Tip & How-To about Kitchen Ranges
Control switch for dual heating surface element in our Amana ARTC8600WW range (year 1999) failed and did not cycle power after the heating element was turned on. The range was in very good condition so we wanted to replace the switch. However, the original Amana part Y0315855 was not available. The company was taken over by Whirlpool and we found that Whirlpool part 77001257 should be used. But that part was not produced anymore either. On Best Buy web site we found information about an alternative 8203529 Whirlpool part. We order it, installed into the range, and got no action. From other web sites we quickly learned that the part is not the right replacement and that there is no replacement switch for our range at all. We hesitated to replace entire range so instead of returning the part to Best Buy we decided to investigate the differences between the original part and 8203529. Soon we began to believe that 8203529 should work. Specification as well as all connections were fine so we tried to adjust a little bit the tension of bimetallic element inside the switch. There is a tiny screw accessible for this purpose. The adjustment can be done be a 5/64 hex key which, for electrical safety, we insulated by a plastic tube. Immediately we got the expected action. We tested all settings before mechanical installation and all of them worked very well. The mechanical installation of the switch needed a makeshift bracket to distance the switch from the back of the panel wall in order to get the position of the switch knob properly leveled with the front wall of the panel. Just shortening the shaft of the switch was not sufficient. The bracket that comes with 8203529 was not suitable for our range. It was not difficult to make another bracket so we repaired the range without compromising its functionality or safety. That confirms that part 8203529 can be used in place of Whirlpool part 77001257.
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