Most range calls we run are on the brands sitting in ordinary Bay Area kitchens: GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, KitchenAid, Frigidaire, Maytag. Gas, electric, and induction. The symptoms cluster into a handful of faults, and telling them apart is the whole job. Here’s what each one usually means.
The calls we actually get
- Burner won’t ignite or has a weak flame
- Igniter clicks but won’t light
- Oven won’t heat, or heats unevenly
- Gas smell with the oven off (stop and call, safety first)
- Broiler dead
- Surface element not heating
- Oven bakes too hot or too cool
- Error code on the display
- Self-clean cycle fails or the door won’t unlock
- Touchpad won’t respond
- Door won’t close or seal
- Convection fan not spinning
A gas bake burner and igniter, lit
What’s usually behind each symptom
Gas ranges. Most no-heat and no-ignition calls come down to the igniter or the gas valve. The glow-bar igniter (the one in the video) weakens with age and stops drawing enough current to open the valve, even while it still glows orange. Looks fine. Isn’t. A clicking igniter that won’t catch is usually a cracked spark igniter or a fouled module. A burner that lights slow or uneven is often a partly clogged orifice or a tired valve coil.
Electric ranges. A dead bake or broil element sometimes shows a burn mark or crack, which is the easy case. More often the element tests fine and the real culprit is a thermal fuse, a drifting temperature sensor, or the control board. All three leave the same cold oven.
Induction. A dead zone or a random error code usually points to a failed IGBT board or a cracked coil. Board and coil prices are far apart, so diagnosing first keeps you from buying the expensive part when it’s the cheaper one.
Temperature drift. An oven that runs hot, cold, or uneven is typically a sensor out of spec or a bake element cycling right but not delivering full power. A dead convection fan makes uneven baking worse, so we check it at the same visit.
What we test on the first visit
We start at the basics: breaker, fuse, supply voltage. Then we test igniter draw or element resistance depending on fuel type, check the sensor reading against spec, and pull any stored codes off the control board. On gas we test the valve coil and run a combustion check. Most diagnoses wrap the same visit and we carry common parts.
Why this one’s a tech job
Gas work means breaking and remaking fittings. A small leak you miss isn’t a recoverable mistake. Electric range interiors run on 240V and the terminals stay live longer than people expect after the power’s off. Control boards have to match your exact model revision, not just the brand, and returning the wrong one wastes days. We carry common parts and we back the repair.
Gas smell: don’t troubleshoot
If you smell gas with the oven off, stop. Shut the supply at the valve, ventilate, get out. Call us or your gas utility. Don’t use the range until it’s been inspected.
Schedule a visit
We service gas, electric, and induction ranges across the Bay Area, from the Tri-Valley out to the East Bay and the Peninsula. Bay Area Appliance Repair Service charges $75 to come diagnose, credited to the repair, then you get a written repair-or-replace call and price before any work. Schedule a visit and we’ll get it sorted on the first trip when we can.