I am trying to replace a burner on my amana smoothtop electric range. I have removed the three screws above the overn door (inside). The top is loose but something seems to still be holding it. Any thoughts?

It is common for mice to get into the oven box insulation and nest. I had this problem before and its not likely you'll be able to get rid of the odor without replacing the insulation. Another issue is any fecal matter the mice leave behind. This can become a health hazard (expecially in an appliance that you use to prepare food). I would recommend replacing the insulation. If the model oven is correct, the insulation can be purchased for around $20 at any of the following websites:

searspartsdirect.com
pcappliancerepair.com
appliancepartspros.com
repairclinic.com

The part number will depend upon your COMPLETE model number (located on a nameplate around the oven door opening, or lower drawer opening (if equipped). On some models, the model number will appear on the back of the operator console. The first three sites on the list include exploded view parts illustrations to assist you with locating and properly indentifying any parts you may need. The insulation for the Magic Chef 31000 series is listed under the "Body" parts list.


To replace the insulation on MOST ranges, all you should have to do is lift the range top to access the oven box. The top on most ranges can be lifted by removing a series of screws that are usually holding it secure under the bottom of the front edge. You will need to open the oven door to see them. CAUTION: Do not lean on the oven door as this may cause damage to the door hinges and springs.

On the Magic Chef 31000 series, it appears that you will need to remove the burner control knobs, followed by screws holding the burner control control panel in place. You should also remove all the orifice covers and burner grates from the top of the range. Once the burner control is removed, remove the top panel, followed by the burner box top panel. The insulation will be wrapped around the oven box. It should just lift out. Depending on the potential infestation, you may want to wear a dust mask and use a vaccum to **** up any loose debris. CAUTION: Turn off the gas supply BEFORE attempting any repairs - if this is a gas range.

If you have questions, please post back and let me know. I hope this helps you.

Hello there
I will answer this in 2 sections for testing the burners and the thermostate
Surface Burner Testing:

In order to test the surface burner on your electric range, the following steps should be taken:

1. Before repairs or testing can begin you must disconnect the electricity at the fuse panel, at the circuit breaker panel, or by pulling the plug. Make sure the power is off before proceeding. A jolt from 220 volts can be fatal, use caution!



2. Remove the surface burner from the stovetop. On most electric ranges this can be done by pulling the burner up and out of its plug-in receptacle. Other models have the burner directly wired to the cooktop. To remove this type of burner, undo the screw that secures the burner to the cooktop, remove the clips that secure the insulators to the burner terminals, and carefully unscrew the wires from the terminals. Take care not to bend these terminals.



3. Visually inspect the burner - often there will be small holes or bubbles on the surface of a defective element.



4. Now that you have removed the burner, you can test it using your VOM. Using the ohmmeter function, set the range scale to R x 1 and touch the test leads to the two burner terminals. The VOM should show continuity. Typical burner readings should be somewhere between 19 and 115 ohms, depending on the range manufacturer. If there is no continuity, the burner is defective. To test for a grounded (or shorted) burner, place one test lead on the outside surface of the burner and the other test lead on each burner terminal in turn. If there is continuity at either terminal, the burner is defective.



5. If the burner is defective, replace with a new one by reversing the removal procedure (step 2 above). If replacing a wired-in burner, make sure that you install the wires on the correct terminals, according to the wiring diagram

Oven Thermostat Testing:

An oven thermostat is a switch that opens and closes in response to the temperature it senses. It is typically found in the control panel, where a liquid-filled temperature-sensing bulb senses and maintains the internal oven temperature by cycling heat on and off.

1. Before repairs or testing can begin you must disconnect the electricity at the fuse panel, at the circuit breaker panel, or by pulling the plug. Make sure the power is off before proceeding. A jolt from 220 volts can be fatal, use caution!



2. Access the oven thermostat, which is located in different places depending on the make and model:
   1. On freestanding ranges, access the thermostat by removing the screws that hold the back panel in place at both ends.
   2. On models with front-loading controls, remove the panel and tilt it for access. Be careful not to let the wires disconnect from their components.
   3. Some built-in models have a removable backsplash. Lift the backsplash, rest it on the cook top and remove the screws from the backsplash, which holds the rear panel.
   4. On wall ovens or eye-level ranges, access the control panel by opening the door and removing the screws that secure it. The screws may be under the exhaust hood or below the control panel. If the control panel is hinged, simply tilt it towards you.
   5. On some models both the rear and front control panels must be removed. The screws may be found on the trim and occasionally the trim must be removed.
   
   
   
3. When testing the thermostat switch contacts for continuity, refer to the wiring diagram and remove only those wires being tested - and only one pair at a time. Test switch contact terminals as per your wiring diagram. If the switch lacks continuity at any of the contact terminal points then the entire thermostat switch needs to be replaced.

   Adjusting the thermostat:
   

4. Test the oven temperature by placing the tester in the oven's center and leaving it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Record the minimum and maximum temperatures of three cycles, then add those figures together, divide the result by six and you have the oven's average temperature.



5. If the average temperature is more than 25 degrees off, try calibrating the thermostat by following your appliance manual instructions for thermostat calibration.

Most range tops for gas appliance can be lifted up by hand.
You may have a set of screws located just under the top just above the oven door. You should open your oven door and look up at the bottom of the range top to see if there are in fact any screws, if so remove them then lift.
If no screws you may need a small flat screwdriver to help lift the top. It does have a couple of snap clips that will hold it firm but they are just to hold it from moving during normal use.
Remember to remove your burner grates first.

Most newer ranges with sealed burner cooktops can be a little bit tricky to open. People have a tendency to try and lift the cooktop up like on the older ranges and end up damaging the range and causing a gas leak. The first thing to do is to unplug the range of course. Then start by removing the rear panel of the range. From there you can get a visual feel of what you are up against. With the back panel removed you should be able to see into the top part of the range. Most newer sealed burner cooktops require you to disconnect the screws holding the burner tubes to the bottom of the cooktop. If you do not remove these screws you will break the tubes when you lift the cooktop. Most of the time the screws are removable from the top at the burner heads. Once these screws are removed you should be able to lift the cooktop up. From there the ignition wiring and spark module should be available now for servicing.

1. Open oven door and remove two screws that secure top.
2. Lift up front and slide forward about 8 inches so that you can disconnect two wire couplings.
3. Place on table upside down(I put newspaper down to catch the broken shards of glass) and remove burner unit (1piece, 4 screws).
4. Place old burners on new stovetop in the same position as original.
5. Remove 4 white plastic shims (round) from old stovetop and put on new stovetop.
6. Tighten all screws and then sit it back on stove (two front tabs fit into slots) and then insert screws into holes and tighten.
7. Took about 20 minutes, including vacuuming broken glass from inside burners and cleaning grease form crevices between burners and old stovetop.
8. Wrap old stovetop in the newspapers that are underneath it and place it all in a plastic garbage bag to avoid any broken glass from falling out.

you will likely need to replace the hinges part # 74010546 (requires 2) , which are $26.00 each and are located inside the door. The door would need to be removed and then taken apart. Also you may need hinge receivers which are part # 70010551 $7.09 each. These are located on the oven cabinet and can be accessed once the door is removed.

You MUST use flat bottom pans on three of the four burners, the back right burner is the multi-pan burner and accepts any type pan. You'll notice the other burners have a circle in the center, that is the thermostat that reads the temp of the pan, that burner type needs the flat bottom pan to work correctly. The multi-pan has no thermostat and it will boil water in any pan.

Good luck

How do I replace the burner on my smooth top range?

yep open the oven door unplug the range remove the racks on the bottom liner should be some screws remove them then take the liner up and out if there is a flame spreadder on the burner tube remove it at the back of the burner bar should be the ignighter most new ones are generic you just cut the wires on the old one and splice the new one on with cerramic wire nuts make sure the wires are away from the burner bar reverse dissambily turn oven on should light within 30 secs if ya pluggedit back in

The only way to find out for sure is to check the voltage to the element.
Most of the ranges have 2 or 3 screws under the front of the top. Remove them and the top will tilt up. Be careful, there is voltage on some of the wires.
Turn the switch on and check for voltage across the element terminals. If you have 240V, then the switch is ok and you probably need an element.
If you can post the complete model number from the tag on the back of the console, I may be able to give a little better directions.
Thanks/Mike