A white radiant glass cooktop set into a pale wood countertop, every zone cool and empty, a small indicator glowing at the front edge, and a hand held flat just above the glass.

Cooktop
Hot Surface Light Stays On

The hot surface light or residual heat indicator stays lit long after the glass has cooled, or it never comes on at all.

(844) 252-4077

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

5 checks before you book
5 questions that narrow it
5 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 252-4077

What it
usually means.

Radiant and induction cooktops warn when the glass is still hot. On older radiant tops, a limiter under each element closes a contact while the glass is hot and opens it once it cools, and that contact runs the light. On newer ones the control board estimates how long the glass will stay hot and shows a letter or a dot for each zone. A light that stays on for many minutes after cooking is normal; one that stays on for hours over cold glass points to a stuck limiter contact or a control problem. A light that never comes on is more serious, because nothing is warning anyone that the glass is hot.

A black glass electric cooktop lies face down on a padded cloth on a kitchen island in a US home, its underside open, while a technician lifts a round radiant element dish out of the frame.

The 5 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

Is the glass actually cold while the light is on?

How long after cooking does the light stay on?

Is it one zone's indicator, or a single light for the whole top?

Does the light go out after a breaker reset?

Does the light ever come on when a zone is hot?

Check these
before you book.

Hot surface light stays on: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

Hold your palm above the glass, not on it, to judge whether it is still warm.

If the glass is still warm or hot hours after use, switch off the breaker and treat it as an element that will not turn off.

If the light never comes on, treat every zone as hot after use until it is repaired.

Also worth checking

Switch the breaker off for a few minutes and see whether the light resets.
Note which zone's indicator is involved when you book.

How soon does it need a visit?

A light that stays on over cold glass is a nuisance and can wait for a visit. Glass that stays hot is urgent: switch off the breaker. A light that never comes on also needs prompt attention, since it takes away the warning that the surface is hot.

The causes,
cheapest first.

5 things cooktop hot surface light stays on turns out to be, from normal cool-down to control board holding the indicator.

The cost guide

01 no repair

Normal cool-down

Glass-ceramic holds heat for a long time, and the indicator stays on until it is safe to touch, which can take a good while after heavy cooking.
No repair: check it yourself
02 low

Limiter hot-surface contact stuck

The contact that runs the light is inside the element's limiter. If it sticks closed the light stays on, and the limiter or the element is replaced.
Fixed by radiant element repair On an electric cooktop
03 low

Indicator circuit open

An indicator that never lights has a failed lamp or an open contact in its circuit, and the glass gives no warning until it is repaired.
Fixed by radiant element repair
04 low to moderate

Element still getting a trickle of power

If the glass stays warm along with the light, an element may be getting power through a stuck switch. That is handled as a stuck element.
Fixed by infinite switch and knob repair See cooktop burner or element won't turn off
05 moderate

Control board holding the indicator

On touch cooktops the board decides when the indicator shows. A board that holds it on, or never shows it, needs testing.
Fixed by touch control repair
What it costs
Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side
Open the cost guide