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Caution:
Please read our safety
information before attempting any testing or repairs.
Before testing the heating element, unplug
the appliance or shut off the power at the fuse
box or breaker
panel to avoid an electrical shock hazard.
The stove's burner heating element
is a coil of metal sheathed in an insulator. Electrical current
travels through the element. Resistance to the passing of electrical
current causes the element to heat up. A precise temperature
cannot be set for a burner, instead it is turned on and off
repeatedly by the control to the achieve an average temperature.
When it is set to a low temperature, the element is cycled
on and off more frequently. For high temperatures, the heating
element is energized longer with fewer on and off cycles. Some
burners have two elements, with the second only being used
only for high heat settings.
When a burner does not heat at
all, or only heats up to a lower than expected temperature,
the problem is likely to be with the heating element, the temperature
control, or the wiring. If it only heats at the highest temperature,
the problem is with the control or an electrical short, not
the burner. If the burner works only intermittently, the problem
is likely in the wiring or connectors. To test the heating
element, try the following steps.
First, disconnect the heating element from the
stovetop. In most cases, this is done by lifting up the burner
on the side opposite of the terminals (the part of the burner
that disappears under the stovetop). Remove the decorative
ring. Pinch the receptacle block to which the element connects,
and with your other hand, firmly pull the heating element free.
Inspect the heating element. If you find bubbles,
warping, or damage to the insulation sheath, the burner must
be replaced. If the terminals are dirty or corroded,
this can cause poor temperature control, intermittent problems
or complete failure to heat. Clean the terminals with steel
wool or very fine sand paper to restore good conductivity.
Test the resistance
of the heating element using a multitester.
Set the multitester to the ohms setting X1 and touch one probe
to each of the terminals. A normal reading will be somewhere
between infinity and zero. The exact reading differs by manufacturer
and model, the range is typically between 20 and 120 ohms. If
the indicator does not move (infinite resistance) or moves to
the other extreme of the scale (zero resistance) then the element
is damaged and should be replaced. If the measured resistance
differs significantly from the expected range, the element is
probably bad, but if possible, determine from the manufacturer
what the actual resistance should be.
To test for a grounded
or shorted element, touch one probe to the surface of the burner
and the other probe to each terminal in turn. If you get continuity
at any time, the heating element is defective and should be replaced.
Click here to find replacement parts
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Here to Order a Multitester from Ace Hardware
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