I have an Electrolux stove that I've been using for a year and a half. I noticed that the front left burner heats up much slower than the others, even though it used to work fine. On max it barely boils water, while the other burners do it in a couple of minutes. Is this a breakdown or is there something I can adjust myself?
When my friend had the same problem, a technician told her that the contacts under the burner had oxidized from moisture and dust - the resistance increased and the heating dropped. Before calling a specialist, try removing the burner (usually they just pull out), carefully clean the contacts with a dry brush or soft cloth, and put it back in place - sometimes that helps. If it doesn't work, you'll probably have to replace the heating element or the contact assembly itself, which is a job for a technician.
Most likely it's oxidized contacts or a burnt-out heating element on that burner! This happens on electric stoves if you don't clean under the burners for a long time or if moisture gets into the connections. You can try taking the burner off yourself and wiping the contacts with alcohol, but if that doesn't help - you'll probably need to replace the heating element, and that's a job for a professional.
We had a similar situation at home - one burner suddenly started lagging. Turned out the problem was in the contacts: they oxidized, and the electrical resistance increased, which caused the power to drop. If your stove has been running for a year and a half and was fine before, then it's most likely that.
You can try something simple first: clean the connection between the burner and the socket really well. Turn off the stove, let it cool down, then pull out the problematic burner and look at the contacts - they might be dark or have buildup on them. Gently wipe them with a dry cloth or soft brush, then put the burner back in and check. If there was dirt, it could be preventing proper contact.
If cleaning doesn't help, then most likely you'll need to replace the burner itself - the heating element inside might wear out or get damaged. It's not a very expensive part, and this kind of repair is pretty affordable. I wouldn't recommend replacing it yourself if you don't have experience - it's better to call a technician so you don't damage the socket in the stove.
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