If your stove’s element has stopped working, don’t panic! In most cases, the element can be easily replaced. This guide will walk you through the process of removing and replacing a stove element. Keep in mind that electrical repairs should always be carried out by a qualified professional. With that in mind, let’s get started.
Step 1 – Unplug The Stove From The Power Outlet
It is vital that you unplug your appliances before any main maintenance takes place. Not doing so could potentially cause an electrical hazard which may result in injury or even death. Unplugging your appliance is simple – all you have to do is find where it’s plugged into the wall and pull out the cord. Make sure that you pull on the plug and not the cord.
Now that your stove has been unplugged you should be safe to continue performing any necessary maintenance.
Step 2 – Find The Screws Holding The Stove Top In Place
Often, stoves will only have four to six screws holding them down, which makes carrying out work like replacing elements even easier. Sometimes these screws are under pieces of plastic or pieces of silver metal, so make sure you remove all of these pieces to make finding the actual screws easier. Once you have found all of the screws, put them to one side in a safe place so that they are not dropped or misplaced later on in the process.
Step 3 – Remove The Stove Top
Now that all of the screws have been removed you should be able to take off the stove top itself. Don’t worry if it’s quite stiff to begin with as this is often due to how tight it has been fitted onto the stove body. You can either pull it straight up or away from you depending on which feels more natural for you. There may also be some metal brackets holding down your stove top which need to be taken off. Take these brackets off and put them to one side in a safe place.
Step 4 – Clean The Old Element
Now that the stove top has been removed, it is time to clean the old element which you are about to replace. Make sure you use a bristle brush or an old toothbrush to get rid of any tough residue so that your new element will sit on there nice and tightly.
Step 5 – Fit In The New Element
Now that your old element has been removed and thoroughly cleaned, you should be able to fit in the new one. Find a flat surface to work on so that the burner is steady for you to sit the new element onto it.
Once you have found a suitable place, align the terminals of the new element up with those of your stove’s burner so that they can slot into place. Make sure there are no spaces between them – this will cause problems. If there is, then return to step four and clean out any crumbs/debris which may be stopping them from sitting neatly together as one. Once you have placed your new element onto the burner, screw it down tightly using your screws from step two.
Step 6 – Put The Stove Top Back On
Now that you have fitted your new element, all you need to do is put the stove top back on top of it. Simply slide the stove top over the replaced element and sit it in place by pushing it down gently until you hear a click. Now that your stove’s heating elements are working to their maximum potential once again, replace any metal brackets which may be holding the top in place if they were removed earlier. You can now plug your appliance back into a power outlet and feel the heat once again!
That’s it! You now know how to replace a stove element. If there is anything you need help with or you can’t do it on your own, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help. We are here to help you with any stove issue!