How to Troubleshoot a Kenmore Stove Simmer Select Burner Element

ID: 221348

Description: [youtubevideo|YtMiVNw4lqo]Use this guide to...

Steps:

  1. Turn off the stove and unplug it or shut off the range breaker before opening the cooktop or control panel.
  2. The range uses 240 V, which can cause serious injury, so do not touch wiring until power is disconnected.
  3. Wait for the glass cooktop, burner, and control board to cool before touching any parts.
  4. Never measure resistance on a powered circuit, because voltage can injure you and damage the meter.
  5. Take a clear photo of each wire connection before moving any wires.
  6. Find the 6 inch Simmer Select burner and compare it with the regular 6 inch burner on the other side.
  7. The two 6 inch burners use the same element, and the difference is in the wiring.
  8. Identify the Simmer Select button or selector switch near the burner control.
  9. Pressing the button in turns Simmer Select on, and releasing it turns Simmer Select off.
  10. With Simmer Select off, the burner works like a normal burner.
  11. In normal mode, the burner control covers low through high and supplies 240 V to the burner.
  12. Normal high heat gives the burner enough power for tasks like boiling water.
  13. In Simmer Select mode, the burner runs at 120 V for lower heat.
  14. Simmer Select spreads the low-temperature range across Low through 4 on the control.
  15. This gives more control over the low range than a regular burner covers around Low and 1.
  16. Expose the back of the burner switch and the Simmer Select switch enough to see the wires and terminals.
  17. This layout uses two yellow burner wires, a purple burner-on wire, a hot-surface indicator wire, a yellow Simmer Select feed wire, and two red Simmer Select output wires.
  18. The two yellow wires run from the burner switch to the burner element.
  19. The purple wire feeds the burner-on indicator light.
  20. The hot-surface wire comes from the other side of the burner and powers the indicator above the switch when the burner heats.
  21. The extra yellow wire feeds the Simmer Select switch, and the two red wires leave that switch.
  22. One red wire lights the Simmer Select switch, and the other sends the control signal to the board.
  23. Use the circuit layout to understand the Simmer Select control path.
  24. In normal mode, L1 and L2 feed the burner switch and H1 and H2 send the full 240 V to the burner.
  25. Simmer Select uses the same burner and switch, but L2 is routed through the control board before it reaches the switch.
  26. L1 passes straight through the burner-switch circuit.
  27. With Simmer Select off, L2 passes straight through the board so the switch still gets the full 240 V supply.
  28. With Simmer Select on, the board routes L2 through a resistor load before sending it back to the switch.
  29. The burner is about 46 ohms, and the board adds another 46 ohm load in series, leaving about 120 V at the burner for lower-temperature control.
  30. Locate the Simmer Select control board in the L2 path.
  31. The board uses a red signal wire, a neutral wire, a transformer, a 24 V relay, an incoming L2 path, an outgoing L2 path, and a resistor load.
  32. The red signal wire brings 120 V from L1 to tell the board that Simmer Select is on.
  33. The neutral wire feeds the transformer, and the transformer powers the relay.
  34. When the relay is off, incoming L2 passes straight through the board.
  35. When the relay is on, L2 is routed through the resistor load before it returns to the burner circuit.
  36. The resistor load gets hot during use because it acts like a second 6 inch element.
  37. Keep the stove disconnected from power for the entire resistance test.
  38. Set a multimeter to ohms.
  39. Place one probe on each of the two yellow wires on the back of the burner switch that go to the burner.
  40. A good 6 inch burner should read about 45 ohms.
  41. The burner element is normally about 46 ohms, so a 45 ohm reading is acceptable.
  42. An OL or open reading on those two yellow burner wires means the burner is bad and needs replacement.
  43. Leave the stove disconnected from power and keep the multimeter set to ohms.
  44. Leave Simmer Select off for this continuity test.
  45. Place one probe on the red L2 wire where the power cord attaches to the range.
  46. Place the other probe on the L2 terminal on the burner switch.
  47. A 0.1 ohm reading means there is a complete circuit through the control board to L2.
  48. That good reading means the switch can receive the full 240 V supply in normal mode.
  49. An OL reading means there is no complete circuit from cord L2 to switch L2, so the control board is bad and needs replacement.
  50. Replace the 6 inch burner element if the burner resistance test shows OL or an open circuit.
  51. Replace the Simmer Select control board if the burner tests good but the L2 path through the board reads OL.
  52. Replace the burner switch if the burner tests good and the control-board L2 path tests good, but the burner still does not heat.
  53. Do not replace the Simmer Select burner just because it is a Simmer Select position, because the element is the same as a regular 6 inch burner.
  54. Disconnect power and let the cooktop cool before replacing the burner element.
  55. Open the cooktop enough to reach the underside of the 6 inch burner element.
  56. Take a photo of the wire routing and burner mounting before removing anything.
  57. Disconnect the two yellow burner wires from the old element.
  58. Remove the old burner element from its mounts while keeping any brackets or insulators in their original positions.
  59. Install the replacement 6 inch burner element in the same position.
  60. Reconnect the two yellow burner wires to the same terminals they used on the old element.
  61. Reassemble the cooktop before restoring power.
  62. Restore power only after all wires are connected and the cooktop or control panel is secured.
  63. Turn the burner on in normal mode and confirm that it heats through the low-to-high range.
  64. Press the Simmer Select button in, set the burner around 4, and confirm that it runs at the lower Simmer Select heat level.
  65. The Simmer Select control-board resistor load can reach about 114 °F after a few minutes of use.
  66. Use an infrared camera only if you can stay clear of live 240 V terminals and hot parts.
  67. Turn the burner off and let the glass cooktop and control board cool before closing any remaining access.
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