When a stove burner is not working, I'd start with the small causes the makers' troubleshooting tables list first. Those are a tripped breaker, a loose coil, a control lock, the wrong pan on induction, or a gas cap sitting crooked after cleaning.
A stove burner is one of the cooking zones on top of a range or cooktop. It may be an open coil, a radiant element under glass, an induction coil, or a gas burner with a spark igniter. I'm Michael Ruhr at Merit Home Furniture, which sells electric, induction and gas cooking appliances on the Island. The checks that follow go type by type through the makers' manuals, with Vancouver Island and BC safety rules.
One case skips every step below. If you smell gas, FortisBC's advice is to stop what you're doing, go outside, and call its emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 or 911 once you're out.
Stove burner safety before you touch anything
Stove burner checks start with the power off. An electric range runs on 120/240 V, the figure LG's Canadian manual lists, so turn the range's breaker off before lifting a coil or pulling the range out. LG adds a rule for glass tops: don't cook on a broken cooktop, because spills can get through and cause a shock. Cleaning the glass by its maker's rules helps keep it whole in the first place.
For a gas smell, FortisBC's gas leak page sets out three steps:
- Stop. Don't use a cellphone, smoke, light matches or flip switches.
- Go outside, leaving the door open behind you and any windows that are already open.
- From outside, call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911, which answers 24 hours, or dial 911.
Inside the range, I'd leave the work to licensed people. Technical Safety BC says installing or replacing a gas range or cooktop needs a permit, and strata or duplex owners have to hire a licensed contractor for it.
Why is my stove burner not working?
A stove burner stops when power or gas isn't reaching it, the control isn't calling for heat, or the burner has failed. Here is the first check for each symptom, from the makers' pages listed at the end.
| What you see | First thing to check |
|---|---|
| No burner heats, clock is dark | The range breaker, or the plug behind the bottom drawer |
| No burner heats, clock is lit | Control lock or Sabbath mode; then the installer |
| One coil is dead | Pushed fully home? Swap it into a matching socket |
| One glass-top zone is dead | The right knob or pad for that zone; then a technician |
| Induction zone won't start | A magnet on the pan base; pan centred and big enough |
| Gas burner clicks, won't light | Cap seated and dry, ports and igniter clean |
| Yellow or very large gas flame | The installer or a service call, per LG's manual |
The stove breaker and the 240-volt circuit
A range runs on a double breaker, two handles joined. LG's troubleshooting puts a tripped breaker or blown fuse first: reset the breaker by pushing it fully off, then back on. GE Appliances notes that dead top burners with a working clock can mean the power cord connection is wired wrong, which is the installer's job. LG's manual calls for a range cord rated at 40 amps and recommends a circuit serving the range alone. A breaker that trips again straight away needs an electrician.
Electric stove burner not working: coil tops
Coil burners are the easiest electric stove burners to check, because each plugs into a socket called a receptacle. Whirlpool's product help asks whether the breaker is on, the knob was pushed in before turning, and the coil is inserted properly.
How do I know if my stove burner is bad?
GE Appliances gives the cleanest coil test. With the power off, plug the dead coil into another receptacle of the same size and turn that one on. If it still won't heat, the coil is bad, and a new one plugs straight in. If it heats there, GE says the first receptacle needs checking by service, and a bent or damaged receptacle is a service job too.
What causes a stove burner to get too hot?
A coil that looks cooler than the old one may be working as designed. Whirlpool says coils changed starting in June 2018 under updated UL standards: the outer coil stays on but glows less, and the inner coil cycles. GE's Sensi-Temp coils, made from 2018 on, shut off when the pan nears 450°F, then heat again once it cools. An element that stays red with the knob off isn't normal. Turn the breaker off and book service.
Glass top stove burner not working
A glass top stove burner is a radiant element under ceramic glass, and most of what can fail sits under that glass. LG's manual for its LREN6323 electric range gives two causes when surface units don't work. One is a blown fuse or tripped breaker. The other is the wrong control set for the zone, which is easy to do on a dual or bridge element.
By the same manual, elements cycle on and off even on high, which keeps the glass from cracking. The COOKTOP HOT light stays on until the surface cools to about 150°F, so the light alone proves little. Past those checks, a dead zone means the element, its wiring or its switch, and that's technician work. A cracked top is a stop-cooking fault: LG says to contact a qualified technician immediately.
Induction burner not heating: pans, locks and codes
An induction burner heats the pan through a magnetic field, unlike a radiant electric stove, so it waits until it senses a suitable pan. LG's manual for the LSIL6332 induction range says if a magnet sticks to the pan's base, the pan works, and not all stainless steel passes. The pan must also be centred, flat and big enough. If the problem isn't corrected, the zone switches off after one minute.
| LG LSIL6332 zone | Pan base it accepts |
|---|---|
| 11 in. element | 9.5 to 11.8 in. |
| 8 in. element | 7.5 to 9.2 in. |
| 6 in. elements (2) | 5.5 to 7.0 in. |
With Control Lock on, that manual says the cooktop does not operate, and Sabbath mode makes every cooktop button inactive. An F code is the control reporting a fault. LG's advice is to clear it, and if it returns, write the code down and call a service agent.
Gas stove burner not working but others are
A gas stove burner that clicks without lighting is usually dirty, damp or put back wrong. LG's manual for its LRGN6323 gas range checks the plug first, then the electrode area and how the burner parts sit. After cleaning, heads and caps have to be completely dry and in place, with the hole in the head over the electrode. With the cap off, the burner won't light at all.
Every igniter clicking while you light one burner is normal, and LG's installation check expects a burner to light within 4 seconds. For clogged ports, LG suggests soaking the heads in hot water with mild detergent for 20 to 30 minutes. Soft blue flames are normal on natural gas, but LG says yellow flames need a service call. Off-grid kitchens have one more check: the Unique 24 in. off-grid propane range lights from one D-cell, so a flat battery means no spark.
My oven isn't working, but the burners are. What could it be?
On a gas range, LG lists the oven's gas shut-off valve behind the range first. On its electric range, the manual covers an oven still too hot to start, and fault codes such as F-9, oven not heating. On a range that mixes gas and electric, each half follows its own checks.
LG stove burner not working: what LG Canada's manuals say
An LG stove burner that won't heat often comes down to a setting, going by LG Canada's manuals. On the LREN6323, holding CLEAR/OFF for three seconds turns Control Lock on or off. LG Canada's page for that range says the lock disables the cooktop control knobs. Sb in the display means Sabbath mode, which leaves the buttons inactive.
LG Canada's warranty covers parts and labour for one year from purchase. In-home repair applies within 150 km of an authorized service centre, worth checking on the North Island and the west coast. LG Canada's service line is 1-888-542-2623.
Merit lists all three. The LG LREN6323 electric range is $1,149.99 to $1,249.99 before applicable taxes at Campbell River and Port Alberni. The LRGN6323 gas range is $1,399.99 at Port Alberni. The LSIL6332 induction range is $1,799.99 at Campbell River, and its listing gives 47.5 A at 240V.
Repairing a stove burner or replacing the range
A stove burner repair makes sense when the part is simple or the warranty still runs. A plug-in coil is an owner swap; a glass top or gas valve is technician work. Merit's warranty page asks appliance owners to start a claim with the maker, or call the store they bought from. Our notes on who handles each warranty claim explain how appliances differ from furniture.
No Canadian body I could find publishes a cooktop lifespan, so I won't guess one. For a replacement, Merit's freestanding and slide-in range listings and cooktop collection, gas to induction held 318 models on November 1, 2026. Of those, 89 list Campbell River, Port Alberni or both:
| Type | Listed at the two stores | Example, before applicable taxes |
|---|---|---|
| Coil ranges | 8 | Amana 30 in. coil, $849.99 |
| Other electric ranges | 37 | Amana 30 in. smooth top, $899.99 |
| Induction ranges and cooktops | 17 | Frigidaire Gallery induction range, $1,899.00 |
| Gas and propane ranges and cooktops | 25 | Frigidaire Gallery gas cooktop, $1,649.00 |
| Electric cooktop and dual fuel | 2 | Frigidaire Gallery smoothtop, $1,849.00 |
The other 229 are special orders with no store listed, and special orders take a 24% deposit, as our page on deposits and exchanges sets out.
When a stove burner problem isn't a do-it-yourself job
- Any smell of gas, or a hiss from the range. Leave, then call FortisBC or 911.
- Yellow or oversized gas flames.
- A cracked glass top.
- A scorched receptacle, a burning smell, or an element that won't shut off. Breaker off first.
- A breaker that trips again after a reset.
- A gas range going into a strata unit or duplex, where Technical Safety BC requires a licensed contractor.
Where these stove burner facts come from
- FortisBC, Gas leaks and odours, checked November 2026.
- FortisBC, Safety and outages, emergency numbers, checked November 2026.
- Technical Safety BC, Homeowner Gas Permits, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Product Help, Coil Element Not Working, checked November 2026.
- GE Appliances, Electric Range: Surface Burners Not Heating or Working, checked November 2026.
- GE Appliances, Electric Range and Cooktop: Sensi-Temp Coil Burners Not Working, checked November 2026.
- GE Appliances, Electric Range: Leveling the Plug-In Burners, checked November 2026.
- LG Canada, LREN6323YE support page and owner's manual (electric range), checked November 2026.
- LG Canada, LREN6323YE product page, cooktop questions, checked November 2026.
- LG Canada, LSIL6332XE support page and owner's manual (induction range), checked November 2026.
- LG Canada, LRGN6323Y support page and owner's manual MFL33029641 (gas range), checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture, Warranty and repairs, read November 1, 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live range and cooktop listings, with store lists and prices read November 1, 2026.
Asking about a new stove at Campbell River or Port Alberni
I work from Duncan, and that location no longer carries appliances, so for a new range I'd point you to the two Merit stores that do. Call ahead to ask which models are set up, with the width of the opening and your fuel type handy. If the fuel is still undecided, gas and electric cook and cost differently on the Island. Ask the store about delivery terms when you call. Ranges with no store listed are ordered by calling (250) 746-5527.
- Campbell River store: 1300 A Homewood Rd
- Port Alberni store: 2935 Third Ave
Call Campbell River about a range, (250) 286-0868
Call Port Alberni about a range, (250) 724-6644
The wine cooler and beverage centre buyer's notes sit with our other range, fridge and laundry write-ups.