Atlanta Stove, Range & Cooktop Repair by Hank's Crew

Gas Smell? Do This Before Anything Else

If you smell gas, leave the burners and knobs alone and don't flip any switches. Get everyone out of the house and call your gas utility's leak line or 911 once you're outside. A burner that clicks but won't light is a repair; a gas smell is a job for the gas utility first.

On a glass or ceramic cooktop, a crack is the other stop sign. Turn the cooktop off at the breaker and don't use it until the top is replaced.

Hank's Five-Minute Stove Checks

1. Burner caps sitting right? After cleaning, a cap that's slightly off center can keep a gas burner from lighting or make the flame lopsided.
2. Is the burner wet? A boil-over can soak the igniter. Let it dry fully, and nonstop clicking often stops on its own.
3. Coil element seated? On electric coil stoves, unplug the cold element and plug it back in firmly. Swap it with a same-size coil to see whether the coil or the outlet underneath is the problem.
4. Breaker check. Electric ranges sit on a double breaker. Switch it fully off and back on, since a supply problem on one side can leave the clock lit while elements stay cold.
5. Control lock on? Many glass and induction cooktops have a lock button. A lock icon on the panel is the giveaway.

How a Mars Visit Goes

You call. Brand, gas or electric, freestanding range or cooktop, and what's going on. You get a window, usually same- or next-day.

We figure it out. The tech checks igniters, spark parts, burners and gas flow on gas models, or elements, switches, wiring and the control on electric and induction models. You get the straight version of what failed and what it takes, before anything gets taken apart for good. You decide whether to go ahead.

We fix it and fire it up. We install genuine or OEM-approved parts, light or heat every burner, and make sure the knobs and controls do what they say. Work is covered by a warranty of up to 6 months on parts and labor.

The Parts That Usually Quit

Gas burners and gas cooktops

• Igniters and electrodes that crack or get crusted with spills.
• Spark module and spark switches behind each knob.
• Burner heads, caps and ports that clog.
• Gas valves for each burner.

Electric coil ranges

• Coil elements and the receptacles they plug into, which can scorch.
• Infinite switches that set how hot each coil runs.

Glass and ceramic smooth tops

• Radiant elements under the glass, with their limiters.
• Switches, relays and control boards.
• Hot-surface indicator lights.
• The glass top itself when it's cracked or chipped.

Induction cooktops

• Induction coils and power boards.
• Cooling fans, which keep the electronics from overheating.
• Touch control panels.

Every Kind of Stove We Fix

Freestanding and slide-in ranges, gas, electric and dual-fuel, with the oven below.

Drop-in and built-in cooktops, gas, radiant glass and induction.

Pro-style ranges with big burners, griddles and grills from brands like Wolf, Viking, Thermador and BlueStar.

Older stoves with coil burners and mechanical switches. Simple machines, and worth keeping running.

One more thing we check when a range gets pulled out: the anti-tip bracket. It keeps a freestanding range from tipping if a kid climbs on the open oven door, and it should always be in place.

Fix It or Replace It? Hank's Straight Answer

Fix it, most of the time. Igniters, spark modules, switches, elements and receptacles are standard parts, and a slide-in or pro-style range is a lot to replace.

When I'd hesitate: an older budget cooktop with a cracked glass top, where the new glass is a big chunk of what a new cooktop runs. Or a range with a failed control board that the maker doesn't produce anymore. If that's where we land, you'll hear it from me straight.

Brands We Service

We service stoves, ranges and cooktops from GE, GE Profile, GE Café, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Samsung, LG, KitchenAid, Maytag, Bosch, Electrolux, Kenmore, Amana and Hotpoint, plus Wolf, Viking, Thermador, Monogram, Jenn-Air, Miele, Dacor, BlueStar, Bertazzoni and Fisher & Paykel. Years of hands-on work with these ranges is what our techs bring to your kitchen.

Mars Appliance Repair is an independent, family-owned company, not affiliated with or endorsed by any range or cooktop maker. Brand names are here only to show what we work on.

Stove Habits Hank Swears By

• Wipe spills once the burner cools, before they bake into the ports and igniters.
• Dry burner parts completely after washing them, and put the caps back centered.
• Use flat-bottomed pans on glass tops and induction. A warped pan heats unevenly and can scratch the glass.
• Don't slide heavy pots across a glass top.
• Keep a magnet in the drawer if you cook on induction. If it sticks to the pan, the pan will work.
• Don't use the cooktop as a shelf. A forgotten knob plus a cereal box is a bad combination.

Pick Your Next Troublemaker

Where Hank's Crew Rolls

We fix stoves and cooktops throughout metro Atlanta, from Gainesville to McDonough and Douglasville to Lawrenceville. That includes Atlanta, Decatur, Marietta, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Roswell, Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Alpharetta. Enter your ZIP code in the form to see if we cover your address.

Stove and cooktop calls go out from 1945 The Exchange SE, Atlanta, GA 30339.

Book a Stove Tech in 30 Seconds

Call (470) 516-8711, where real people pick up 24/7, or leave your number in the form and we'll call you back to set a same- or next-day slot.