Way, way OT: Home appliance repair – Electric Stove

[Louis]

My sister, who lives in ME, has a Frigidaire electric stove. Due to some leaking-pot related incident one of the top burner elements was trashed, so she pulled it. Now the entire stove is dead as a door nail - no oven light, no heat. She also says that she checked the home fuse-panel and that those are fine.

Question: Do you happen to know if electric stoves are wired such that if one of the four top heating elements in removed everything else shuts down? I looked at the wiring diagram for a similar (but the same model) stove and it didn’t seem to me that they would be in series. Also, I was not able to find a whole-stove fuse.

If it's just a burner issue, then it's easy enough for her to replace that.

TIA
Louis

[rpettet]

We did a kitchen renovation and sold old appliances and bought new. Our stove was a Kenmore electric in fantastic shape. We let it go for $125. Craigslist is full of them. Might be cheaper/easier to buy good used one.

[Louis]

Yeah, we're not talking big bucks, even for a new one. It's more of a convenience thing - if replacing the element will fix it, in addition to the lower cost, that's a lot easier for her than replacing the whole thing.

[Ken Robb]

First I would check to see that there is 220-240 volts at the wall connection to the stove. I have seen these protected by split breaker switches that sometimes look like they are both set but one half is tripped so the power is interrupted.

[Louis]

First I would check to see that there is 220-240 volts at the wall connection to the stove.

We discussed that, but she doesn't have a tester, and since it isn't a standard receptacle she can't just plug in a lamp to check. When I talk to her tonight I'll see if she's interested in buying one of these:

http://www.nachi.org/images10-2/figure_6_120-240_volt_tester.jpg

[wc1934]

does she still have the burner that she pulled out - wondering what would happen if she reinserted it - wonder if somehow it needs to be in place to complete some sort of circuit.

[eddief]

for my gas stove...up came a full parts schematic and place to buy each and every part and vids on how to do the repair. blew my mind.

[Louis]

She said that she had tossed it (the heating element) in the trash, but I told her to keep it, if only to take it with her if she goes to the parts store to get a new one. I haven't seen the element itself, so I don't know exactly what kind of shape it's in.

[ultraman6970]

Wonder if its a safety issue that if one element is not there the thing stops working? Call manufacture to find out.

[Ken Robb]

The heating element might have been fine but the electrical path to it, including the controller, might not.

[HenryA]

It may be something as simple as a burnt wire or connection. She'll have to poke around and maybe take the top panel off to check everything, but it'll be pretty obvious. Electric stoves are generally very simple.

[cachagua]

Pmail me if you're in Seattle. My business includes a lot of appliance repair.

Also, consider the non-contact style of current tester -- you don't have to touch any bare wires or poke anything into a receptacle (hence the name), you just wave it close to a wire or electric device, and it beeps. Useful and safe, and they're not expensive.

[Louis]

Pmail me if you're in Seattle. My business includes a lot of appliance repair.

Thanks - but I'm in St Louis.

[SpokeValley]

You might check to see if the stove is on a GFI circuit...if so, you may be able to reset it and be cooking again. Of course, anything on that circuit would be off as well.

[1/2 Wheeler]

Normally no but:

A short of bake or broil element can also sometimes damage components of the control circuit (thermostat, selector switch, etc.) as well. On models with electronic controls the control itself is very susceptible and may be damaged by such a failure. If the element doesn't work after being replaced and full power restored to the appliance, components of the control circuit may need to be investigated.

Honestly, she should not be messing with it at all if she does not have a basic understanding of electricity.

[Birddog]

Every electric range with coil burners that I know of has a top that is hinged. Have her put her fingers between the bottom lip of the range top (about 1" down) and the oven face and lift. It might take a little pressure to lift. Many then have an arm that you can use to prop open the top like a car hood. In any case it provides you with a look at the wiring under the cook top and any obvious wiring problems. I know of no interlock between the burners and other operations. Coil burner ranges are usually the least "techie" of any range out there. As someone else said, start at the receptacle where the range plugs in and check for power there.

[srice]

Assuming that she does not have some type of electronic control for the burners (ignore the oven), the burners are using independent infinite heat switches - she has a knob for each burner right? Pulling one out should not affect the others. It really sounds like she isn't getting power to the stove.

[Louis]

It turns out my sister did have a tester, which showed no power at the outlet.

She concluded that the fuse must have blown (even though it did not look like it had) so she bought a few new ones and replaced it. That problem is now fixed, and the rest of the stove is working again. Once she's had a chance to get a new element (surprisingly expensive, at around $40) she'll be done.

http://www.webstore.com/thumbnail.php?pic=uplimg%2Fimg_20043916_b6cb1d0cd6 26194148a01275488a7ad4.jpg&w=500&sq=Y&b=Y