Surface Burner Switch

This is not a job for novices. It might also be helpful to have someone else to assist in lifting the unit. Disassembly and re-assembly requires a bit of skill and experience. You will not know for certain which parts are required for the repair until you take the unit apart and test the circuits. You most likely will need the switch (PS2077123 for most burners except dual element which requires Hi-Lo switch) and may need a new burner element (4", 6" or dual). BEFORE DISASSEMBLING, make sure you have shut the correct breaker as this is serious 220V current. Because this electric cooktop is mounted in a granite or other composite countertop, it has to first be lifted up 3-4 inches to access the side screws that hold the glass top on. If the unit was properly installed, the seal between the glass top and the countertop should come apart without too much issue by just pushing up from underneath. If they have put any type of sealer between the glass and countertop, your job will be difficult to break the adhesion without breaking the glass. I was able to lift the unit 3 inches without disconnecting the power supply cable or the downdraft fan as both had enough slack. Because of the downdraft fan, the unit is somewhat heavy and needs to be supported from underneath once lifted. I trimmed a couple of 2x4 studs propped under the fan housing to hold it at the right height. Once the unit is lifted above the countertop, you will see multiple hex head sheet metal screws all around the side. ONLY the TOP row of screws should be removed from all four sides. The two Philips head screws in the center of the downdraft must also be removed. These are more difficult as you cannot use a standard screwdriver. You will need a 90 degree ratchet head driver (or alternatively you could use a vice-grips on a Philips head driver bit.) Once all these top row of screws are removed AND the burner handles have been removed (carefully), the glass top should lift out without too much difficulty This will reveal the burners and switches and all the connecting wiring. At this point, and as you progress, I strongly suggest that you take pictures of all the connecting wiring , etc with your digital camera or smartphone as there are many wires which could easily be crossed. The most likely reason for a non-working burner is the switch but before you replace that, do a resistance/continuity test on the coils in the burner to see if it is simply a broken element. If you don't know how to test continuity, there are some excellent tutorials on line for this but make sure you disconnect the burner wiring before testing or you will not get correct results. Power to the unit remains off during all of these tests. The burner is easier to replace than the switch as it is more accessible. You will need some of the clips from the old burner so carefully remove those and attach them tot he new burner in the same holes on the new unit using the old Philips head sheet metal screws. To remove the wires from their connections you may wish to use a needle nose pliers to gently coax the clips off the tabs by rocking the clips slightly and pulling. Once the burner is tested and/or replaced, you can now test to see if the related switch is working as you will get continuity on the other side of the circuit when the burner is turned on (no power required to test). Assuming the switch is the culprit, you will need to remove the two small screws holding the switch in place but you will need a small square head driver usually found in most bit kits. Once these are loosened, you will need to remove the sheet metal screws holding the switch bracket in place and then lift out the entire assembly. A reminder here to take pictures of the wiring again as you can now see all the connections. Carefully swap the old switch with the new and reattach wiring. Check all your wiring 3 times as an error could result in a short or worse. Retest continuity to the burner and then

When I received the parts I removed the bad switches with a phillips screw driver and removed the electrical wires from the bad switches to the matching contacts on the new switches. Problem solved. Works like a charm.

The design of this JennAir was such that about 18 screws had to be removed to get the top plate off to access the switches. After getting the old switches out I noticed they had more terminals than the new ones so it required using some terminal multipliers to accommodate all the wiring needed. Not a hard fix overall but it does take time considering all the screws that have to be removed and replaced.