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A close view of a gas burner on a black cooktop set into a white quartz countertop, a tiny blue spark jumping from the ceramic electrode beside an unlit burner, its grate lifted aside.

Cooktop
Igniter Keeps Clicking

The spark keeps ticking after the burner has lit, ticks with every knob off, or every burner clicks together whenever one is turned.

(844) 252-4077

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 5 causes, cheapest first

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Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 252-4077

What it
usually means.

On most gas cooktops every electrode sparks whenever any knob is turned to light, so a chorus of clicks while one burner catches is expected. Clicking that goes on after the flame is steady, or clicking with every knob off, means the spark module is being told to fire when it should not. The usual culprit is moisture: a boil-over or a wet wipe-down sends water into the small spark switches on the valve stems, and the module keeps firing until they dry. On cooktops and rangetops with automatic reignition, a flame that does not wrap its electrode fully also keeps the module ticking, because it believes the flame has gone out.

A technician's hand presses a new white ceramic electrode into place beside a bare burner base on a stainless gas cooktop built into a countertop in a US home kitchen. The 5 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

Does the clicking happen with every knob off, or only while a burner is lit?
02

Did it begin after a cleaning or a spill?
03

Does it stop when that flame is turned up?
04

Is it one electrode sparking, or all of them?
05

Does your cooktop or rangetop relight burners on its own?

Check these
before you book.

Cooktop igniter keeps clicking: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

If it clicks with every knob off, turn off the cooktop's breaker so the module stops.

02

Remove the caps, dry the burners and seat each cap flat before trying again.

03

After a spill, keep the power off for a day so water in the switches can dry out.

Also worth checking

  • Note whether the clicking comes from one burner or from all of them.
  • Tell us whether your model relights burners automatically; that changes where the problem is looked for.

How soon does it need a visit?

Clicking that will not stop is a nuisance rather than a danger, and it can wait for a scheduled visit. Cut the breaker if it keeps going. If you smell gas while it ticks and the burner does not catch, turn the knob off, leave, and call the gas utility from outside.

The causes,
cheapest first.

5 things cooktop igniter keeps clicking turns out to be, from water in the spark switches to spark module failing.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    Water in the spark switches

    Liquid that reaches the switches on the knob stems holds them closed. With power to the cooktop switched off, let it dry for a day; the clicking often stops by itself.

    No repair: check it yourself
  2. 02 no repair

    Cap askew on a reignition model

    Reignition systems watch for flame at the electrode. A cap sitting crooked lifts the flame away from it, and the module keeps sparking to relight a burner that is already lit.

    No repair: check it yourself See cooktop flame yellow or uneven
  3. 03 low

    Worn or scorched spark switch

    A switch that has cracked or been burned stays closed even when dry, so the module fires without a pause.

    Fixed by spark module and gas valve repair
  4. 04 low

    Electrode lead leaking spark to the burner box

    A lead to one electrode that has chafed through or been soaked can bleed spark to bare metal, and the module never gets the signal to stop.

    Fixed by burner and igniter repair
  5. 05 low to moderate

    Spark module failing

    A module that sparks with every switch open, or ticks slowly and weakly, has reached the end of its life and is replaced.

    Fixed by spark module and gas valve repair
  6. What it costs

    Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side

    Open the cost guide

The makes
it happens on.

29 makes on this site; cooktop igniter keeps clicking can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 29 brands

Cooktop Igniter Keeps Clicking,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

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Questions about
cooktop igniter keeps clicking.

Every burner ticks when I turn just one knob. Is that normal?
Most spark systems fire every electrode at once. That is normal as long as the ticking stops once the burner you wanted is lit.
Can I speed up the drying with heat?
Use a fan or simply time rather than heat, and keep the power off while it dries. Heat aimed at the control area can warp knobs and trim.
My pro rangetop clicks on its lowest setting. Is that normal?
On some rangetops with an extra-low simmer, the burner cycles off and relights to hold the setting, and each relight clicks. The manual for your model says whether that is expected.
Will constant clicking wear out the spark module?
Over time it can. The module is meant for short bursts, not hours of sparking, which is another reason to cut power until the cause is found.

Back to your everyday

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