Whirlpool oven elements

I have a Whirlpool (Model: RDE2400P). It has a upper and lower oven. I have never really use it since we bought the house 12 years ago. We mainly use our portable oven.

When I turned it on today, I noticed that the Top Elements work for both upper and lower ovens. However, the Bottom Elements (Bake) do not work for both upper and lower ovens.

Do the Top Elements turn on first and preheat the ovens before the Bottom Elements (Bake) kick in?

Or:

• Is this wired incorrectly?
• Bottom Elements are defected (which I doubt since both Bottom Elements?)"
• Circuit Board?

http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For...ove-Oven-Parts

 

Did you turn it on to "bake", or "preheat"? If preheat, both elements will come on and heat the oven core before dropping down when you turn it to "bake", when just the bottom element will work. Is it convection?

 

The top element should work when the setting is on Broil, which is the best way to cook steak, fish, Italian sausage & a few other things. Most people get lazy & fry them on the top of the stove but I digressed.

 

On many electric ovens the top element comes in during warmup before switching to bottom/bake element. Let your oven warm up and see what happens.

 

The ancient Frigidaire range that came with my first house (probably original to the house which was built in the early 1950s) had that feature. You would turn the oven on, turn the thermostat all the way to broil and then back to the desired temperature. That energized both elements and it took less than five minutes to heat to the desired temperature.

I replaced that fully operational range with a new GE, just because I was getting a new refrigerator and dishwasher and I wanted everything to more-or-less match. The GE did NOT have the preheat feature and I missed it. In my present house I have another Frigidaire but not as fancy as the ancient one. This range does not have the preheat feature, nor does it have a warming drawer or a "well" burner but like that old monster, everything works so I am in no hurry to replace it.

Oh, that GE that I had in the previous house, the temperature control crapped out in less than a year. I was able to get it repaired under warranty but it was never the oven that the old Frigidaire was.

 

When I first got married [to my current wife] she didn't like the old blue stove I had [came with the place] I liked it because one of the electric burners only half worked which made it easier for me to cook without burning anything For whatever reason when we replaced it I kept that old stove. One by one many of the kids have used it but none of them liked it enough to keep it. I think it's in a shed down by the road, don't remember the brand but I've never seen a stove that color blue before.

 

So, it turns out the lower oven is working after the preheat as suggested. The upper oven's bottom element still does not work.

Chandler: This oven does not have "bake" or "preheat" switch. I am not sure if it is convection.

I think this is narrowing down either replace the upper oven's bottom element or thermostat?

 

You still didn't try the broil setting or did you?

 

I did try the Broil setting and turned it to max, just like I did for the lower oven. The upper oven's bottom element still did not turn on.

 

Broil is not a bottom element. Broil is a top element, on any oven, no matter where it is. Bake is the bottom element.

 

Your next step is to check the element for continuity with a test meter. Power MUST be turned off to range/oven when working on the elements as one connection to the element is always live.

 

OK, thanks PJMax. I will turn off the power and remove the bottom element and do the test meter.

 

PJMax, I have attached my MultiMeter but not sure how to use it. Can you help me on the settings?

Thanks

 

Ok... I modified your drawing. You never use the 10A current port. That's for hi amps only.
Use the left one I placed the red arrow by.

Set the meter to 200ohms/audible as marked by blue arrow. The audible should sound if element is good.

 

Fantastic!!! Thank you for showing me how to do that.

I went and turned off the power at the circuit breaker for the oven. Then I tapped the red and black probe together to make sure it is working. It made some static noise.

Then the true test is to touch the bottom element and it did not move, no sounds. It only stayed at 1. I guess that means to replace the bottom element.

I watched the video to replace it already. Seems pretty straight forward. Removing the screw and make sure that the wires to the bottom element do not go back behind the oven.

Thanks for helping me on this too.

 

You're welcome.

Your element does appear bad. You want to make sure when you put the element back in place that the connections are tight and they don't touch metal.

 

PJMax

I was about to order the bottom element but decided to also check the other elements as well. Weird thing is, although the other Elements are working, when I did the continuity test, they also have no movement on the MultiMeter. All shows up with a static 1. I know the MultiMeter is working because when I touch it to other metal, it is making noise.

FYI... I did not disconnect any of the Elements.

 

Shouldn't need to disconnect the elements. (DO make sure AC power is off)

When you short your meter leads together the meter should read close to 0-1 ohm.
When you check an oven element they should read between 20-40 ohms.

You may have a low battery in your meter.

 

I tried to remove the elements. Unfortunately, screws are so baked in and rusted that it is impossible to remove.

 

Tap the screwdriver with a hammer, sometimes trying to tighten the screw first will break them loose.

 

Try PB Blaster too. It's much better than WD 40.

 

I seldom cook or work on ovens but I'm not sure I'd use PB Blaster [or similar] in the oven unless it was a last resort.