[hondasteve]

My Whirlpool stove turns on but the burners don't work. The red indicator light for each burner comes on but the burners don't heat up. Is there a fuse or a reset button on or in the stove or an element or something. I'm not an appliance repair man but I have some knowledge of electrical and I am mechanically inclined. Any ideas?

[Perito]

My Whirlpool stove turns on but the burners don't work. The red indicator light for each burner comes on but the burners don't heat up. Is there a fuse or a reset button on or in the stove or an element or something. I'm not an appliance repair man but I have some knowledge of electrical and I am mechanically inclined. Any ideas?

Do you have a volt-ohm meter, and are you comfortable using it? If you do, the first thing you need to check is the elements, themselves. Is this a solid top or are they Calrod-type elements?

Calrod-type elements

Most Calrod-type elements can be pulled out for cleaning. You can take them out and check for continuity using the ohm meter on a low-resistance range. The resistance should be under 10 ohms. If they're open, they need to be replaced.

I suspect that the problem won't be with the Calrod elements since none of the burners work. You need to check for power (240 Volts) where the elements connect. You must be careful here because 240 volts is enough to solve your income tax problems and there's a lot of metal around the connection. With the elements turned off (at the knobs), insert the leads into where the elements go. Make sure you're on the 250 VAC scale. With your hands clear, turn the knobs to high. Does the voltage go to 240 volts?

Post back with what your findings are. Other possible problems could be in the switches or a safety at the back of the range.