How to Check the Coiling on My Electric Stovetop

Electric stovetops equipped with coiled heating elements may require troubleshooting if one of the elements stops working. The coils are essentially resistance circuits made of nickel-chrome wire surrounded by a heat-reflecting ceramic material. Check the coils with a multimeter to determine circuit continuity. This simple test checks whether electrical current is passing through the element circuit by measuring ohms resistance. Checking the element takes only a few minutes.

Multimeter

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off all controls on the stovetop and wait for the appliance to cool.
- 2
  Grip the coiled element on the edge opposite where it plugs into the stovetop.
- 3
  Lift the coils at an angle and pull the part from the socket on the stovetop. Notice the two electrical posts on the end of the element coils.
- 4
  Dial the multimeter to the ohms test setting.
- 5
  Place each of the two test wands on the multimeter on the two prongs of the heating coil.
- 6
  Read the multimeter display. A properly working large element coil will register 27 ohms, with slight fluctuations depending on the stovetop model. The small element coils will register 45 ohms with normal operation. If the meter display is zero or the numbers scroll constantly, the coils are defective and must be replaced.

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