Here's What Is Means If The Flame On A Gas Stove Lifts Up From The Burner

Electric stoves have their fans, but chefs tend to prefer gas because of the instant heat control and the different cooking techniques that gas allows. Of course, culinary enthusiasts can take advantage of those same benefits at home, and there are a number of gas ranges and stoves to give your kitchen a professional upgrade. These devices are usually reliable, but if the flame lifts up from the burner, something is going wrong. The likely causes are a fault with the gas supply pressure or the amount of air mixing with the gas.

If the flame is uneven and only one or two burners are affected, it's probably because some of the burner ports are dirty and blocking the flow. (It's useful to know how to deep clean a gas stovetop, and how often.) A flame lifting looks rather different. It still burns evenly, but there's a noticeable visual gap between the burner and the flame.

Two things could be happening. Usually, air is mixed with gas to make sure it burns cleanly, but if there's too much air, the flame lifts and eventually could even go out. It may happen with more than one burner, but seldom all of them at once. Excess gas pressure, meanwhile, can cause the same issue but usually affects every burner. The gas is coming through so quickly it doesn't light until it's above the surface.

Gas isn't only highly flammable. If it's not burning properly, it can produce carbon monoxide. It's invisible, has no smell, and is potentially lethal. If you notice signs your gas stove is going bad in any way, it's always a good idea to have a properly qualified professional check it out.

If the problem is air-related (normally not affecting every burner), then depending on the age and type of your gas stove, you may be able to make adjustments yourself. Under each gas burner is an air shutter. On some models it's possible to adjust this after using a (Phillips-head) screwdriver to loosen it; once it's loosened, you can turn the air shutter to adjust the amount of air, watching the flame behavior as you do so. That said, you may prefer to call a service technician, which is the safest course of action. On many stoves the unit is sealed anyway, leaving you no choice.

If the flame lifting up from the burner is a pressure issue (which, as mentioned, you can usually tell because generally it affects all the burners at the same time), the fault might be anywhere in the gas supply line. In that case you definitely need professional help. Attempting to fix it yourself without the relevant skills and experience risks causing a gas leak or even an explosion and could be putting the lives of your family at risk.