My 3-in-1 unit (4", 6" 8", griddle) has, out of the 15 years I've owned the stove, worked for a combined total of about 1 week. I had the wiring out for another job I'm working on and I looked at the how the 3-in-1 is set up and a thought occured to me.

I'm 99% certain that the problem has always stemmed from a faulty sensor (the middle piece that presses down when you put a pan on the unit). The sensor is supposed to, under the right conditions, finish the circuit.

What if I take the sensor wires, cut them and create a permanent circuit? It's not like the sensor prevents overheating, does it? As far as I can figure out, the heating coils themselves prevent overheating on their own, regardless of whether or not they're a single coil unit or multiple coils for creating a variable size unit. I can't really tell what the sensor is for, other than turning the unit off when a pan is removed, or possibly for more sensitive heat control.

Is this safe? Am I missing something in the equation?

I'm going to my oven repair shop to buy parts for another job, so I'm going to ask the technician there as to the safety of my proposed repair, I just wanted a second opinion from you guys.

I'm sure you know more about this than I do, but I'm curious- a regular burner has no sensor but it cycles just fine. The electricity goes in and the material itself seems to be self regulating. The multi burner seems to be made from the same material, it just involves multiple nestled coils on different circuits. What's the difference?