A touch control panel that becomes unresponsive or erratic on a Kenmore electric cooktop isn’t always just annoying — depending on how it’s failing, it can mean the cooktop no longer reliably lets you turn a zone off, which changes how urgently it should be addressed.
The Difference That Matters
A control panel that’s simply unresponsive to input (no zones will turn on at all) is inconvenient but low-risk. A control panel that’s erratic — zones activating on their own, or a zone that won’t turn off when commanded — is a genuinely different and more urgent situation.
If a Zone Won’t Turn Off
If you cannot reliably shut off an active cooking zone through the touch controls, shut off power to the cooktop at the circuit breaker rather than continuing to try the panel, and don’t leave the cooktop unattended in that state.
Common, Fixable Causes
Moisture that’s worked its way under the control strip during cleaning, a failing touch-control circuit board, or physical damage to the glass over the control area are the most frequent causes, and all of them are repairable without replacing the whole cooktop.
Get It Looked At
Don’t keep using a cooktop with an erratic control panel while you wait for a convenient time. Our Kenmore cooktop repair page has what you need to get a technician out sooner.