I used to think the natural gas (NG) delivered to my home was just that, pure, unadulterated methane gas. Not so. NG has impurities. Plus, air has impurities. My mind has impurities. (More on that some other time :).

The point is, those impurities burn and can form debris and powder residue, which accumulates over time. Chances are if your stove hasn’t been restored to within an inch of its life, that debris could still be lurking in your stove’s gas network. It could have been accumulating since its birth!

Have you noticed a white power residue ? The white powder produced from gas combustion is magnesium oxide. It clings to surfaces within close proximity to the flames. It’s resistant to heat and electrically non-conductive.

Splashed food can inadvertently land on the burner openings clogging them, or enter the burners thru the openings.

While it is not possible to scrub inside pilot, cooktop, oven/broiler burners, it’s not impossible to clear out loose debris and wipe away residue.

Manual tools, like a paperclip, toothpicks, pipe cleaners or dental tools, can clear the burner holes; tapping with wood, rubber, plastic or leather hammers can loosen debris inside the burners. Wire snaked through small tubes can dislodge debris inside. If using metal tools, be careful to not damage the openings.

Canned air for dust blasting could help. If you have access to an air compressor, you can blast the debris out before reassembling everything.

All in all, it’s best to clear debris while the parts are separate from the stove, so it doesn’t end up clogging something further downstream.