How to Replace a Maytag Burner Infinite Switch

What the infinite switch does#

An infinite switch is not a simple on-off; it regulates a fixed-wattage element by cycling it on and off at varying intervals, which is why you hear faint clicking at medium and low settings. Stuck contacts leave the burner on high, an internal open leaves it dead, and worn contacts make it swing between heat levels. These are Whirlpool Corporation platform parts, so the same switch serves Maytag, Whirlpool, and KitchenAid ranges.

Diagnose before you open up#

With the 240V breaker off, meter the switch for continuity between terminal pairs as you turn the knob — the wiring diagram inside the control panel shows which pairs should close where. Match the replacement to the burner: a small burner uses a 6-amp switch, a large or power burner an 8-amp one, and fitting an undersized switch on a high-wattage element invites early failure.

Label, remove, replace#

1. Kill the 240V breaker and confirm it is dead at the switch terminals.
2. Take off the control-panel end caps and top screws, then tilt the panel to reach the switch bodies.
3. Photograph the switch, then tape and mark each wire — the terminals are stamped H1, H2, L1, L2, and P, and small-burner and large-burner wiring differ.
4. Pull the knob off the D-shaped shaft, unplug each spade by the connector, and release the bracket screws or shaft nut.
5. Mount the new switch, return each labeled wire to its terminal, and check nothing is pinched.

Test through every setting#

Refit the panel and knob, restore power, and run the burner up. On high the element should glow fully within about thirty seconds with near-constant contact; on medium and low you should hear the switch clicking as it cycles, with longer off periods as you turn down; and off must stop all heat. If the burner stays on full or never heats, a pair of wires is on the wrong terminals — recheck against your photos.

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