kitchenaid glasstop stove kesc308LSS0 - one element weak

[original_sound]

Friends, it has been several years since my last appliance failure.  I come to you today with one element of my kitchenaid kesc308LSS0 glasstop stove presenting as weak or cooler than it should be.  The right front burner (single burner, not one with two sizes) works and controller directionally controls heat (low is low, medium is medium, high is high) but all are what I would describe as a notch or two too low/cool as compared to the other burners.  To cook at what I would consider a medium temperature, I need to set it at the high end of medium high.  To simmer, I need to be just shy of medium.

From the parts diagram I would guess element or the relevant infinite switch but the infinite switches, from what I can gather, tend to fail off or full-on high.  Clearly not a no voltage situation and other burners work as well as they did when the stove was new (or close).  Stove has been in use since 2004.

Any ideas on tests I can run or which part (switch or element) is more likely so I can order that one?  Are there any sensors/etc. that I am overlooking?

Thank you.

[johntech]

How does it behave on high? Comparing it to the other burners. If it behaves normally then I would replace the infinite switch.

[original_sound]

Good question.  Ran a little experiment.  Using same pot starting at room temperature and 1 cup of water, water boiled in 3 minutes on High on both the suspect right front and the trusty left back burners.  Who says a watched pot never boils?

Both elements went to a full red glow within seconds and shortly thereafter triggered their respective "hot burner" indicators near the front of the cooktop.  Also, both elements stayed solid full red glow until the boiling point was reached at which point they both began to cycle on and off periodically.  Must be some sensor that clicks them off when 100C reached or something.

We'll try the infinite switch, thanks.  What a great name...