[cooney]

First let me say thanks in advance for any and all help or suggestion.

I have a Whirlpool Super Capacity 465 ceran glass top electric range. It has four elements with the largest of the four being the front left. When I turn the the front left eye on high, it gets red hot within a few seconds. But after about 5 seconds, I hear a little "tick" sound and the element goes dark. Wait about 10 seconds and the eye will get red hot again but only for about 2 seconds. It repeats this sequence throughout the cooking process.

I have replaced the switch, so it's not the switch. Any suggestions?

Once again, thanks for your help.

[denman]

Here are your parts
Replacement parts for rf356bxew models | AppliancePartsPros.com

Here is a manual, I could not find one for your specific unit but it will probably be wired close to the following.
https://secured.whirlpool.com/Servic...LE/4321893.pdf

I am assuming that the element regulates the temperature OK when set to other temperature settings.

Only thing I can think of is that the limiter is opening early or you received a bad control switch.

[cooney]

Originally Posted by denman

Here are your parts
Replacement parts for rf356bxew models | AppliancePartsPros.com

Here is a manual, I could not find one for your specific unit but it will probably be wired close to the following.
https://secured.whirlpool.com/Servic...LE/4321893.pdf

I am assuming that the element regulates the temperature OK when set to other temperature settings.

Only thing I can think of is that the limiter is opening early or you received a bad control switch.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your advice and the attached manuals.

Over lunch I went home and tried a few things with the element.

First, I tried swapping out the switch with one of the others that was working and the same thing happened. So I'm fairly certain that it's not the switch.

Next I swapped limiters with one of the other woking elements. The element that worked still worked fine and the "weird" element still heated up the went dark. Then it would heat up again (slowly) and go dark. So I'm fairly certian that it's no the limiter.

Finally, I hooked the element above the "weird" element to the switch of the "weird" element. It worked perfectly. It heats up red hot and stays on constantly. I then hooked the "weird" element to the other elements switch and it heated up red hot and then went dark. So, I'm pretty sure it's the element but the limiter is good.

So here are my questions. Can the element be causing this? Is this typical for an element when it's going bad? If I check the continuity, what should I expect? If the element was completely broken, would it be getting hot then going dark, then getting hot and going dark, and so on?

Why did the elements at parts store (linked above) range in price from $60.44 to $118.36? Is this dependent on size? The suspected bad element on my range is the 10" element. How do I know which one to buy? The elements at the store website don't tell sizes.

Once again thanks for any and all help.

[denman]

Can the element be causing this?
Yes. What could be happening is that there is a break or a bad connection in the element. When it heats up it expands and opens, then when it cools it contracts and re-connects.

Is this typical for an element when it's going bad?
No, they usually just blow.

If I check the continuity, what should I expect?
I cannot say for sure a rough guess would be about 25 ohms. I looked up the operators manual and could not find any info on the element. If you know the wattage you can roughly figure out the resistance, R=V2/W Resistance equals voltage squared divided by wattage. Your voltage would be 240.

If the element was completely broken, would it be getting hot then going dark, then getting hot and going dark, and so on?
See above

Why did the elements at parts store (linked above) range in price from $60.44 to $118.36? Is this dependent on size?
Not necessarily. If you click on the picture of the element a new page will open with more views. You can then click on the pictures to expand them.
If you use the one inch grid you will see that the most expensive element is actually an 8 inch.

How do I know which one to buy?
Give them a call, it is toll free.

[cooney]

Originally Posted by denman

Can the element be causing this?
Yes. What could be happening is that there is a break or a bad connection in the element. When it heats up it expands and opens, then when it cools it contracts and re-connects.

Is this typical for an element when it's going bad?
No, they usually just blow.

If I check the continuity, what should I expect?
I cannot say for sure a rough guess would be about 25 ohms. I looked up the operators manual and could not find any info on the element. If you know the wattage you can roughly figure out the resistance, R=V2/W Resistance equals voltage squared divided by wattage. Your voltage would be 240.

If the element was completely broken, would it be getting hot then going dark, then getting hot and going dark, and so on?
See above

Why did the elements at parts store (linked above) range in price from $60.44 to $118.36? Is this dependent on size?
Not necessarily. If you click on the picture of the element a new page will open with more views. You can then click on the pictures to expand them.
If you use the one inch grid you will see that the most expensive element is actually an 8 inch.

How do I know which one to buy?
Give them a call, it is toll free.

I really appreciate your help. The break in the element that opens when hot and closes when it cools makes sense. Y'all have a great site here. A lot of useful information.