RB524S1 Hotpoint Range - Instructions

Unhooked electrical wiring from unit and rehooked new unit to electrical wiring.

This repair took between 15 and 30 minutes BUT ONLY because my 10 year old son did the repair. He couldn't wait for his father to come home from work. His only complaint was the tight fit to reach the back of the oven (he wanted to take the oven door off but I said no). He removed the 2 screws that held the element in place and then pulled it from the oven until he could remove the screws that held the wires in place. He was concerned that a little of the insulation came out with the wires, but this was no issue. The new element hooked right up (we figured out that we had to use the 2 new screws for the wires because the old ones did not fit very well). We used the same 'old' screws to attach the element back to the oven. Plugged the oven back in and it works fine. My son was so proud and I didn't have to help any more than shining a flashlight for him.

The heating element in the lower oven of my 18 year-old GE double oven broke into two pieces and would not heat. Because of the age of the oven, a replacement part was unavailable through GE. I came across PartSelect.com through an Internet search and ordered the part online. Total cost was $33.50, counting s/h. FedEx delivered the new element less than 48 hours after I placed the order online.

IMPORTANT: FLIP the BREAKER to stop electricity from going to the oven. Replacing the heating element is a two step process: 1. Remove the old element. 2. Install the new element in its place. (NOTE: This job is much simpler if you lift and remove the oven door BEFORE you begin. NOTE also: There are no slots in the screws, so you must use a small socket wrench--not a screwdriver-- to remove the screws.) STEP 1: Two screws go through the small metal plate attached to the element prongs. These screws hold the element to the back oven wall. Remove the screws, then pull the element forward a few inches to gain access to two screws which hold the element prongs to wires that come through the back oven wall. (One wire and one screw for each of the two prongs.) Remove the two screws. Remove and discard the old element. STEP 2: Install the new element by doing Step 1 in reverse. Oven is now repaired! (It took more time to type these instruction than it took to repair the oven.)

After unplugging the range I took the rear sheet metal panel at the top off with a nut driver to expose the wiring connections. The next step was to remove the single screw holding the old part in place. (under the drip pan) Once free I snipped the old part from the wires and then taped the new female ends to the old wires with black electrical tape. From rear I carfully pulled the old wires through the back until I could reach the new wiring connections. Unplugged old, plugged in new and replaced the rear metal cover. Then I put the screw that holds the new block bracket in place, replaced drip pan, and burner. The final step was to plug the range back in and check to see if the burner worked. It did and I was done. Approx. 5 minutes

I am not a handy person so I was really nervous about doing this. I first unplugged the oven just to be on the safe side. Then I removed the two screws that hold the element in place. Next I pulled the element forward and disconnected the two wires. After that I simply reconnected the two wires to the new element, pushed it back in and put the screws in. Piece of cake!

First I removed the 2 screws that held the bake element in place. Then I pulled the element out and disconnected the two wires. Reconnected the two wires to the new element and pushed it back in place and installed the unit again with the 2 screws. Turned the oven on and it heated up like it should.

1. Pull out range and unplug from socket.
2. Lift range lid.
3. Remove back panel. Loosen the 6 - 1/4" nuts, then lift up slightly, which compresses the "latch" at the top middle. Let down and panel comes off easily.
(Note: Do not remove wires yet)
4. Remove control knob from front panel by pulling gently, exposing 2 small tap screws
5. unscrew the 2 small tap screws, freeing the switch.
6. NOTE THE EXISTING WIRING! Each terminal has a letter. Take a photo or drawing for reference, because the new switch's post locations were not the same as the old.
7. In my case I had to replace the terminal block kit with a new one. (don't try the aftermarket one's at Home Depot...bad idea event though they say Hotpoint) so I ran those wires first. Easy removal of old, only one wire clip, then fish the wires through. Secure with tap screw at burner location.
8. Hook up the wires. The ones coming from the burner don't seem to matter which one goes to which post but make sure you're replacing them on the posts that the original were on. What I did was just unhook the old posts one at a time and find the corresponding letter on the new one.
9. Break off stem at length of old switch with pliers. make sure you find where off and on are on the switch. Orient the off at the top, then push through from back of range.
10. Screw the 2 tap screws in, securing the switch.
11. Place the orange retainer oriented with flat side the same as the knob, and push the knob back in place.
12. Close lid, replace back panel
13. Insert drip pan/burner into terminal block and secure in drip pan. If your burner plugs are corroded or exposed, replace the burner as it will short out.
14. Plug in to socket and test before pushing range back into place.

Removed by slightly wiggling out of the coupling. No tools needed, seriously, (and I'm a contractor). Basically, pull out and snap back in.

1) turned off breaker to oven
2) removed oven racks
3) removed screws holding old element
4) pulled out element far enough to remove 2 wires attached to old element
5) noted colors, left white, right black
6) attached new element to wires
7) attached new element to oven
8) put back oven racks
9) turn breaker back on
10) test oven
done

First I made sure the power was off then I removed the back cover. I took the new switch in hand and took one wire at a time from the old switch and put them on the new switch. I removed the old switch and replaced it with the new one. Made test to be sure it worked. Replaced back cover, job finished.

The only reason I mentioned "a bit difficult" is that it is very important to unplug the unit first. I didn't want to say easy because I didn't want someone just jumping right in, (you do end up handling raw wires).
First I removed the two screws that were holding in the element to the back wall of the oven, then pulled out the old element slightly until you see where the wires are attached to the end of the element. I made note (I don't know if this is neccessary) which wire came off which screwset so I could put the new one in the same way. Took out the old element and attached the new one to the two screwsets on the ends of the element and then reinserted that part in in the back wall of the oven and attached plate that holds it in place. It was for my mother and she now thinks I'm a genius! Don't let anyone take a picture of you of you from behind because you definitely have to put your head in the oven. I believe the door is removable that may make it easier to get to it.

This repair took much longer than it should have.
When I noticed the oven would not heat in bake mode, I suspected the element was bad. Going on the forum, I found that I needed to ohm out the element to be sure, so from inside the oven, I removed the two screws holding the element into the stove, pulled out the element a bit and removed the screws from each contact, ohmed it out and found no continuity. I ordered a new bake element which arrived in a couple of days.
I installed the new element by connecting the wires back to each terminal end. It still didn't work and not only that, the broil element didn't work now either.
I inquired again on the forum and found that the suspect might be the control module that controls both bake and broil elements. The part was $250.
Not wanting to spend that on a 10 year old stove, I ordered a new stove at Sears that was on sale.
I sent the bake element back and waited for my stove to arrive.
Sears called a few days later that my stove was ready for pickup so in preparation, I pulled my old stove out from the wall and began to disconnect the pigtail to use on the new one. It was then I noticed a wire dangling that seemed to go to one side of the bake element. When I pulled out the bake element initially and disconnected the wires, I didn't notice that one terminal had TWO wires going to it and one had a single wire connected. It was a bit dark inside the stove when I initially took the screw off of each terminal and I never noticed the second wire on the left one. I installed the old bake element, knowing it may not work but just to see if the broil now worked and it did!
So I ordered another bake element and installed it connecting two wires to the left terminal and one to the right terminal, reattached it to the back of the oven and IT WORKS!!

I cancelled my new stove at Sears which saved me about $500. Just a $26.00 part.

Turned off breaker to stove.Used nut driver to remove the holding plate from the back ove the oven. Their was between 4 to 6 inch of slack on the wire. Used the nut driver and removed the red wire from the right side of the old element, and then removed the white wire from the left side of the element. Replaced the cap head screws that required a nut driver, with the slotted screws that came with the new element, replaced the white wire(left) the red wire(right), end reattached the holding plate to the back of the oven and done!
There are stand offs on the bottom of the element, so you can't get it confused on where the wires go, but take care that the wires do not slip back in the element "hole" or you will have to "fish" them back out.

Brought the element up slowly to 500 degrees, to burn off any residue on the element. Smelled a chemical smell for the first 5-10 seconds of the "burn in", then no smell.

First I removed the two screws that held the element in place. I pulled the element out about 2-3 inches and then removed the two screws that fastened to the ends of the element. Was careful to keep the same wires separate in order to fasten the new element back to the same two wires. When fastening the new element ends back to the wires, care must be taken to not bend the ends of the element when tightening the small screws to the ends. Everything went real good and am most pleased with the very fast service portrayed by Parts Select. They are a class act company and rate very high in customer satisfaction!

1. Removed the back panel.
2. Disconnected the wires from the old switch while connecting wires to the new switch one at a time.
3. Installed the new switch and broke off the excess metal on the post which fits into the burner knob on front of the range.
4. Replaced the burner knob and replaced the back panel.