Why Are My Gas Cooktop Burners Noisy?

“Noisy” is such an incredibly vague term when it is used for appliances. While all appliances can manifest noise through regular use, you only expect your gas stove to make certain noises. When it manifests other noises that you are not accustomed to, you may be tempted to panic. After all, a gas cooktop uses highly combustible natural gas to function and you can be understandably uncomfortable anytime it has any problem.

In gas stoves, there are noises that you can expect. You expect to hear the clicking of the igniter that is trying to ignite the gas. You can expect to hear a slight hiss when the gas is being released to be ignited. You can even expect to hear a whoosh when the flame finally kicks in. However, any other noises are not normal and need to be dealt with.

What Your Noisy Gas Cooktop Means

If your gas cooktop is manifesting louder than normal hissing, humming or whining, the unfortunate truth is that it is most likely an issue with the gas-releasing parts of your stove. As you can expect, trying to make these repairs yourself can be complicated and dangerous if not done correctly. When your gas cooktop is making noises, it is likely in your best interest to consider having a professional repair technician to come out and solve them just to make sure everything is done right and done safely. However, if you feel confident in your ability or simply want to diagnose the problem yourself first, here is everything that can be causing this issue.

Hissing Noise

If your stove is manifesting a hum or a louder than normal hissing, then it is most likely an issue with the fuel to air ratio. Either too much gas or too much air is flowing, which creates a louder than normal hissing sound. When your burner does ignite, you may also notice other symptoms like yellow tipping of the flame or yellow flame altogether. No matter whether there is too much gas or too much air, the solution is the same. You need to adjust the air shutter under your burner.

The air shutter is located at the end of your burner tube which may be connected to the burner head in some models. You will need to start by shutting off the gas to your stove. This is for safety. This repair doesn’t involve any actual gas line parts, so it should be well within you’re your appliance repair wheelhouse if you don’t want to touch any gas parts of your stove.

Once the gas is shut off, remove the grates and remove the top cover of your stove. For some models, you will need to remove the knobs and the burner heads to do this. The burner tube is located directly under the burner head. You should be able to trace the tube to where you find a small slot in the end with a screw next to it. This is the air shutter.

By loosening the screw located next to the slot, you should be able to twist the metal so that the slot grows bigger or smaller. If you notice yellow in the burner flame, you will likely want to make the slot smaller to restrict airflow. Unfortunately, this is a sort of trial and error adjustment. You will still hear hissing from the gas being released, but it should be less loud. Your flame should also be perfectly blue when properly adjusted.

Whining Noise

If your gas stove is whining, this can be an issue with the air shutter, and you should definitely check that first. However, if you adjust the air shutter and the whining still persists, then it is likely a much more serious problem. Whining in a gas cooktop is likely coming from the regulator. The regulator is located at the end of the gas line and regulates the gas pressure that gets sent to the burners. The whining noise can be a sign that gas is struggling to get sent to the burners, especially if you notice signs like a weak flame.

As you may expect, this is one of those repairs that you may want to leave to a professional, but as long as you are careful to seal it correctly, it can be done.

Once the gas is shut off and the stove is disconnected from the electricity, you can remove the gas hose with a wrench. Next, you will want to remove the fitting from the same area out of the regulator. Finally, the regulator itself can be unthreaded. You will want to make sure to clean the connection above where the old regulator was attached. It may have some residue and failure to clean it may not result in a solid seal formed by the new regulator.

Once the area is cleaned, a new gas regulator made specifically for your make and model of the stove can be attached. Make sure the fitting and the gas supply hose are all firmly attached without overly securing them. Using too much force here can cause damage to the parts.

Clicking Noise

The final curious noise your gas stove can manifest is a clicking noise. What you are hearing when a gas stove is clicking is the igniter making a spark to ignite the gas. This is normal when lighting a stove. However, the clicking should stop when the flame ignites. If you continue to hear a clicking, it could mean a faulty spark electrode, a faulty switch, or it could just mean your stove is wet.

If a pot boils over and your stove starts clicking, it is nothing to worry about. This happens when moisture is introduced to the area and it should stop. If you turn off the flame and it keeps clicking, You may want to shut off the electricity to the stove and let it dry out for at least a few hours.

If a stove starts clicking without cause, you may want to test the electrode or the switch underneath it for proper continuity.