Cooktop Element Replacement: Check the Socket, Ring and Trim

The new cooktop element is in, the hotplate heats, and the job looks done. A week later the call-back comes in, because the ceramic socket behind it was already heat-damaged. Replacing a cooktop element on a stove call-out often means checking the parts around it too, so here is what to look at before you order.

A New Cooktop Element Is Only Part of the Job

A burnt-out hotplate is usually the visible fault, but the parts it connects to sit in the same heat. A ceramic terminal socket can crack or show heat marks, a ring can come loose from its holder, and a trim ring can warp or discolour. A crack or a loose ring will often not show up on a quick test with a meter, which is why these parts get missed until the next visit.

Appliance accessories like these are small, easy to leave off the first order, and they cost a second trip when the old part turns out to be damaged. Isolate the supply and prove it dead at the terminals before you start. This article covers four parts Schnap lists for the job: a ceramic hotplate terminal socket, a polished stove ring with socket holder bracket in 160mm and 190mm, and a 145mm trim ring.

Check the Ceramic Terminal Socket First

The terminal socket holds the connection at the hotplate, so it sits close to the heat of the element. Pull the old one and look for cracks, burn marks, discolouration or terminals that no longer sit firmly. Any of these can be a reason to replace the socket instead of refitting it.

The ceramic hotplate terminal socket (EG1801-20) is listed as compatible with EG1801, EG1802, EG1803 and EG1805 hotplate models. It is a ceramic part measuring 20mm x 50mm x 50mm, sold as one each. Match your hotplate to that model list before ordering, and do not assume a socket from another range will fit.

Stove Ring and Socket Holder: 160mm or 190mm?

Schnap lists the polished stove ring with socket holder bracket in two diameters, 160mm (SKRS16) and 190mm (SKRS195). Both are listed as the ring with socket holder bracket only, and the ceramic socket is excluded. If the old socket is damaged, it needs to be ordered separately.

Measure the old ring before choosing, instead of going by how big the hotplate looks. The listed diameter is the figure to compare against. If you cannot tell which size you have, send SCHNAP a photo and the team can help identify it.

Trim Ring: Match the Part Number

The 145mm cooktop trim ring (EG545-1-908) is listed as a precision fit replacement for appliances using part number EG9523. Its metric size is 145mm. The listing ties it to that part number, so check the number on your appliance instead of relying on the diameter alone.

Fitting It Right: Mistakes That Cost a Second Visit

• Fitting a new element into a damaged socket. Heat marks or a cracked body are easy to miss when the old element is the obvious fault. The same terminal can fail again, so replace the socket when it looks compromised.
• Choosing the ring by eye. A 160mm and a 190mm ring can look close side by side on the bench. The wrong size means a return trip, so measure first or send a photo.
• Assuming the bracket includes the ceramic socket. The listing says the socket is excluded. Order the socket with the bracket when the old one is damaged.
• Treating the trim ring as a universal size. The 145mm listing names part number EG9523. Check that number before ordering instead of matching by diameter alone.

On a freestanding cooker, the same visit can include oven fan motor replacement in the oven below, so it is worth checking both fault lists before you order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Licensing and Compliance

Do I need a licence to replace a cooktop element?

It depends on the state or territory and on the work. Changing a part inside an appliance can be treated differently from work on fixed wiring, and in most states fixed wiring work needs a licensed electrician. Check with your state regulator before taking the job on.

Does a cooktop circuit need RCD protection?

Requirements depend on the current edition of AS/NZS 3000 and on when the circuit was installed, so check the current Wiring Rules and your state rules. For the basics of how the two devices differ, see RCD and RCBO difference.

Parts and Fit

Can I replace just the ceramic terminal socket on a hotplate?

Often the socket can be replaced on its own when the rest of the hotplate is sound. The Schnap listing names EG1801, EG1802, EG1803 and EG1805 hotplate models, so confirm yours is on that list first.

What size stove ring do I need, 160mm or 190mm?

Measure the ring you are replacing and compare it to the listed diameter. Both sizes are listed as the ring with socket holder bracket only, with the ceramic socket excluded.

Ordering

Can I get cooktop parts the same day in Sydney?

Orders can often go out the same day from Kingsgrove NSW, but cut-off times and delivery charges apply. The details are in same-day electrical delivery in Sydney.

Shop Cooktop Element at Schnap

These are the parts listed for the job. Trade pricing and same-day dispatch from Kingsgrove NSW apply to the parts below.

Terminal socket and trim ring

• Ceramic Hotplate Terminal Socket High Heat Resistant Cabac (EG1801-20)
• Cooktop Trim Ring 145mm Precision Fit Replacement Cabac (EG545-1-908)

Stove ring socket holder brackets

• Stove Ring Socket Holder Bracket 160mm Polished LANX (SKRS16)
• Stove Ring Socket Holder Bracket 190mm Polished LANX (SKRS195)

See the full cooktop element range at Schnap.