On Apr 3, 4:19*pm, Dottie wrote:
I have a mostly still good electric range with burners on the top - not the new flat top kind. *Anyway, one of the elements came loose from the part that holds it together so I ordered a new one. *Now I have a problem of a different kind. *When I turn it on high to heat it up, its o.k., but when I lower the temp .. it sometimes stays on high. *Other times, I start it on medium heat and it will go to high... and sometimes it works just fine. *My question is -- is the problem with the element or is it with the stove where the connection is? *I hate to have to buy a new stove but I am a little wary about it now. *What if someone who doesn't know about the problem turns it on? *Everything else is o.k.

The switch.
It has a device that turns the hot plate on and off on a regular cycle
adjusted by the knob.
We call them simmerstats in the UK.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Regulator_(stove)