If you have become accustomed to your gas cooktop, then you have also probably become accustomed to the clicking sound it makes when the burners are trying to ignite. This sound is the spark electrode making electric sparks to ignite the gas that is being released to the burner. Once ignited, the clicking sound will go away. However, if your gas cooktop burner keeps clicking once it is lit, starts clicking suddenly during cooking, or even keeps on clicking when the stove is off, you have a problem and it needs to be fixed.
Not only will this constant clicking get very annoying very quickly, but letting it continue to click will also wear out your igniter much faster. This means that while you might not necessarily need to replace parts of the ignition system when the clicking starts if you just leave it, you will probably need to eventually.
Before troubleshooting this issue, it is important to remember that the clicking you are hearing and any sparking is not necessarily dangerous. It only becomes a danger if there is gas being released from the stove. If you smell or suspect a gas leak, shut off the gas supply, exit your home, and call your utility company.
Even if you don’t suspect a gas leak, when troubleshooting the issue, you will want to turn off the gas supply to your cooktop.
Finally, in order to stop the clicking temporarily while getting to the root cause, you don’t need to make an emergency call to any repair service. You simply need to cut the electricity to your gas cooktop. This will stop the sound and any sparks so you can investigate.
Check The Ignition Switch
If you have ruled out any malfunction of your power or gas supply, your switch might be broken. You can check this by:
Ignition Problems
The pilot flame may fail to ignite the oven burner if it’s poorly adjusted or if the tubes running from the pilot flame to the burners are blocked.
The electric igniter, on the other hand, has two principal functions:
If there’s a problem at any point along this reaction chain, your oven might fail to light.
Ignition problems might include:
How can you troubleshoot problems with the ignition system?
Control Panel Problems
The control panel is like the oven’s brain. It directs the functions of the gas range. An oven that fails to light could have faulty controls. The main culprit in this case usually is a failure of the power output from the controller to the ignition system.
How can you troubleshoot control panel problems?
There’s always a risk of electric shock when troubleshooting control board problems. Because of this, you always want to work with expert appliance repair professionals. An experiened pro will make sure to check for problems with the output relays at the oven’s control board, then be able to advise you on what controls are defective and which of those faulty controls need to be replaced.
FAQ
Is a sparking stove dangerous?
What causes a gas stove to keep sparking?
How do I stop my gas stove from clicking?
- Disconnect your stove from its power source.
- Remove the burner cap.
- Clean around the igniter with a dry toothbrush or other small brush.
- Use a paperclip or sewing needle to unclog the fuel ports.
- Use a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove stubborn grime.
- Replace the burner cap and reconnect stove.
Is a sparking gas hob dangerous?
