I had to replace two infinite burner switches in an older Jenn-Air C301 electric (cartridge) cooktop. The OE switches were NLA; the listed replacements were/are Whirlpool 700855K. Manufacturer is Robertshaw, their part number (on the part) is MPA-W529-WPM.

The terminal markings on the old OE switches are H1, H2, L1, L2 and P. The terminal markings on the new switches are H1, HC, L1, L2, and P. The terminal markings are virtually the same, but the locations of the terminals on the switch are somewhat different.

The advice I have seen given out is to make these connections exactly as labelled, old to new, except the H2 wire goes to the HC connectors on the new switches. THIS IS WRONG.

MOST of the connections are swapped letter to letter. However, on the old OE switches H1 is the common wire providing power to the burners (old connection goes burners => H1 on one burner switch => H1 on the other switch), and the H2 terminals are the single burner control connections. On the NEW switches, HC is the common burner power terminal, and the H1 connections are for the individual burner controls.

So to sum up, the switch terminal swaps go H1 (old) to HC (new), and H2 (old) to H1 (new). The L and P connections are the same.

If you hook the terminals up letter for letter the old way, merely substituting HC for H2, the burners will indeed work, and individually they will work precisely as indicated on the dial, but if both are in operation at the same time both burners will follow the control of the higher-set dial. To put it mildly, there are occasions when this is not helpful.

I hope this is useful information. TT84

Edited by user Wednesday, February 26, 2020 10:36:42 AM(UTC)  | Reason: clarification