas leak can cause unpleasant symptoms in humans and pets, and there is the risk of a spark causing a fire or explosion. A gas leak can be caused by things like damage to the fuel line, a faulty connector or worn seals.
