New Range Igniter Clicks No Flame At Install Decision Tree

Why this matters

A new gas range whose surface igniter clicks but produces no flame is a high-frequency install callback, and the cause is usually that gas is not yet reaching the burner: the shutoff is closed, the line is full of air, or the LP/natural-gas conversion was not done. The spark working proves the ignition circuit; the missing flame proves a gas-delivery problem. Misreading this as a defective valve or spark module gets a good range swapped while the closed cock or unbled line follows the replacement. Because the work is on a fuel-gas appliance, the isolation and the leak check are safety-critical, not optional.

Symptom presentation

Turning the surface knob produces the normal clicking of the spark electrode, but the burner does not light, or lights briefly and goes out. The clicking proves 120 V to the spark module and a working electrode. The absence of a sustained flame proves gas is not arriving in usable form. Note whether one burner or all burners fail: all burners means a supply-wide gas problem; one burner means that burner's port, electrode gap, or valve. Note also the smell - a faint gas odor at the burner means gas is reaching it but not igniting (an ignition or air-mix issue), while no odor at all after several seconds of clicking means gas is not getting there (supply, shutoff, bleed, or conversion).

Quick checks

• Confirm the manual gas shutoff at the range is fully open and the supply line was bled. A new connection holds air; the first attempts will click without lighting until the air clears.
• Confirm gas type. If the home runs LP (propane) and the range shipped configured for natural gas (or vice versa), the orifices/regulator must be converted per the included kit. An unconverted range will not light correctly.
• Confirm the regulator is set for the correct fuel (NAT/LP selector on the pressure regulator).
• Confirm the burner caps and heads are seated correctly; a cap knocked askew in shipping blocks the port and the flame jumps the gap.
• Confirm the electrode is dry and the gap is correct. Packaging moisture or a bent electrode weakens the spark.
• Confirm the range cord is on a live 120 V outlet (no spark at all means no power or a dead module).

Isolation tree

Branch A: All burners click, none light.

• Gas shutoff closed or line not bled -> open the cock, bleed the line, retry several times to clear air. Resolved.
• Gas on and bled, still no flame on any burner -> fuel-conversion mismatch (range set for the wrong gas) or regulator on the wrong setting. Verify and convert per the kit.

Branch B: One burner clicks, no flame; others light.

• That burner's cap/head misseated or port blocked -> reseat the cap, clear the ports.
• Electrode gap wrong or wet on that burner -> dry, regap, or replace a cracked electrode.
• That burner's valve not opening -> warranty valve on a new unit.

Branch C: No clicking at all.

• No 120 V / dead spark module -> meter the outlet, then suspect the module. Not a gas problem.

Branch D: Lights then goes out.

• Flame sense / weak supply pressure -> confirm inlet pressure is in spec and the regulator is correct; a starved burner lights and drops. For natural gas the manifold pressure target is commonly around 4 inches water column and for LP around 10 to 11 inches water column; a regulator left on the wrong fuel setting starves or floods the burner. A burner that lights then dies on every burner points at low inlet pressure or a wrong regulator setting, not a single bad valve.

Branch E: All burners click and light, but the flame is yellow or lazy.

• Wrong-fuel orifices (range set for natural gas but fed LP, or the reverse) -> the flame quality is off even though it lights. This is still a conversion miss and must be corrected for safe, complete combustion.

Confirming diagnosis

The split is gas-delivery versus ignition. Clicking confirms ignition is alive, so a no-flame-all-burners case lands on supply: shutoff, bleed, or fuel conversion. Confirm by opening the cock and bleeding, then re-testing; if still dead on every burner, verify the regulator selector and the orifice configuration against the home's fuel and read the manifold pressure against spec (roughly 4 in WC natural / 10 to 11 in WC LP). For a single dead burner with others lighting, the fault is local to that burner: a misseated cap, a wet or misgapped electrode, or a valve not opening - confirmed by reseating the cap and drying/regapping the electrode, then watching whether that burner lights. Document the shutoff state, whether the line was bled, the fuel type versus the range configuration, the regulator setting, and the measured manifold pressure. That package separates "installer/supply correction" from "warranty valve or module."

Remediation

• Closed shutoff / unbled line: open the cock, bleed, retry, leak-check the connection.
• Fuel-type mismatch: perform the LP/NAT conversion per the included kit, set the regulator correctly, leak-check.
• Misseated cap or blocked port: reseat the cap, clear the ports, re-test.
• Wet or misgapped electrode: dry, regap, or replace; re-test the spark and flame.
• Confirmed valve or spark-module defect on a new unit: warranty part per manufacturer policy; leak-check after any gas-side work.

Re-verify by lighting every surface burner, confirming a stable blue flame and clean carryover, and leak-checking the supply connection.

References

• ANSI Z21.1 / CSA 1.1 - household gas ranges; construction, conversion, and gas-train safety basis.
• ANSI Z223.1 / NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code) - gas piping, shutoff, and connection requirements.
• UL 858, Standard for Household Electric Ranges - electrical-side safety basis for the appliance.
• Manufacturer installation and conversion instructions - LP/NAT orifice and regulator setup shipped with the unit.