Cracked or chipped glass cooktop
A glass-ceramic cooktop is the lid over the heating elements or induction coils and the wiring beneath them.
Urgent A cracked cooking surface should not be used at all, and on a range the oven should not be used either, because the oven vents onto the cooktop.
What this symptom usually means
A glass-ceramic cooktop is the lid over the heating elements or induction coils and the wiring beneath them. Once it cracks, it can no longer be trusted to hold a pan's weight, contain a spill, or heat evenly. GE's position is plain: do not use the cooktop until it has been repaired. It adds that on a range you should not use the oven either, because the oven vents out through the backsplash or the rear onto the cooktop. Bosch treats a cracked electric or induction cooktop as a repair for a service technician.
Whirlpool names specific things that can crack the glass. Whirlpool lists dropping a heavy or hard object onto the glass, which is why it advises against storing jars or cans above the cooktop, and leaving a hot lid on the surface: as the cooktop cools, air trapped under the lid can make the glass break when the lid is lifted. Not every line on the glass is a crack, though. LG notes that sliding pans leaves metal marks that come off with cooktop cleaner, that sugary spills and melted plastic can pit the surface, and that hard water leaves white or rainbow rings. Those are cosmetic. A line you can feel with a fingernail, or a chip that has taken a piece out of the surface, is not.
Checks you can do yourself
- Turn it off and leave it offSwitch off any zone that is on and do not use the cooktop again until it has been inspected. If it is part of a range, do not use the oven either (GE). If others in the house might turn it on, switch it off at the breaker.
- Crack or mark?When the surface is cool, run a fingernail across the line. A crack or chip catches. A metal mark from a pan, a hard-water ring or a stain does not, and LG says those can be treated with ceramic cooktop cleaner.
- Do not tape, glue or seal itDo not try to cover or fill a crack. Nothing applied on top makes the glass safe to cook on.
- Clear the surfaceTake pans and anything stored on the cooktop off it. Do not put weight on the glass or lean on it.
- Find the model numberNote the model and serial number from the rating label or your manual; our model and serial number guide explains where to look. The glass is ordered by model.
- Photograph itTake a clear photo of the damage and one of the whole cooktop. It helps us tell you whether glass replacement is likely before a visit.
Nothing above involves gas, wiring, refrigerant or removing panels.
What you notice, and what it can point to
Listed in no particular order. They help you describe the problem; only an inspection confirms the fault.
A line across the glass that catches a fingernail
Could point to: Crack in the glass-ceramic surface
Next step: Stop using the cooktop (and the oven on a range); book
A small piece missing at the front edge or a corner
Could point to: Chip from impact; may carry a crack
Next step: Treat it like a crack: stop using it and book
Grey or silvery lines after moving pans
Could point to: Metal marks from sliding cookware (LG)
Next step: Clean with ceramic cooktop cleaner once cool; lift pans rather than slide them
Small pits or rough spots after a sugary boil-over
Could point to: Pitting from sugar or melted plastic (LG)
Next step: Cosmetic; clean spills right away in future
White, cloudy or rainbow rings
Could point to: Hard-water mineral deposits (LG)
Next step: Use ceramic cooktop cleaner; dry pan bottoms before cooking
Glass broke as a lid left on it was lifted
Could point to: Air trapped under a hot lid (Whirlpool)
Next step: Stop using it and book; do not leave lids on the glass as it cools
How it differs by design
Range versus separate cooktop. On a range the cooktop sits above the oven, and GE says the oven vents out through the backsplash or rear onto the cooktop, so a cracked top takes the whole range out of use. A separate built-in cooktop is independent of any wall oven below or nearby; only the cooktop needs to stop.
Radiant versus induction. Both use a glass-ceramic surface, and Bosch treats a crack in either as a repair for a technician. Either way the crack is a stop sign.
Chips at the edge. Front edges and corners are where pans and dishes hit. A chip that has taken a piece out of the surface or has a crack running from it is treated like a crack until a technician has seen it.
Marks that are not damage. LG lists metal marks, sugar pitting, calcium stains and hard-water rings as surface marks, with specific cleaning advice for each. They do not affect safe use the way a crack does.
What our technician checks
These need panels off, live electrical tests or a licensed trade, so they are left to the technician:
- Lifting or removing the glass top
- Any electrical work on a 240 V cooktop or range
- Disconnecting or reconnecting a hard-wired cooktop at the junction box
- Checking or drying elements, coils or controls after a spill
Waived when you go ahead with the repair. You get the cause, the price and our repair-or-replace verdict in writing before any work.
Repairs a technician may recommend
After inspection, not from the symptom alone.
Glass top replacement
When the glass is cracked or chipped but the elements, coils and controls are sound. On many models the glass comes as an assembly; the finding says what the part includes.
Element or coil replacement
When a crack was caused by, or has damaged, a radiant element or induction coil underneath.
Touch control or control board repair
When a crack runs through the touch-control area or spilled liquid has reached the controls.
Wiring and terminal inspection
When liquid may have entered through the crack. The technician checks for damage before the new glass goes on.
Replacement recommendation
When the glass part is no longer available for the model or its cost is close to that of a new cooktop. The finding says so plainly.
Brands we see with this problem
Codes, parts and access differ by brand; the brand pages cover where the model label is and what to expect.
Cost, and whether to fix it
What the repair costs depends on the part, the labour and whether a second visit is needed for an ordered part; the written finding gives the total before any work. Our guides on what drives repair costs, cooktop repair costs and repair versus replacement explain how to weigh it.
When to book
Book as soon as you find a crack or a chip. Stop using the cooktop, and on a range the oven too, until then. Send us the model number and a photo if you can: whether a replacement glass top is still available for your model is the first question, and it decides whether a repair makes sense. The diagnostic is $89 (+tax), waived if you go ahead with the repair, and you get a written finding and quote before any work, including a plain view of repair against replacement. A hard-wired cooktop is disconnected and reconnected by our technician at the existing junction box. See cooktop repair, induction cooktop repair or stove and range repair. If you are replacing instead, range, cooktop and wall-oven installation covers electric units.
We handle this across Ottawa and Gatineau
Related problems
Cracked or chipped glass cooktop: questions
Can I keep using the cooktop if the crack is small and away from the burners?
No. GE advises not using a cracked cooktop at all until it is repaired, and not using the oven of a range with a cracked top either.
Why did my glass cooktop crack?
Whirlpool names two things that can crack the glass: a heavy or hard object dropped on the glass, and a hot lid left on the surface, which can trap air and break the glass when lifted. Without seeing it, we cannot tell which applies to yours.
Is it a crack or just a scratch?
Cool the surface and run a fingernail across the line. LG notes that sliding pans leaves metal marks that ceramic cooktop cleaner can remove. A line that catches your nail, or a chip, is damage to the glass.
Can just the glass be replaced?
Sometimes. Whether a replacement glass top is available for your model, and whether fitting it makes sense against a new cooktop, is what the finding answers. Send us the model number and we can check before the visit.
Will the warranty cover it?
It depends on the maker, the age and the cause. LG, for example, says damage from sugary spills or melted plastic may not be covered by its limited warranty. Check your warranty and contact the manufacturer if the cooktop is still covered.
Sources
- GE Appliances: Cooktop, glass cracked
- Whirlpool Product Help: Maintenance of ceramic glass
- LG Canada: Ceramic glass cooktop maintenance
- Bosch: Electric cooktop troubleshooting and repair
Sources checked 2026-09-24.
Book the diagnostic
Tell us this symptom and your postal code; it helps us bring the right parts.
Online booking is a request. We confirm the appointment by text or phone within 1 business hour.
- $89 diagnosticWaived when you go ahead with the repair
- Written finding on every visitCause, price and our repair-or-replace verdict
- 90-day warrantyOn labour and the parts we install