A gas burner clicks while it's sparking to light — that's normal for a second. But a burner that keeps clicking after it lights, or clicks when it's off, is almost always something simple: moisture, food, or a burner cap that's out of place. Here's the order a tech works it, quickest first.
Water under the burner cap or in the igniter keeps the spark circuit firing until it dries. Very common right after you clean the stovetop or boil something over.
Check it: Turn the burners off. Dry the burner caps, the igniter (the small ceramic nub), and the area around them with a towel; let them air-dry fully (even overnight). This alone stops most clicking.
If the burner cap is off-center or seated wrong, the spark can't reach the gas properly, so the igniter keeps clicking trying to light.
Check it: Turn the burner off, lift the cap, and reseat it squarely on the base — the notches or ports should line up. Make sure it's fully cooled first.
Crumbs or grease in the burner ports or around the igniter block the spark and gas path.
Check it: With the burner off and cool, clean the burner ports with a toothpick or a straightened paperclip and wipe around the igniter.
The real part cause. A cracked igniter or a failing spark module (the box that fires all the igniters) can make one or all burners click nonstop, even when off.
Check it: If it clicks with everything dry and seated — especially if multiple burners click at once — a tech replaces the igniter or the spark module, affordable common parts.
Almost always repair — most clicking is free to fix (dry it, reseat the cap, clean the ports). If it's a worn igniter or spark module, those are inexpensive, common parts with flat labor, far below a new range.
In Middle Tennessee or the Baton Rouge area? We'll come to you, same-day. Anywhere else in the U.S.? Send a 10-second video, a real technician tells you exactly what's wrong for $50 (credited toward the repair), and we ship you the exact part. 24/7 — text, call, or upload anytime.
Most often moisture — water under the burner cap or in the igniter keeps the spark firing until it dries. It's very common right after cleaning or a boil-over. Turn the burners off, dry the caps and igniters, and reseat the caps squarely. If it still clicks with everything dry — especially several burners at once — the igniter or spark module is worn and gets replaced.
The clicking itself is a spark igniter, not a gas leak, and it's generally safe — but turn the burner off so it's not sparking near flowing gas, and dry everything out. If you also smell gas that won't clear, that's a separate emergency: shut it off, ventilate, and call your gas company.
Dry the burner caps and igniters completely, reseat the caps so they sit square, and clean any food from the ports. That stops the vast majority of clicking. If it keeps going with everything dry and seated, a tech replaces the igniter or spark module — cheap common parts.