Cooktops troubleshooting: match the fuel, match the pan.
Cooktops fail in small, specific ways: a burner that will not light, one zone that stays cold, an induction top that ignores the pan. Each has a short list of checks. Induction tops in particular are usually not broken — they are being asked to heat the wrong pan.
First use: what is normal
A new machine can do things on its first run that look like a fault and are not. Here is what the makers say is normal, what to do first, and where the line is.
Normal the first time
- A slight smell on the first few uses.
- On induction, pans that hum or buzz, controls that click, and a cooling fan that keeps running.
Do this first
- 1Take off any film and packing before the first heat, and open a window for the first few uses.
Where the line is. A gas smell that stays is never normal: turn it off and text us. A rotten-egg smell or a hissing sound: leave the house, then call the gas company or 911 from outside.
Before you touch anything
The install rules that decide most of what follows. Check these once; they rule out the causes that look like a broken machine and are not.
A gas cooktop must be set for the gas in the house — natural gas or LP. An LP conversion is a kit from the maker, not a dial. A yellow, sooty flame on a new top is the first sign the regulator or the orifices are set for the other gas.
An electric or induction cooktop needs a dedicated 240V circuit sized to the maker's spec (30, 40 or 50A); a 240V line with one leg down runs the lights and heats nothing.
Induction only heats pans a magnet sticks to. Test the pan bottom with a fridge magnet before anything else.
Gas burner will not light
In this order
- Is the burner cap seated flat and the burner head dry?
- Does the igniter spark (a blue snap at the electrode)?
- Do the other burners light? If none do, the gas valve or the spark module.
- Is the flame on the burners that light blue, or yellow and lazy?
What is usually behind it
A wet or dirty burner after a boil-over, a cap off its seat, clogged ports, or a top set for the wrong gas.
What to do
Dry and clean the burner, seat the cap, clear the ports with a pin. A yellow flame on every burner means the LP/natural-gas setup needs the maker's conversion kit — a gas tech's job.
Gas smell with everything off: close the valve, open a window, do not light anything, and call.
Igniter keeps clicking after lighting
In this order
- Is the knob between OFF and LITE, not pushed in?
- Is there water or grease at the base of the igniter?
- Did a pot boil over in the last day?
What is usually behind it
Moisture in the spark circuit, or a knob resting in the ignition position.
What to do
Turn the burner off and let it dry for a few hours (a hair dryer helps). Clicking that never stops once dry is a cracked igniter or a spark module.
Induction zone will not heat or flashes a pan symbol
In this order
- Does a magnet stick firmly to the pan bottom? Aluminum, copper, glass and many stainless pans will not work.
- Is the pan centered on the zone and at least as wide as the inner ring?
- Is the pan bottom flat (a warped pan loses contact)?
What is usually behind it
A pan the top cannot couple with — the wrong metal, too small, or warped.
What to do
Use a magnetic pan sized to the zone. There is nothing to repair; the top is reading the pan correctly.
One zone stays cold (electric or induction)
In this order
- Does the zone's indicator light come on?
- Is the control lock (a key icon) on?
- Is there a code on the display?
- Did the zone fail after a spill or a boil-over?
What is usually behind it
A control lock, a failed radiant element or coil, a worn switch, or a touch control that got wet.
What to do
Clear the lock (hold the key icon three seconds), dry a wet touch panel with the breaker off for an hour. A single dead element or switch is a service part behind the glass.
Zone shuts off by itself
In this order
- Induction: did the pan move off center, or was it empty?
- Is the cooktop's vent (under the glass, usually at the rear) blocked by a drawer or a cabinet?
- Is the glass very hot and the room warm?
What is usually behind it
Induction's own pan detection, or an overheat sensor cutting a zone that cannot cool — a blocked vent under the top.
What to do
Keep the pan centered and loaded; clear the clearance under the cooktop so the cooling fan can breathe (the install manual gives the cutout and clearance).
Glass cracked or chipped
In this order
- Is the crack through the glass, or a surface scratch?
- Did something drop on it, or did it crack on its own while heating?
What is usually behind it
Impact, a pan dragged across grit, or thermal shock from a cold wet pan on a hot zone.
What to do
Stop using a zone with a crack through the glass — liquid can reach the elements. The top glass is replaced as a unit by a service tech.
A crack across a zone is a stop-using-it fault: unplug or shut the breaker until it is replaced.
Nothing comes on at all
In this order
- Reset the double breaker fully off and on.
- Is the junction box under the top wired with all conductors on their lugs?
- Gas top with no spark on any burner: is the cooktop plugged into its 120V outlet under the counter?
What is usually behind it
A 240V leg down, a loose junction-box connection, or (gas) the 120V plug for the spark module pulled out behind the drawer.
What to do
Reset the breaker, plug in the gas top's cord, and have the junction box checked with the breaker off.
When it's a warranty call
Every unit leaves with the manufacturer's full factory warranty. These are the faults that warranty exists for — once the checks above have ruled out the install, the power and the vent, call the maker's line with the model and serial, and text us if you want a hand with the claim.
A radiant element or an induction coil dead under intact glass.
A spark module that clicks on no burner with a dry top.
A control board that throws a code cold.
All units are surplus inventory (open box, cancelled order, customer return, overstock, or minor scratch & dent). Every unit includes the manufacturer's full factory warranty. Please inspect thoroughly in person before purchasing — cosmetic imperfections or missing accessories are possible.
Text us the model number and what it's doing — we'll point you at the next step.
A fix, a part, or a warranty call — the plate's model and serial plus one line about the symptom is all it takes to tell which.
These pages are educational. Every appliance is a little different — follow the manufacturer's manual and local code, and leave gas, water heater and 240V work to a licensed installer.