How To Light a Gas Oven Manually And Safely: 5 Simple Steps

Modern cooking appliances, especially gas ovens and stoves, have made our cooking experiences pleasant. However, you may feel a little uncomfortable operating these appliances safely and confidently, especially when you do not know how to light a gas oven.

Modern gas stove ovens come with auto-ignition features, so you don’t have to do much work. However, in some old models, you have to light the oven on a gas stove manually.

This problem worries you more when you are operating a gas oven on a stove for the first time and you have no idea how to turn on a gas oven safely and correctly.

I will guide you through the complete process of safely lighting a pilot light on a gas oven in an easy and practical step-by-step guide.

Safety First

Before you try to turn on a gas oven on your stove, you must take some precautions to be safe. Some important safeguards before igniting the gas oven are listed below:-

• Turn the Knobs to Off Position: First, you need to turn off all the knobs on the oven and stove. Make sure that dial on the knobs are directed towards the “off” sign. This off position is normally on the right side of the knob, depending on which stove model you are using.
• Hissing sound: You should ensure you don’t hear a hissing sound. This hissing sound could indicate a gas leak. Ensure there is no such sound in your kitchen before you try to light a gas oven.
• Ventilation: You should open the windows and the door for ventilation purposes. This will allow the accumulated gas in the kitchen to flow out if there is any. Once you are trying to start a gas oven for a while, ventilation becomes essential to avoid any gas explosion.
• Open the Oven Door: Now, you should open the door to find the pilot light of the oven on a gas stove. Make sure the door is completely open and locked.
• Use Torch or Light: Use a torch or light to look around the bottom of the oven to find the pilot light on the oven. It is a small hole located at the centre front of the oven. Gas flows through this hole which is ignited to light an oven on a gas stove.
• Clean the Surface Around the Pilot Light: As an extra preventive measure, look for grease or other combustible materials around the pilot light and clean it with a grease remover spray and a microfiber cloth.

Components Involved in Lighting an Oven On a Gas Stove

Before you learn how to light a gas oven, you need to know some of the important components involved in lighting a gas oven:-

Pilot Light

Function and Location:
The pilot light is a small flame usually located near the back at the bottom of the oven. It ignites the gas in the oven.

How It Stays Lit:
The pilot light stays lit by a constant flow of gas. When you light it, the flame heats a thermocouple component, signalling the gas valve to stay open.

Igniter

Types of Igniters:

• Standing Pilot: This is an older type where the pilot light stays lit constantly.
• Electric Ignition: This type uses an electric spark or a glow bar to ignite the gas only when the oven is turned on.

Burners

Main Oven Burner:
This is the primary burner located at the bottom of the oven, which is responsible for heating the oven for baking.

Broil Burner:
This burner is located at the oven’s top and used for broiling.

Thermocouple

Role in Safety:
The thermocouple is a safety device that detects whether the pilot light is lit. If the pilot light goes out, the thermocouple cools down and signals the gas valve to close, preventing gas from leaking into the oven.

How It Detects the Pilot Light:
When heated by the pilot light flame, the thermocouple generates a small electric current, which keeps the gas valve open. If the flame goes out, the thermocouple cools, the current stops, and the gas valve closes.

How To Light a Gas Oven: A Step-Step Guide

Now I will guide you through the step-by-step process to start a gas stove oven:-

Step 1

Push In The Knob: First of all, you push in the oven knob and keep holding it until you light a match stick or lighter to ignite the pilot light of the oven.

Step 2

Turn The Knob to Ignition Setting: Ignite the match stick or a lighter, preferably with a long handle, and turn the knob to the left to wards ignite setting. Every model has different signs for ignition. Some are marked with flames, and some have temperature numbers.

Read More: How to clean gas stove knobs.

Step 3

Light the Pilot Light of Gas Oven: Bring the lighter flame closer to the pilot light to ignite it. If you have a short match stick, you can use twisted paper to ignite the oven’s pilot light to be safer.

Step 4

Hold the Knob: Keep pushing the knob for about 10 seconds to ensure that the pilot light is sufficiently heated up. Do not try to raise the temperature immediately. This way, the pilot light will go out, and you must repeat the procedure from the start.

Step 5

Adjust the Temperature: Now, you can close the oven door and adjust the desired temperature as per your cooking requirements. You can set your temperature settings from the temperature control knob.

Why Won’t Your Gas Oven Light Up?

If your gas oven won’t light up, it could be due to several reasons:

• The pilot light is out and needs to be relit.
• The igniter is faulty and may need replacement.
• There is an issue with the gas supply.
• The thermocouple might not function correctly, preventing the gas valve from opening. Check these components and consider professional help if the problem persists.

When to Seek Professionals Help

If you have repeated the process of lighting a gas stove oven but still your oven does not turn on, you can seek a professional’s help. There might be some issue with the pilot light of your oven, or your gas supply line might be cut off.

When you smell gas in your kitchen after you have tried these steps, you must immediately call an expert to deal with the situation.

Conclusion

Lighting a gas oven is a simple process. However, you must comply with the safety measures. You should be aware of the safety protocols when operating any kitchen appliance, whether on gas or electricity.

To turn on a gas oven, you need to locate the pilot light, then press the knob and ignite the pilot light with a lighter or match stick, preferably with a long handle. Then keep pressing the knob for 10 to 15 seconds so that flame gets stable.

You must call for professional; help if you cannot light the pilot light on your gas oven or smell some odour of the gas leak.