--- title: "Common problems — Cooktop Guides | CooktopRepair.center" description: "What a cooktop is telling you when a burner ticks without catching, a glass zone glows only on high, an induction zone ignores the pan or the flame turns lazy…" url: "https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/common-problems/" --- Why the cooktop behaves that way # Common problems guides. What a cooktop is telling you when a burner ticks without catching, a glass zone glows only on high, an induction zone ignores the pan or the flame turns lazy and yellow. ## Common problems, guide by guide. This section starts from what a cooktop owner actually notices standing at the counter: a burner that ticks and ticks without catching, a glass zone that blinks dark on high, an induction ring that flashes and leaves the pan cold. Each guide explains what the cooktop is doing and why, across gas, radiant, coil and induction tops and pro rangetops, whatever the brand on the trim. [All 18 guides](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/) 6-minute read ### [Why a cooktop burner clicks but won't light, from the cap to the downdraft](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/why-a-cooktop-burner-clicks-but-wont-light/) Wet ports, a cap on the wrong head, a closed shutoff in the cabinet, air in a new line, a cooktop lock or a downdraft vent tugging the flame off the igniter: sorting them by sound. 5-minute read ### [Why a radiant cooktop element blinks off or never turns red](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/why-a-radiant-element-cycles-or-stays-dark/) The limiter that switches a zone off even on high, low settings that heat without glowing, dual rings, a warped pan, a lock or half a breaker, and the point where the element itself has failed. 5-minute read ### [Why an induction cooktop ignores a pan: magnet, size and center](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/why-induction-wont-recognize-a-pan/) The magnet test, the magnetic disc that is smaller than the pan, centering on the ring, thin or warped bases, a cooktop that overheats in a tight cabinet, and what the flashing display means. ## Why the cooktop behaves that way. Several of these behaviors are designed in, like a radiant limiter switching off to protect the glass or an induction board refusing a pan it cannot heat, and knowing that saves a visit. Where the answer is a part, we say which one and where it sits: under the burner box, beneath the glass, or in the cabinet below the counter. Read these when the cooktop has started doing something new, before booking and before buying anything. If you smell gas, skip the reading: get everyone outdoors and ring the gas utility from there. [Not sure where to start?](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/#start-here) ### The short answer Why a cooktop burner clicks but won't light, from the cap to the downdraft When a cooktop burner clicks but won't light, the spark is working and the gas is not catching: a wet or crooked cap, blocked ports, a closed shutoff under the counter, air in a new line, an active cooktop lock or a downdraft vent pulling the flame away. ### The short answer Why a radiant cooktop element blinks off or never turns red Radiant cooktop element cycling is normal: a limiter under the glass switches the ribbon off and on, even on high, so the glass does not overheat, and low or warm settings heat without glowing red. ### The short answer Why an induction cooktop ignores a pan: magnet, size and center An induction cooktop not detecting pan is usually reacting to the cookware: a base a magnet will not grip, a magnetic disc smaller than the zone's minimum, a pan off center, or a warped or thin bottom. ## When reading is not enough. If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop. [What repairs cost](https://cooktoprepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 Each burner and zone, tried in turn 2. 02 The price, before any part is fitted 3. 03 The usual parts in the van 4. 04 Repaired, then cooked on ## The problems these answer. Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://cooktoprepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Cooktop Burner Won't Light 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Cooktop Igniter Keeps Clicking 5 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Cooktop Flame Yellow or Uneven 6 causes, cheapest first Gas, fire, broken glass or live current ### Cooktop Gas Smell 5 causes, cheapest first For the heart of your home. ## Questions about common problems. ### Do these guides cover one brand of cooktop? No. They explain how each kind of cooktop works and fails across makers, quoting a manufacturer only where its own support page or manual backs a specific point. ### What if my cooktop's problem is not listed here? Try the symptom pages, which cover more behaviors in shorter form, and the troubleshooting guides for checks that apply to any cooktop. A diagnostic visit covers the rest. ### Can I use these guides for a pro-style rangetop? Yes. A rangetop's burners, igniters and gas supply work the same way as a gas cooktop's, and where a rangetop differs, such as dual-ring burners or a griddle, the guides say so. ## The other sections. Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns. [All guides](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/) Cooktop checks you can safely make ### [Troubleshooting](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) - [Cooktop checks worth making before you book a technician](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-checks-before-booking-a-visit/) - [Unlocking a touch-control cooktop that ignores every key](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/unlock-a-touch-control-cooktop/) - [Finding a cooktop model number without pulling it from the counter](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/find-a-cooktop-model-number/) Keeping the cooktop out of trouble ### [Maintenance and prevention](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/) - [Cleaning a glass-ceramic cooktop without harming the glass or the seam](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cleaning-a-glass-ceramic-cooktop/) - [Cookware that marks or scratches cooktop glass, and the pans that are safe](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cookware-that-marks-or-scratches-glass/) - [Cleaning a cooktop's downdraft vent: grate, grease filter and chamber](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cleaning-a-downdraft-vent/) When to stop using the cooktop ### [Gas, fire and burn safety](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/safety-and-food/) - [A Gas Smell Over the Cooktop: What to Do in the First Minutes](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-gas-smell-first-steps/) - [Cracked Glass Cooktop: Power Off, Hands Off, Then Replace the Top](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cracked-glass-cooktop-what-to-do/) - [Induction Cooktops, Pacemakers and Other Implants](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/induction-and-implanted-medical-devices/) Which cooktop suits the kitchen ### [Choosing and comparing](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/) - [Repair or replace a cooktop: the cutout, the supply and the part that failed](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/repair-or-replace-a-cooktop/) - [Gas, radiant or induction cooktop: heat, wiring and upkeep compared](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/gas-radiant-or-induction-cooktop/) - [Rangetop or cooktop: front knobs, a notched counter and a bigger extractor](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/rangetop-or-cooktop/) Set up to last ### [Installation and setup](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/installation-and-setup/) - [Cooktop Cutout Dimensions and a Counter That Fits](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-cutout-and-countertop-fit/) - [A Cooktop Over a Built-In Oven: Approved Pairs and Cabinet Height](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-over-a-wall-oven/) - [Under the Cooktop: Junction Box, Conduit and Gas Shutoff](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/cooktop-wiring-and-gas-shutoff-under-the-counter/) Not sure which section? ### Start from your question The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it. 18 guides Where to start Where to start --- **[Read on the site: Common problems — Cooktop Guides | CooktopRepair.center](https://cooktoprepair.center/guides/common-problems/)** **[Book a visit with CooktopRepair.center](https://cooktoprepair.center/schedule/)**