Nothing on the cooktop works
No burner heats or lights, and any indicator lights or controls seem dead.
Start here: Start with the house breaker, power connection, and fuel supply checks.
Cooktop troubleshooting
Cooktop Not Working
Direct answer: If your cooktop is not working, first figure out whether the whole cooktop is dead or only one burner is failing. A tripped breaker, shut gas supply, mis-seated burner parts, or a bad burner switch or surface element are the most common causes.
Most likely: The most likely cause depends on the pattern: all burners dead points to power or gas supply, while one burner not working usually points to that burner's cap, head, igniter, switch, or surface element.
Cooktops fail in a few lookalike ways. Some will not power on at all, some click but never light, and some electric burners stay cold even though the indicator light comes on. Start with the basic checks below, then follow the branch that matches what you actually see.
Don’t start with: Do not start by buying a control part or taking the cooktop apart. Simple setup, power, and burner alignment problems are common and much easier to rule out first.
All burners out?Check the breaker, power connection, and gas supply before suspecting a cooktop part.
Only one burner out?Focus on that burner's cap, head, igniter, switch, or surface element instead of the whole cooktop.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-01
What kind of cooktop failure are you seeing?
Only one burner is not working
Other burners work normally, but one burner will not light or heat.
Start here: Start with burner setup and that burner's own parts before blaming the whole cooktop.
Gas burner clicks but does not light
You hear clicking and may smell a little gas briefly, but the flame never catches.
Start here: Start with burner cap and burner head alignment, then check for clogged ports or a weak spark at that burner.
Electric burner looks on but stays cool
The surface indicator may light, but the burner does not get hot or only heats weakly.
Start here: Start with that burner's surface element seating if applicable, then move to the burner switch or element branch.
Most likely causes
1. Tripped breaker, loose power connection, or no incoming power
A cooktop that is completely dead, especially an electric one, often has a supply problem rather than several parts failing at once.
Quick check: Reset a tripped breaker once, then see whether any burner or indicator light comes back.
2. Gas supply off or interrupted
If all gas burners fail to light and there is no normal flame on any burner, the cooktop may not be getting gas.
Quick check: Make sure the gas shutoff is open and confirm another gas appliance is working if you can do so safely.
3. Misaligned or dirty cooktop burner cap or cooktop burner head
On gas cooktops, one burner that clicks but will not light often has a cap or head that is dirty, wet, or not seated correctly.
Quick check: Let the burner cool, then lift and reseat the cooktop burner cap and check that the burner head sits flat.
4. Failed cooktop burner switch, cooktop surface element, or cooktop igniter
If supply and setup are good but one burner still will not heat or light, the fault is usually in that burner's own control or ignition/heating part.
Quick check: Compare the bad burner's behavior to a working one and note whether it clicks, glows, heats partly, or does nothing at all.
Step-by-step fix
Step 1: Separate a whole-cooktop problem from a single-burner problem
This keeps you from chasing the wrong part. A supply issue affects the whole cooktop, while one bad burner usually points to burner-specific parts.
- Try every burner one at a time and note exactly what each one does.
- Check whether any indicator lights, spark clicking, or heat response happen at all.
- If the cooktop is gas, listen for clicking and look for flame on each burner.
- If the cooktop is electric, see whether any burner heats normally while another stays cold.
Next move: If some burners work and one does not, stay focused on that burner and skip whole-cooktop supply guesses. If nothing works anywhere, move to power or gas supply checks next.
What to conclude: One failed burner usually means a local burner part problem. All burners failing together makes a supply issue much more likely.
Stop if:
- You smell strong gas that does not clear quickly.
- You see sparking, charring, melted wiring, or smoke.
- A breaker trips again immediately when you try the cooktop.
Step 2: Check the simplest supply issues first
A dead cooktop often comes back after a basic power or fuel correction, and these checks are safer than opening the appliance.
- For an electric cooktop, check the breaker and fully reset it once if it is tripped.
- If the cooktop plugs in, make sure the plug is fully seated and the outlet is not dead.
- For a gas cooktop, confirm the gas shutoff valve is open.
- If it is safe and obvious in your home, confirm another gas appliance has normal fuel supply.
- Try the cooktop again after restoring power or gas.
Next move: If the cooktop starts working again, monitor it for a day or two. A repeat breaker trip or repeated loss of gas service needs more attention. If supply looks normal but the cooktop is still dead or one burner is still out, continue with burner-specific checks.
What to conclude: If restoring power or gas fixes it, the cooktop itself may be fine. If not, the problem is likely inside the cooktop or at one burner.
Step 3: For a gas burner, clean and reseat the burner parts
A gas burner that clicks but will not light is often blocked, wet, or assembled slightly wrong after cleaning.
- Make sure the burner is off and fully cool.
- Lift off the cooktop burner cap and, if removable on your model, the cooktop burner head.
- Wipe away grease and food debris with a damp cloth and mild soap if needed, then dry the parts fully.
- Clear visible burner port debris gently without enlarging any openings.
- Reinstall the cooktop burner head and cooktop burner cap so they sit flat and centered.
- Try lighting the burner again.
Next move: If the burner lights normally now, the problem was poor flame path or poor alignment. If it still clicks without lighting, or never clicks at all while other burners do, the igniter or another burner-specific part is more likely.
Step 4: For an electric burner, compare the bad burner to a working one
This helps narrow the fault to the cooktop surface element or the cooktop burner switch without guessing.
- Turn off power to the cooktop before touching any removable burner parts.
- If your cooktop uses a removable cooktop surface element, remove it and inspect for obvious blistering, breaks, or burned terminals.
- Reseat the cooktop surface element firmly if it is removable, then restore power and test again.
- If the bad burner still stays cold while a matching burner works normally, swap the removable cooktop surface element with the same-size working burner if your model allows it.
- Test again and watch whether the problem follows the element or stays at the same burner position.
Next move: If reseating fixes it, the element had a poor connection. If the problem follows the swapped element, that cooktop surface element is the likely fix. If the same burner position still does not heat with a known-good element, the cooktop burner switch is the stronger suspect.
Step 5: Replace the confirmed burner part or move to the exact next page
By now you should know whether you have a burner setup issue, a bad surface element, a bad burner switch, or a gas burner part problem.
- If a removable electric cooktop surface element failed the swap test, replace the cooktop surface element.
- If the same electric burner position stays dead with a known-good element, replace the cooktop burner switch.
- If a gas burner still will not light after correct cleaning and seating, inspect for a damaged cooktop burner head or weak/no spark at that burner.
- Replace the cooktop burner head if it is warped, cracked, or badly corroded and the cap no longer sits correctly.
- If your issue is really just one burner not heating, use the more focused cooktop burner not heating guide for that exact symptom path.
Repair guide: How to Replace a Cooktop Surface Element
Related repair guide: How to Replace a Cooktop Burner Switch
A good result: Once the burner lights or heats normally on all settings, reassemble everything fully and verify the cooktop cycles and responds normally.
If not: If the cooktop is still not working after the matching burner part is replaced, stop and schedule service for deeper wiring, ignition, or internal component diagnosis.
What to conclude: A clear test result supports a targeted repair. If the result is still mixed or the failure involves hidden wiring, it is time for a more advanced diagnosis.
Replacement Parts
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FAQ
Why did my cooktop stop working all at once?
If every burner stopped working at the same time, start with the breaker, outlet or wiring connection for an electric cooktop, or the gas supply for a gas cooktop. It is much less common for several burner parts to fail at once.
Why does only one cooktop burner not work?
When only one burner fails, the problem is usually local to that burner. On gas models, the cooktop burner cap or cooktop burner head may be dirty, wet, misaligned, or damaged. On electric models, the cooktop surface element or cooktop burner switch is more likely.
My gas cooktop clicks but will not light. What should I check first?
Check that the cooktop burner cap and cooktop burner head are clean, dry, and seated flat. A burner that clicks but does not light often has blocked flame ports or parts that are slightly out of position.
How do I know if the cooktop surface element is bad?
If your model uses removable elements, swap the bad element with a same-size working one. If the problem follows the element, that cooktop surface element is likely bad. If the same burner position stays dead, the cooktop burner switch is more likely.
Should I replace the cooktop burner switch first?
Not usually. Replace the cooktop burner switch only after you have ruled out supply issues and, on removable-element models, tested with a known-good cooktop surface element. The switch is a better suspect when the same burner position stays dead no matter which element is installed.
When should I call a pro for a cooktop that is not working?
Call for service if you smell gas, see burned wiring, have a breaker that keeps tripping, need to open gas connections, or still do not have a clear answer after the basic burner checks. Those problems go beyond simple homeowner troubleshooting.