Need to replace Burner Valve - GE Stove

[Bob1960]

Seems like we have a bad burner valve. The knob spins and spins - with the plastic knob removed. The burner stays on a VERY low setting so I turned off the gas since at one point the flame blew out.

Burner valve part Number: WB21K0021 or WB21K21

I'm half way handy     Is this something that I should attempt to replace myself? The local appliance repair guy wants $190 including the part that I can get for $30.


Thanks and great forum!!!

Model JGBP30WEV2WW

[Bob1960]

One more question -- is a switch needed as well or just the burner valve??? A supply house told my wife to buy the switch as well.

[JWWebster]

I don't see why you would need a switch if it is just the valve. What yall should be concerned about is breaking the alum tubing from that valve to the burner. You go raising the top without first removing all of the burners and all that aluminum tubing from them valves will be broken. Those small screws on the burner heads are probably rusted all to hell and non removable. If that is the case I just cut the heads off the rusted screws so that the burners can be removed  and later I drill out the holes and just pop rivet the burners back on there with 1/8th inch rivets. It is a bunch of trouble and that is why the guy wants a couple hundred bucks to fix it. Another trick people try is to remove the small screws on the valve itself and try to replace the innards if you don't get it back just right it will leak like hell and be dangerous.

[Bob1960]

Thanks for the reply! Some of the screws were corroded like you suspected so I'm gonna punt and have GE service it next week.

I'm happy to pay skilled and honest technicians to do stuff that I can't! If a repair is easy, I'm not afraid of doing it myself.

Bob

[JWWebster]

Good call.

[jumptrout51]

Many times paying more cost less.
If your technician does the same as me,if he breaks something he will still do the repair for the quoted price.

[Bob1960]

The GE technician just stopped by, diagnosed the problem as a bad burner valve. Charged us $100 to take a look and diagnosed what we already knew without lifting up the front of the stove. The total job is $250. $180 for labor + about $60 for the part (some of it is tax). It's unacceptable that they didn't show up with the part when we told them what the problem is. Now my wife has to take more time off from work later in the week.

[weverette]

It's perfectly normal for a tech to not order a part based soley on what a customer thinks they need. More often than not, a customer's diagnosis is wrong. If I ordered parts on that basis, I'd have to close my business.

[Bob1960]

It's perfectly normal for a tech to not order a part based soley on what a customer thinks they need. More often than not, a customer's diagnosis is wrong. If I ordered parts on that basis, I'd have to close my business.

I would expect that GE factory service would have part on the truck? I guess that's asking too much.

It ended up my wife went replaced the burner valve herself. It took 20 minutes. The only tricky part was getting a few screws off the side of the oven - but she did it. The repair was very simple.

[weverette]

We can only carry so many parts. Gas valves aren't used very often, so they normally don't make the list of popular items. Can't actually remember the last time i actually used a surface burner gas valve.