Gas cooktop igniter keeps clicking or won't spark
The cooktop's spark igniters click continuously (even with everything off), click at every burner at once, or don't spark at all. The ignition system is electrical — and it's usually moisture or a stuck switch.
Safety first
Two trades meet here: the ignition electrics are electrical work, but anything on the gas side — valves, injectors, gas leaks, burner adjustment — is licensed gasfitting. If you smell gas, stop, ventilate, isolate the gas and treat it as a gas emergency, not a fault-finding exercise. Isolate the cooktop's supply (usually a plug under the bench or an isolation point) before working on the loom.
Isolate, lock out / tag out, and prove dead before working unless a live test is specifically required, authorised, and carried out under proper supervision. Always follow local regulations, your site procedures, and the equipment manufacturer's documentation.
Apprentice mode
Full walk-through — the why, what readings mean, mistakes & safety.
Likely causes
Ranked from most to least likely.
- 1
Moisture around the igniters or switch loom
Most likelyA boil-over or enthusiastic cleaning wets the igniter wells and micro-switches. The spark module sees a path and clicks away at every burner until it dries — far and away the most common cause.
- 2
A stuck or failed burner micro-switch
#2Each control knob has a little switch that fires the module. One stuck closed keeps the whole bank clicking with everything off; one failed open means that burner never sparks.
- 3
Cracked igniter ceramic tracking to chassis
#3A chipped or cracked ceramic lets the spark track to the body instead of the electrode gap — weak or no spark at that burner, sometimes ticking to earth.
- 4
Faulty spark module
#4The generator itself fails — no spark at ANY burner with healthy switches, or continuous output. It's a plug-in replaceable box on most cooktops.
- 5
No supply to the cooktop
Least likelyFor a completely dead ignition system: the plug under the bench, its socket, or the circuit — burners still light with a match, which is the giveaway.
Reports are saved on this device to reflect what you actually find.
Testing sequence
Work through one test at a time. Expected reading and what each result means.
On the tools? Job Mode shows one test at a time with thumb-sized buttons — your place and readings carry straight over.
Enter Job ModePattern first: clicking with all knobs off? All burners at once or one? No spark at one burner or all? And did it start after cleaning or a boil-over?
A pattern that separates moisture (all burners, after wetting) from one switch/igniter (single burner).
Recent wetting + all-burner clicking = moisture; give it the dry-out test next.
A single burner misbehaving points at its switch or igniter specifically.
View all expected readings at once
Fault-finding flowchart
The same logic as a decision tree.
- 1start
Cooktop igniter clicking / not sparking
→ step 2 - 2decision
Recent boil-over or wash-down, and it's clicking at all burners?
Yes→ step 3No→ step 4 - 3result
Moisture — isolate and dry the wells and switches properly, then retest.
- 4decision
Does one burner switch test closed at rest (or never close)?
Yes→ step 5No→ step 6 - 5result
Replace the faulty micro-switch/loom — that's the clicker.
- 6decision
Igniter ceramics cracked or tracking?
Yes→ step 7No→ step 8 - 7result
Replace the damaged igniter(s).
- 8result
Substitute the spark module like-for-like — last suspect standing.
Common mistakes apprentices make
- Condemning the spark module while the wells are still wet — most 'faulty' modules just needed a proper dry-out.
- Forgetting the cooktop is usually plug-connected under the bench — five minutes of cabinet archaeology beats guessing.
- Touching the gas side (injectors, valves, aeration) without a gasfitting licence.
- Testing igniter output by holding the lead — the module bites.
When to stop & escalate
Anything gas — smells, yellow flames, valves, regulators — is licensed gasfitting: hand it over. If the appliance needs disassembly beyond the ignition loom, weigh an appliance tech against repair economics. Persistent tracking after module and igniter replacement means the loom/chassis insulation is tired — quote replacement honestly.
If you're past your competence, authorisation, or the safe limits of the job — stop and hand it on. There's no fault worth getting hurt over.
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