16 replies to this topic

[Paul Beard]

So I have this jennair cooktop that lost a burner. I have a great appliance parts house and got the needed part but I have no idea how to get inside the unit without a hammer and that would mean buying a new one.

It's similar to this one here, though the burners are laid out differently. It's a single element, shown here top left but on mine bottom right. It sits in an island that I suspect was built around it (this house is like that in places). I have been under it and have no access to any screws or fasteners: they all encumbered by the cabinetry and inaccessible. I wonder if the fastest way isn't through the cooking surface but it looks cemented down.

Anyone worked with one of these before?

[kdog]

Model Number ??
Part you're trying to Install ??

For manuals and lots of other goodies, become an Apprentice==> http://appliantology.org/apprentice/

[Paul Beard]

The model number - as close as I can find - is above as is the part. I have the part I need, what I need is the benefit of practical experience installing/removing/replacing one.

[kdog]

Yeah, we get that, but knowing which model you actually have and what part you are trying to access is the only way the old crystal ball will work. Just putting a part in a ceramic cooktop that's jennAir ain't enuff information

[Paul Beard]

Hmm, let me see what else I can provide. How are they usually mounted? I see the metal box under the counter but I don't see what holds the glass in place.

[SANTA]

[Paul Beard]

So I have this jennair cooktop that lost a burner. I have a great appliance parts house and got the needed part but I have no idea how to get inside the unit without a hammer and that would mean buying a new one.

Here's the relevant details on this thing.

[appl.tech.29501]

you have to disconnect the vent and electrical and remove the entire unit out of the counter to replace the elements. normally the unit just sits in the counter...may have some silicone holding it down. once removed from the counter you remove the knobs and and i believe the switch mounts. then the perimeter screws holding the glass on.

[Paul Beard]

So that's silicone under the glass? There's no vent (it's not a downdraft unit). I assume a utility knife is the tool of choice. OK, I can handle that.

I don't really need to remove the whole thing, just open it, so perhaps getting the glass off will be all that's needed. I couldn't tell if the control box dropped out from under it or if i was going to be lucky enough to be able to work from above. I must have been good in a past life. That may be tomorrow's project, then.

[RegUS_PatOff]

... a hair dryer or heat gun may ease the removal:

"foam gasket provided with the unit and stick the adhesive backed tape to the glass along its edge"

[appl.tech.29501]

I don't really need to remove the whole thing, just open it, so perhaps getting the glass off will be all that's needed. I couldn't tell if the control box dropped out from under it or if i was going to be lucky enough to be able to work from above.

Nope, the box doesn't come off from the bottom. the entire unit must be pulled out to access the screws that hold the glass on.

[Paul Beard]

So I guess I need to get some of the foam tape as well, as I expect it can't be re-used after 10+ years in service and then being removed. Thanks for the tip. I saw those instructions but I think seeing the parts in the box or perhaps a picture of the assembly in process might have connected those dots for me.

[Paul Beard]

So how heavy is this sucker going to be? I was going to do it today but I want to leave enough time to get it out, fixed, and replaced. Can't find the foam tape locally but my part supplier gave me some stuff I may be able to use to repair any damage in the original material. Worst case, he recommended some felt weatherstripping material as a solution.

[Paul Beard]

So, long time no update. So I got suction cup/handle to go at the World's Greatest Hardware Store and successfully got the thing out. Unfortunately, I cracked the top. The was so much silicone around the rim, it was like it was glued down. Running around the edge with a utility knife got most of it freed but the back edge was too close to a backsplash/raised counter. Poking at the silicon to break the seal was not a great idea. As it turned out, I was able to lift it from underneath to break the seal and then use the handle to go to get it out the rest of the way.

But that wasn't the worst of it. No sir.



The burner I was going to replace was just disconnected. The wire was laying there loose. I clipped it on, and it fell off again. Whoever put the cooktop in must have noticed that but couldn't take two seconds to crimp it down and make sure it stayed on. As soon as I did that and flipped the breaker, it heated up immediately.

So a no-op fix if I hadn't cracked the &*^(*&()_) cooktop. That's gonna run me about $200. And I can't return the burner as I have had it more than 30 days.

Thanks for the pointers and advice. It was valuable and I learn something with every repair, even if I don't save as much as I hoped.

[RegUS_PatOff]

. . So a no-op fix if I hadn't cracked the &*^(*&()_) cooktop. That's gonna run me about $200. And I can't return the burner as I have had it more than 30 days.

if purchased from RepairClinic: 365-Day, no-hassle return policy on all parts ordered from RepairClinic! No gimmicks! Read more.

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[Paul Beard]

So just to close the book on this, the replacement of the top took maybe half an hour and that included running closed-cell adhesive foam around the edge twice. The replacement part does not come with any foam nor does it include the temp indicators that surround the knobs: that's a plastic sheet of some sort that was attached to the old top but was too degraded to remove cleanly and replace. Kinda lame that they don't include that, given a. how cheap it is to make and b. how likely a replacement would be when the cooktop gets replaced. I just used some compressible foam around the edge, affixed to the underside of the top, so there is no adhesion between the cooktop and the counter. The previous installer put silicon all around the front and sides but there was no way to know the back was open to spills and whatnot without removing it. The floor of the cabinet tells the tale there.

If any future repairer reads this, know that you don't have to remove the whole unit IF you can get under it with something -- a jackstand with a platform or a couple of 2x4s would do but it's not that heavy. If you can raise and hold it a couple of inches, you can do any removal/repair/replacement you would need. That insight would have saved a lot of hassle as a clean lift from underneath would have saved the old cooktop.

 

BTW, I bought the replacement cooktop from Repairclinic, got it in two days, it was perfect!  Many thanks to all who helped.  

[kdog]

Setting cooktops into the cabinet using adhesives and sealants should be put in bold letters in the "WHAT NOT TO DO" section of the installation instructions; I've seen those glued in so they're impossible to get out - folks really ain't thinkin when they do that !