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I have a GE electric range (JCB840SK5SS), no more than 18 months old (came with the house and we moved in last year). A few months ago the "Burner On" indicator stopped working. I opened up the back panel, metered the voltage on the terminals and I see 240V when a burner is on, and 0 when they're all off. However, the lamp housing is labelled "125V". I opened that up and the resistor in series with the neon bulb is clearly burned and measures open circuit.

It seems to me that GE has installed a 125V indicator but they're powering it with 240V. I found the schematic and it seems to contradict itself - it shows the same circuit drawn in two different styles, and one side seems to show the indicator connected from L1 to L2 giving 240V and the other shows it connected from L1 to N giving 120V. All other wires seem to be connected properly so I don't think my stove was built wrong.

It looks like the part number for this indicator is WB25K10002. I can buy one for about $20 here in Canada but the product photo shows that the those parts are also labelled for 125V. I did find a 250V version of the indicator (WB25X20005) that looks like it would fit.

I'm not sure how to proceed here. Should I assume the design is good, my light burning out was a fluke, and replace it with the same thing? Should I get the 250V version of the indicator? Should I get in touch with GE and ask them? Has anyone here seen anything similar?

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    At only 18 months, the first thing I would have done was check for a warranty. The second thing is to assume that it's actually fit for purpose and just has a bad component. GE is well known manufacturer and they're unlikely to ship a product without a UL or CSA approval, which means that various samples have been tested and function properly. I doubt they screwed up when they built it and wired it wrong, though anything's possible.
    – FreeMan
    Jul 15 at 21:22
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    I would contact GE. It might just be a defective piece or 125 stuff got mixed in with 250 stuff. Those indicators are quite important safety wise.
    – crip659
    Jul 15 at 21:34
  • It may be an unwarranted assumption that "GE" (whatever that may mean nowadays) was the installer of that indicator. Since clearly the device is getting 240V applied to it, how is it even debatable that the part should be rated for that voltage? I get lots of online quotes in the 5-8 US dollar range for the part number WB25X20005.
    – kreemoweet
    Jul 15 at 22:03
  • In my >30 year-old GE electric range the schematic shows the "pilot" light is between a phase and neutral and there is no resistor. If in your range for some reason they wanted to use L1 to L2 (240 V) but use the same neon light then they could put a certain resistor in series with the neon bulb.
    – Jim Stewart
    Jul 15 at 23:23
  • The warranty unfortunately only lasted 1 year. I should clarify that the resistor is part of the indicator light module, built into the plastic housing along with the bulb. Neon bulbs are usually rated for 90V and so they'll need a resistor for either 120V or 240V. The resistor itself isn't on my schematic either.
    – trevynw
    Jul 15 at 23:50

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Note that it is traditional for 240V ranges in the US to have some components (bulbs, controllers...) running at 120V, by powering them with only one hot leg and neutral rather than two opposing hot legs. So don't assume that a 129V part is wrong without checking the schematic.

Note that this means lost neutral might cause your problem, though I would expect to see other symptoms too in that case (oven light not working, for example).

Check the outlet. Then get the schematic diagram for the unit and use that to guide diagnosis. Or, as others have said, see if you can get warranty service.

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  • The outlet is good, 240 phase to phase and 120 phase to neutral. That was also my first thought. With the burned-out indicator connected I measured across its terminals and I see 240V, so it seems that this is by design. Unfortunately the schematic contradicts itself. One side of the paper is a ladder diagram and it shows this indicator connected from L1 (through burner switches) to N, and the other side is a wiring diagram showing this indicator connected from L1 through the switches to L2.
    – trevynw
    Jul 16 at 22:52

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