I have a gas cooktop, but it ignites with a spark of electricity. i hear a ticking on the inside of the cooktop like something inside is trying to ignite. The burners turn on, but there is a constant trying to ignite the burner even after the burner is lit.

sticking or faulty igniter

Good Morning Friend,

I understand that you are having trouble with one of the igniters on your Frigidaire gas cooktop. I see that the igniter kept ticking, which led you to turn off the power to your cooktop. Now that you have had the power off, I suggest turning the power back on to see if it continues to tick. I ask that you please follow up with a comment on the post, at your convenience, to advise if further troubleshooting is needed or if your range status has changed successfully. Hope this is helpful.

-Best Regards-
WP

Problem is the insulation on the spark wires is dried and cracked. I bet you can hear the sparking coming from inside the unit, rather than where you see the spark, correct? The excess voltage is grounding inside, rather than thru the flame. I believe you pull the burners off and tap those brass rings with a screwdriver/hammer (or buy the correct tool). Then you can lift the entire top off.

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Hi,

Here is a tip that I wrote to give details about why your cooktop will not spark to light the burners..

Cooktop Range Stove spark ignition does not work

heatman101

Hi,
Here is a tip that I wrote to help people troubleshoot problems with their cooktops not igniting.

Cooktop Range Stove spark ignition does not work
http://www.fixya.com/support/r5649407-cooktop_range_stove_spark_ignition_not

heatman101

Hi,
Here is a tip that I wrote to help people troubleshoot problems with their cooktops not igniting.

Cooktop Range Stove spark ignition does not work
http://www.fixya.com/support/r5649407-cooktop_range_stove_spark_ignition_not

heatman101

Electric gas igniters sometimes get stuck in one position causing a clicking sound. The clicking sound that you hear is the electric arc that is pulsing from the igniter conductor (wire) to ground (the gas burner). It receives power from the electrical outlet that the stove is plugged into.
Residue from food and sometimes cleaning products may be preventing the igniter from producing a spark (Arc) to the base of the burner. This is a common problem that occurs when the stove has been cleaned or food is allowed to build up. Make sure that the igniter and the burner base are clean and dry. This will help with proper operation. Oven cleaner and a small tooth brush may be used to accomplish this. Another problem with ignition may occur if you have too little (touching) or too much space between the igniter and the base of the burner; it will prevent the burner from igniting. You should only have a little more space than the thickness of a nickel between the burner base and the igniter. A good “blue” arc from the igniter to the burner base is optimal. If this doesn’t work, you may need to replace the electric igniter module. Good luck.

If you can hear the clicking sound but are not getting a spark then there is probably a short in the ignition system. Check for any loose wires on the ignition system. Make sure all the wires are properly seated. Make sure the spark module is properly grounded. As far as testing the spark module it should be generating a spark of course. The problem is that the average voltage for the spark module is 15,000 VDC so actual testing of that voltage can be difficult. Is the spark erratic?(should spark evenly). An erratic spark timing is a sign of a bad spark module. Is the spark slow? Check the polarity of the electrical plug. If it is clicking evenly then it is probably arcing somewhere inside the cooktop and you just need to find out where. Also be aware that if you get water into the cooktop that can cause possible grounding of the spark module or ignition system.

My Dacor cooktop had a similar problem of continuously clicking igniters. I unplugged it a couple months ago and used a piezoelectric igniter to get it started. Then I looked in the Dacor FAQ and it said to clean the ceramic igniter posts with alcohol not water. I had to scrape some gunk off a couple of the posts with a knife before cleaning with alcohol. Now it works.'

I think the igniters use electrical conductivity to detect when they need to spark, so even slight invisible contamination on the igniter insulator can confuse the sensing system. Also they all seem to fire as a group, so all of them need to be clean because if any one of them is dirty then they will all malfunction.

Under each gas control is a switch that will turn on the spark module when rotated to the light position. One or more of these switches has failed. Some models these switches are individually replaceable, others the switch is an assembly of all four.