KitchenAid Gas Cooktop Keeps Clicking After Cleaning: Check the Burner Cap First

You spent an hour scrubbing the cooktop, and now one burner clicks and clicks or the flame looks lopsided. This is one of the most common calls we get, and the fix is often free.

Start with the burner cap

A burner has a base and a cap. If the cap is rotated, tilted, or sitting on the wrong base, the flame cannot spread evenly and the igniter keeps trying.

1. Turn all burners off and let the grates cool.
2. Lift the cap off and set it down. Look for the small notches or tabs that locate it.
3. Set the cap back so it sits flat with no wobble.
4. Try the burner again with the grate in place.

Check for water

Water in the ports or on the igniter tip can stop a spark from finding gas. Houston humidity makes things worse. Dry the parts with a towel, leave the caps off for an hour, and use a hair dryer on a low setting around the igniter, from a few inches away.

Check the ports

Look at the tiny openings around the burner head. A stuck bit of food or a swollen cleaning fiber can block gas. Clear them with a straight pin or a soft brush, not a toothpick that can snap off.

Other possibilities

• A cracked or loose igniter
• A switch that keeps sending a signal because it got wet
• A burner head that has warped from heat

Safety note

If you smell gas at any point, turn everything off, open windows, leave the home, and call your gas utility from outside. Do not try to find the leak yourself.

If dry, correctly seated parts still click, we can find the cause quickly. Visit our cooktop repair page, and pick an arrival window across the Houston service area.