Falcon [Gas hotplate will not light or will not simmer]what to check

The Falcon dual fuel guides contain no error codes at all, and in their place they publish the clearest hotplate instructions in this category. Two of them account for most of the complaints. The first is a control layout that catches almost everybody. On these cookers the low position is beyond high, not between high and off, so an owner turning the knob back down towards off in search of a gentle flame runs out of travel and concludes the cooker cannot simmer. It can. Keep turning in the same direction past the large flame symbol and the burner drops to its lowest setting. That single sentence answers a large share of the range cooker simmering complaints on the internet, and it is printed in the manufacturer’s own book. The second is the flame supervision device, and Falcon describe it in terms of what you have to do rather than what it is. Push the knob in, turn it to high, and the igniter should spark and light the gas.

Then keep holding the knob pressed in for about ten seconds to let gas through to the burner. If the burner goes out when you let go, Falcon’s wording is that the device has not been bypassed: turn the knob to off, wait one minute, and try again holding the knob in slightly longer. The same one-minute wait applies whenever a burner flame goes out on its own. Two things in the same passage are worth knowing because they look alarming and are not. When any hotplate knob is pressed in, sparks are made at every burner, and Falcon publish that as normal rather than as a fault in the ignition. And there is a real warning attached: do not attempt to disassemble or clean around any burner while another burner is on, because an electric shock could result.

Falcon also publish the numbers for what goes on top. The minimum recommended pan diameter is 160 mm and the maximum allowable pan base diameter is 260 mm, and simmering aids such as asbestos or mesh mats are not recommended because they reduce burner performance and could damage the pan supports — which is worth reading alongside the low-beyond-high point, because a mat is what people reach for when they think their cooker cannot go low enough. If a burner still will not hold after two properly timed attempts on a clean, correctly assembled burner, the wait has stopped being the answer and the flame supervision device or its valve needs a Gas Safe registered engineer.

1. 1

   Push the control knob in and turn it to the high position marked by the large flame symbol, and let the igniter spark.

2. 2

   Keep the knob pressed in for about ten seconds after the burner lights. That is Falcon’s own figure and it is the step people skip.

3. 3

   If the flame dies when you release the knob, turn it to off, wait a full minute, then try again and hold slightly longer.

4. 4

   Expect sparks at every burner while you hold any knob in. Falcon publish that as normal, not as an ignition fault.

5. 5

   For a low flame, keep turning the knob in the same direction past high rather than easing it back towards off.

6. 6

   Use a pan between 160 mm and 260 mm across the base, and take the simmering mat out from under it.

7. 7

   If no burner sparks at all, check the power is on. If they spark and none will light, check another gas appliance in the house is working, and check the burner heads went back on correctly after cleaning and nothing is blocking the igniter or the burner holes.

8. 8

   If a clean, correctly assembled burner still will not hold after two properly timed attempts, stop and book a Gas Safe registered engineer.

   Never clean or dismantle around one burner while another is lit — Falcon warn that an electric shock could result from the igniter. If you can smell gas, follow the list Falcon print: do not turn electric switches on or off, do not smoke or use naked flames, turn off the gas at the meter or cylinder, open doors and windows, keep people away, and ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland.