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Electric range with aluminum foil on burner pan - DON'T DO THIS (C) InspectApedia.comElectric Cooktop, Range Oven Repairs & Manuals
Electric cooking appliance diagnosis & repair

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to diagnose and fix electric stovetop burners, ovens, cooktops, ranges, & ovens, & where to find service & repair manuals for your electric cooking appliance

This article gives basic troubleshooting & repair advice for your electric cooling appliance such as an electric stove top burner, oven, range, or its controls. We include links to free PDF downloads of more-detailed electric cooktop or oven repair manuals, parts, parts sources.

Watch out: our page top photo shows aluminum foil lining the electric stovetop burner pan. Most electric range and cooktop manuals specifically advise against putting aluminum foil under the burner.

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Diagnose & repair an electric stove, oven, range, or cooktop burner

Moffat electric range (C) InspectApedia.comThis page provides electric cooking appliance repair diagnostic steps along with more-detailed guides & manuals that you can use to get an electric cooktop, electric range, or electric oven working again, or to decide that it's time to buy a new cooking appliance, or that you would be smart to call an appliance repair person.

Quick electric stove or cooktop diagnostic inspection points and tips are accompanied by links to detailed inspection, diagnosis, and repair for most appliances found in homes, from room air conditioners to washing machines and water heaters.

Photo: an antique Moffat electric stove, photo by an InspectApedia.com reader.

[Click to enlarge any image]

The two most-frequent reader questions we see about electric cooking appliances are

  1. How do I fix a bad electric stove top or cooktop burner?

    Before replacing a burner, it's easy to check for loose or dirty connections - simple cleaning may be all that's needed.

    With the stove top off and fully cooled, gently lift and un-plug the burner from the stove, examine it for damage, food, debris, corrosion. Clean it if needed. Plug it back in securely and test it again by turning on the burner control.
  2. How to I replace a bad electric oven thermostat.

    It's easier than you think, and often a generic thermostat can be used if you can't find an OEM device for your electric oven. We include oven thermostat troubleshooting and replacement guides on this page.

When one or more electric range cooktop elements will not work, this may be caused by an interrupted power supply, a burned out element, a reset button that can be pushed, or a defective control.

Other problems include uneven heating conditions, defective outlets and timers, etc. For the most part, these are nuisance issues that can be readily corrected, as we'll read in any of the electric range or oven manuals listed below.

If you can't find the manual for your electric cooktop, range or oven, post a request at the bottom of this page and we'll be glad to help.

Also you might get immediate help from this more-general electric range/oven repair manual from Brown Stove Works. The wiring diagram shown below is excerpted from this electric range repair guide.

Notice: Beginning in 2018, UL (Underwriter's Laboratory) regulations required all electric coil top ranges to have temperature limiting capabilities to reduce the risk of cooktop oil and grease fires.

Generic or typical wiring diagram for an electric range, adapted from Brown Stove Works cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Watch out: while many electric range, stove, or cooktop repairs such as replacing a failed burner or thermostat are within the abilities of many homeowners, do not attempt to re-wire or modify the electrical wiring in your electrical appliance if you are not trained in safe and proper electrical wiring & testing: making a mistake could cause a bad or even fatal electrical shock: you or someone else could be killed, or you could start a building fire. Typical electrical cooking appliance instructions say something like this:

USER SERVICING: Do not repair or replace any part of the appliance unless it is specifically recommended in this owner’s guide. To prevent personal injury and damage to the range, servicing should be done only by a qualified technician.

Electric Cooktop Range Oven Stove & Control Service Manuals

Electric range wall receptacle & connection cord used on some, not all, electric cooktops, ovens, ranges (C) Inspectapedia.com



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