An orange flame on your gas stove usually means the burner is not getting enough air, and you can fix it by cleaning the burner and adjusting the air shutter. It sounds a little technical, but it is actually simple once you know what to look for.
Start by turning off the stove and letting everything cool. Remove the burner cap and lift the burner head. If you see food bits, grease, or dust stuck in the holes, that is likely the problem. Use a small brush or a toothpick to clear the clogged openings. Even a tiny blockage can change the flame color.
Next, check the air shutter. This is a small metal slider near the burner tube. When it is too closed, the flame gets less air and turns orange. Gently move the shutter open a little and test the flame again. You want a steady blue flame with a small yellow tip.
If the flame is still orange, make sure the burner parts are sitting correctly. Misaligned pieces can also affect airflow.
Most of the time, a good cleaning and a tiny air adjustment are all you need. If the flame stays orange after trying these steps, it might be time to call a technician to check for deeper issues.
What an Orange Flame Really Means
When your gas stove shows an orange flame instead of blue, the main reason is incomplete combustion. This simply means the gas is not burning fully. Gas needs both fuel and oxygen to burn correctly. If the burner does not get enough air or if something interrupts the gas flow, the flame loses its bright blue color and turns orange. The orange glow comes from tiny particles heating up and burning inside the flame.
This can happen even if the stove looks clean on the outside. Grease, crumbs, and dust settle inside the burner holes and change the way the flame forms. Another reason is moisture. When water enters the burner after a spill or heavy cleaning, it blocks parts of the burner, and the gas burns unevenly.
Sometimes the burner itself is the problem. If the metal is worn out or rusty, the gas will not spread evenly and parts of the flame turn orange. This is especially common in older gas stoves.
Safety Risks of Using a Stove With an Orange Flame
Using your stove with an orange flame is not immediately deadly, but it does carry real safety risks. One of the biggest dangers is carbon monoxide. When gas burns without enough oxygen, carbon monoxide can form. You cannot smell it or see it, and breathing it for too long can make you dizzy, tired, or sick. In extreme situations, it can be life threatening.
Another safety issue is soot. When a flame burns orange, it makes tiny black particles that settle on your pots, pans, and even the walls of your kitchen. This soot shows the stove is burning fuel in the wrong way. Soot can damage cookware and leave dark marks that are hard to clean.
An orange flame is also weaker than a blue flame. It wastes more gas because it takes longer to heat food. Over time, this increases your gas bill. Your cooking becomes uneven too. Water takes longer to boil, and food might cook slower than usual.
Your stove may also become noisier. Flames with incorrect airflow sometimes make soft popping or hissing noises. This is a sign something is not right.
Check for Dirt or Grease Buildup in the Burner
Dirt and grease are the most common causes of orange flames. Even if you clean your stove regularly, small amounts of grease and crumbs can slip into the burner holes. The gas passes through these tiny holes, so if anything blocks them, the flame becomes uneven and changes color.
Boilovers from rice, pasta, milk, or soup easily drip into the burner. When the liquid dries, it leaves behind a sticky layer that stops the gas from flowing properly. Even a thin layer of grease on the burner cap changes how the flame forms. When the grease heats up, it burns and turns the flame orange.
Dust is another thing people forget about. Every kitchen collects dust, and it can settle on the burner overnight. When you turn the stove on in the morning, the dust burns and makes the flame flash orange for a few seconds. This is normal. But if the orange color stays, then the dirt has built up inside the burner and needs cleaning.
Once the burner becomes dirty enough, the flame may lean to one side or flicker. This means one part of the burner is clogged more than the others. Cleaning the burner is usually the best first solution because it solves the problem most of the time.
Clean the Burner Ports Properly
Burner ports are the small holes around the burner where the gas comes out. They are small, and because of that, they get blocked easily. Cleaning them properly can make a huge difference. When these holes are blocked, gas escapes unevenly, and the flame does not stay blue.
To clean them, remove the burner head and look closely at the holes. If you see dark spots, crumbs, or shiny grease, those are signs of clogging. A toothpick or a wooden skewer works well to gently clean out each hole. Be careful not to scratch the metal or push too hard because widening the holes can damage the burner permanently.
Once the holes are clear, soak the burner in warm soapy water. This removes deeper grease and stuck-on food. Scrub lightly and rinse well so no soap stays behind. Soap residue can also burn orange, so rinsing is important. Let the burner dry completely before putting it back. Even a small amount of moisture can cause sputtering or an orange flame.
If the burner has heavy rust or the holes are damaged, cleaning may not fix the problem. In that case, replacing the burner head is safer and more effective.
Adjust the Air Shutter for Better Airflow
The air shutter controls how much air mixes with the gas. Without enough air, the flame becomes orange and weak. Too much air and the flame becomes loud or spreads in a strange shape. Finding the right balance is important.
The air shutter is usually a small adjustable piece under the stove or near the burner tube. When it is partly blocked by dust or grease, the flame does not get enough oxygen. You can open or close the shutter by turning a small screw.
Adjusting the shutter is simple. Turn the screw slowly, and watch how the flame reacts. When the flame turns blue and steady, leave it in that position. If the shutter is stuck because of rust, do not force it. A stuck shutter can break easily, and you may need a technician to help.
Good airflow helps the stove burn fuel more cleanly, which saves gas and cooks your food faster.
Fixing Gas and Oxygen Ratio Problems
Your stove needs the right mix of gas and oxygen to burn with a clean blue flame. When the balance changes, the flame does too. Sometimes the gas pressure is too high or too low. Sometimes the burner is dirty or airflow in the kitchen is low.
If your flame changes color at different knob settings, this is a sign of imbalance. Turn the flame to low, medium, and high to see if the color changes. If the flame turns blue at low but orange at high, gas might be rushing out too fast for the air to keep up.
Opening a window or turning on a fan can help improve the oxygen supply. If that fixes the flame, the problem was low airflow.
If nothing changes, then the burner or gas line may need deeper cleaning or adjustment.
Check for Moisture or Humidity Issues
Moisture is a silent troublemaker. Water from spills, cleaning, or steam can collect inside the burner. When the burner gets wet, the gas burns unevenly and the flame turns orange.
If your flame turns orange right after you wash the stove, moisture is likely the problem. Many people spray cleaners directly onto the burner, but this causes liquid to drip inside the ports. Even if the top looks dry, the inside may still be damp.
Humidity also affects the flame, especially during rainy seasons. Moist air settles on the stove and makes dirt stick more tightly to the burner.
To fix this, let the burner dry naturally or place it in the sun for a few minutes. You can also use a fan. Once the burner is fully dry, the flame usually turns blue again.
Inspect the Gas Supply and Pressure
If the gas pressure is wrong, the flame will not burn properly. Low pressure creates soft, small, orange flames. High pressure creates loud, shaking flames.
You can check if the problem is from the main gas supply by turning on another appliance, like a gas heater or another burner. If both flames look strange, the issue is not your stove. It is the gas line or regulator.
Loose gas connections also lower pressure. Sometimes the hose behind the stove becomes loose over time. If you smell gas or hear a faint hiss, this must be checked immediately. Do not ignore gas smells.
If the regulator near the gas cylinder is old or damaged, it can also cause unstable gas pressure. Regulators wear out slowly, and a failing one can cause sudden changes in flame color.
These are problems that need a trained technician to check safely.
Look for Rust, Soap Residue, or Contamination
Rust, soap, and food residue can all change your flame color. Rust falls from old burner caps or metal parts and blocks the burner holes. Soap from cleaning sprays burns orange when heated. Spices or sugar stuck to the burner also burn with bright colors.
Turmeric, chili powder, and sugar melt easily when heated. If any of these spill into the burner, the flame may turn orange for several uses. Removing the burner and washing it gently usually fixes the contamination problem.
Look for discoloration, sticky spots, or orange or white residue. Clean everything thoroughly and dry well before use.
A clean burner surface leads to a clean blue flame.
When You Should Call a Professional
If you have cleaned the burner, adjusted the air shutter, dried out moisture, and checked the gas supply but the flame still stays orange, it is time to call a professional. Some issues require opening the stove, checking internal gas tubes, testing pressure, or replacing damaged parts. These are not safe to do without training.
If you smell gas often, see the flame changing color suddenly, or notice the burner making loud unusual sounds, you should get help right away. Gas leaks and pressure problems are serious and need proper tools to diagnose.
Calling a technician makes your kitchen safe and ensures your stove works correctly again.