While replacing one of the cooktop switches in an old Tappan cooktop, the voltage across L1 and L2 is 220 volts while switch is off. When any of the switches is on the voltage drops to under 1 volt across all the L1 and L2 on all of the switches in series and does not deliver any voltage to across H1 and H2. Is this a circuit breaker failure in the electrical panel or is there something being missed in the cooktop?

Anyone have a clue? Need help. Wife wants to cook and it's getting real ugly.:mad:
KC

The switches are connected in parallel. You should be able to disconnect that switch, and all the other ones work normally. Perhaps the best fix for now, until after dinner time. Tape the terminals to that switch up or something to keep them from touching each other or any metal. With the power back on, the other 3 should be enough to fix dinner.

That may give me time to figure out what the problem is, or better yet, tkrussel drop in, the top dog in electrical and lighting. Been some good posts from other here recently too. Be sure and post back if didvconnecting the switch doesn't get the rest working.

I tried isolating the switches one at a time and all four switches have the same characteristics. If all are off the supply voltage is 220V across L1 and L2. When any of the four are swithed on, the pilot light flashes just as you pass the divot from off to the first on position and then the light turns off and the voltage drops below 1 volt across H1 and H2. I have no experience with circuit breaker failures, but could it be caused by the circuit breaker not supplying enough amperage?:confused:

Thanks

Most stove tops have two hots, a ground, and they also have a nuetral.If it is hard wired in you may have a nuetral problem in the panel if it has a plug in on the back you may have a loose wire in that plug or at the panel.