How to Replace an Oven Ignitor

Gas oven ignitors are generally the source of trouble that has to be replaced when the oven won't heat up. Ignitors are easy to spot as they have a metal covering that has two electrical cables at one end. They are also relatively inexpensive and are easy to install--professional installation can easily cost five times as much as one ignitor, so it's worth the effort to replace it yourself. Also, if the gas and power are turned off first, there's little chance of hurting yourself in the process.

Screwdriver
Ceramic wire nuts

Instructions

- 1
  Turn both the gas and electric supply off to your oven. Remove the "floor" of your oven by lifting it up and out of position. The ignitor is usually at the back, and in the center. Two electrical wires come out of the back of the ignitor and are connected to two wires from the oven with ceramic nuts. Remove both nuts by hand.
- 2
  Unscrew the ignitor's metal cover with a screwdriver, and pull out the ignitor. Screw into position the new ignitor and connect its two wires to the two oven electric wires (use the ceramic wire nuts). Either of the ignitor wires can be connected to either of the oven wires.
- 3
  Reconnect both gas and electricity to the oven. Turn on the oven. If the ignitor starts to glow red after a few seconds, turn it off and replace the "floor" of the oven. However, if the ignitor takes more than two minutes to glow, it is faulty and will have to be replaced, following steps 1 and 2.

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