Two versions of this call arrive with the same description and need opposite answers, so it is worth separating them before anybody drives out.
Version one: it clicks, then lights late or not at all
Almost always the burner head. Boil-over runs into the ports around the rim, dries, and blocks the gas from reaching the spark. Lift the cap and the head off, and clear each port with a pin rather than anything that could widen it. Let both parts dry completely before they go back, because a damp head produces exactly the same error.
Seating matters more than people expect. A cap sitting a millimeter proud will click all day and never catch.
Version two: it clicks constantly, on every burner
That is moisture or a failed switch in the ignition circuit, and it will keep clicking whether the knobs are on or off. Spills that ran under the control panel, or a kitchen that was steam-cleaned enthusiastically, will do it. Sometimes it dries out over a day. If it does not, the switch or the spark module needs replacing.
In the meantime it is safe but maddening, and the burners can usually still be lit with a match.
The one to stop and call about
If you smell gas at any point, stop. Turn the supply off at the valve behind the range, leave the windows open, and do not use the ignition again until somebody has been out. Clicking is a nuisance; gas that is not burning is not.
Simmering that will not simmer
A different complaint that lands here too. If the flame drops out at the lowest setting, the burner is fine and the valve needs adjusting. There is a small screw inside the valve stem for exactly this, and it is a ten-minute job.
Call (847) 555-0142.
