Westinghouse freestanding stove front left most used large element has stoped working {while cooking }
The element still works when swapped with the other side so its not the element itself.
Does the Simmerstat just stop working or like previously experience goes nonstop. It was replaced in 2014 by a sparky.
Could it be the simmerstat or are there any other things that could cause it to stop working please.
fast4motion,
Feb 27, 11:34am
Could be the simmerstat, but more likely the connector block which the element plugs into. Westinghouse stoves and their element connections are rubbish in my opinion.
trade4us2,
Feb 27, 11:52am
I must take a simmerstat apart to see what goes wrong with them. I don't accept that we should just buy a new one. There must be a design problem with them.
johotech,
Feb 27, 12:05pm
There's a tiny heating element which heats a bi-metalic strip to do the on/off timing cycle - the heating element burns out normally, then the switch never breaks and the stove element goes all the time.
Just get yourself the correct size nichrome wire and rewind the element. Easy fix for a $20 part.
macman26,
Feb 27, 12:17pm
It could be the socket that’s gone or a wire burned off. Normally when the simerstat fails the element goes on full. What does the contacts on the element look like?
missmollymasiy,
Feb 27, 1:08pm
Thanks Yes that was what happened last time it was the simerstat & it went full on, this time it just stoped cooking midway through cooking. Two round loops, they look in good con & it works in the opposite side.
missmollymasiy,
Feb 27, 1:11pm
Thanks for all the replies so far. Not sure I am going to put good money into bad so trying to decide if I should buy another stove or repair. If the latter what do I replace it with as not many options. Whats a good stove please.
omamari,
Feb 27, 1:28pm
We have had 9 or 10 simmerstats go in our rentals over the years. The problem stopped when someone explained that you need to turn the element off from Hi down to low and then off. If you turn the element from high to off then the simmerstats burn out
missmollymasiy,
Feb 27, 2:11pm
Thanks, but in this case that is not the problem as I knew that & always turn from low to high & back anticlockwise.
colin433,
Mar 3, 1:07pm
Elecrician told me that years ago, have turned to low and then to off ever since, our recent problem with an element not working was not due to that.
bill1451,
Mar 9, 2:36pm
If you pull a simmerstat apart you will see that when you turn the knob full on then the gap between the contacts gets smaller which means the bimetal strip has less distance to travel before it contacts again. cannnt see what difference it would make whether it is turned clockwise or anticlockwise. Our cooktop is 25 years old and I have replaced 1 simmersatat in that time. F & P quality, dont make em like that anymore.
pauldw,
Mar 11, 4:10pm
Agree. We've got a F&P stove about 24 years old. Knobs get turned off whichever way is quickest and never had a faulty simmerstat. Another 10 year old Simpson that's used a lot less has had 2 simmerstats fail.
If the direction you turn the knob was that important you'd expect they'd be made to turn one way to full on then back to off.
easygoer,
Mar 13, 5:33pm
I ditched my Westinghouse stove after a constant run of failures with simmerstats and element failures. I now have a Beko which has been trouble free
trade4us2,
Sep 20, 4:18pm
At last I have looked at my defective simmerstat. Yes there is a heating element mostly covered in some red compound. The tiny bit that was not covered has corroded nichrome. I consider that is a manufacturing defect. Mine is off a 28 year old Atlas. I wonder what the F&P simmerstats look like when they fail.
ryanm2,
Sep 21, 2:04am
They look like they belong in the bin.
lythande1,
Sep 21, 2:35am
Quite likely. You can replace that yourself, find the local parts shop, mine was about $30. Easy as.
pauldw,
Sep 21, 3:10pm
Simpson dead simmerstat count is now 3. I should have been recording which position. The current failure is an element that's rarely used.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.