How to Change an Igniter on a Gas Oven

Quick Answer

To change a gas oven igniter, disconnect the power and gas, remove the oven floor panel, and swap the old glow bar for a new one. This simple repair addresses the most common cause of a gas oven failing to heat up.

Honestly, I've replaced probably 200+ of these over the years. An igniter that's starting to go will get weaker and weaker until one day your oven just stops lighting entirely. If you ignore the early signs, you'll eventually smell gas every time you try to cook because the valve cracks open a little but nothing's igniting it. That's a bad situation. Catch it early and it's a $25 fix.

GenericOvenSeverity: lowDifficulty:

Time to Fix

20–45 min

Difficulty

Parts Cost

$0 (no parts needed)

Tools Needed

1/4 inch nut driver, Phillips #2 screwdriver

How to Change an Igniter on a Gas Oven

OK so here's the deal: this is one of the easiest oven repairs there is. Parts run you $20 to $60 depending on your brand. A service call to have someone else do it? Usually $150 to $200. You'll need maybe 30-45 minutes and a nut driver. I've watched complete beginners knock this out on their first try, no problem.

Common Causes

Normal wear from years of heat cycles. Every time the oven fires up, the igniter expands and contracts a tiny bit. After 4-7 years of that, the element gets too weak to pull the current it needs to open the gas valve.
Someone touched the ceramic element during a previous repair or deep clean, leaving skin oils on the surface. Those oils create uneven heat spots that crack the element from the inside over time.
Grease or food debris packed up around the igniter over years of cooking, insulating parts of it and causing localized overheating.
A power surge or electrical spike fried the element. I always ask customers if they had any outages recently because this one's super common after a storm.
The mounting bracket shifted or bent slightly, changing the igniter's position relative to the burner tube. Even a small change in position puts extra stress on the element and affects ignition timing.

Symptoms You May Notice

Oven takes 5-10 minutes to preheat when it used to take 2-3, or it never actually hits the temperature you set.
You catch a faint whiff of gas when you try to bake, but no flame ever appears and the oven just sits there cold.
The igniter glows, but it's a dull reddish-orange instead of that bright yellow-orange it should be. Barely getting hot.
Oven is completely dead. You set it to bake, nothing glows, nothing happens.
Food's burning on top but raw in the middle because the oven's struggling to maintain temp and cycling weirdly.

Tools Required for Diagnosis

1/4 inch nut driverPhillips #2 screwdriverNeedle-nose pliersFlashlightDigital multimeterWork gloves

Diagnostic Checklist

Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.

ComponentComponent Under Test

Expected Range50–400 ohms

ConditionIf Open (OL) or infinite, replace component.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my new igniter glow but the gas won't light?

This one trips people up all the time. The igniter can glow and still be too weak. Here's why: the gas valve on your oven is triggered by current draw, not just heat. The igniter needs to pull about 3.2 to 3.6 amps to signal the valve to open. If it's only drawing 2.5 amps, the valve stays shut. That's a safety feature built into the design. You'd need a clamp meter to test amperage on a live igniter, or you just replace it and see. If the new igniter glows bright and still won't light, the gas valve itself is probably your culprit.

Can I touch the black part of the igniter?

Nope, don't do it. I know it seems minor but it's genuinely a big deal. The oils from your skin bond to the ceramic surface, and when that element heats up, those spots run hotter than the surrounding area. That uneven heat causes micro-cracks in the ceramic, and you'll be replacing it again in a few weeks. Hold it only by the metal bracket, or wear gloves. Same reason you don't grab a halogen light bulb with your bare hand.

Are all gas oven igniters the same?

No, and this is where people waste money buying the wrong part. There are flat-style igniters, round-style igniters, they've got different bracket configurations and different wire connector types. Some are 2-wire, some 3-wire. The look-alike problem is real. Always pull the model number from the sticker inside your oven door frame, usually on the left side, and look up the exact part. Don't just grab whatever's on the shelf at the hardware store and assume it'll work.

How long do oven igniters usually last?

Typically 4 to 7 years in a home that uses the oven regularly, a few times a week. Daily bakers might see them go sooner. I've seen them die in 3 years and I've seen them run 10+. It just depends on use. They're consumable parts, honestly, kind of like the heating element in a toaster. They just wear down over time and there's not much you can do about it besides replace them when they go.

Do I need to use wire nuts?

Only if your replacement igniter came with bare wire ends and no connector plug. If that's the case, the kit should include ceramic wire nuts, and you absolutely need to use those specific ones, not the standard plastic ones from the hardware store. Plastic wire nuts will melt inside the oven pretty fast. If your kit didn't come with ceramic wire nuts and the wires don't have a plug connector, grab a pack before you start the repair.

How much does this cost to DIY versus hiring someone?

Parts run $20 to $60 for most residential ovens. Some higher-end brands push $80-100 for the OEM part. If you call an appliance tech, expect a $75-100 service call fee just for them to show up, then $50-75 labor on top of the part cost. So you're looking at saving $100 to $150 minimum by doing it yourself. Honestly it's one of the best value repairs a homeowner can tackle. The job isn't complicated at all, it just looks intimidating the first time.

Models Known to Experience HOW-TO-CHANGE-IGNITER Errors

This repair applies to most Generic ovens with this error code. Common model numbers include:

Whirlpool WFG505M0BS, GE JGBS66REKSS, Frigidaire FFGF3054TSA, Samsung NX58R5601SS, LG LRG3061ST, Maytag MGR8800FZ, KitchenAid KSGB900ESS

Written by

Mike Sullivan

Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 20 years experience

Last verified for technical accuracy on May 20, 2024