JennAir A106 and A38LP Cartridge Cooktop Repair

The A106 and A38LP are drop-in cartridge cooktops from JennAir’s early downdraft lineup, with the A38LP being the LP-gas version for homes on propane. You find them in kitchens that were never remodeled, usually in a counter cutout with the duct still running below the cabinet.
Age shows up in predictable places. The blower motor loses strength or hums, a cartridge stops heating, knobs crack, and terminal blocks darken from years of heat. Grease collects in the trap and narrows the air path, so a weak vent is frequently a cleaning job before it is a motor job.
We separate the cartridge side from the downdraft side first, since they run on different circuits. On the LP version, if you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility from outside before anything else. You get a written price before we start, and our work carries a 30-day warranty.
Yes, the burner cartridges and the blower are serviced as separate parts. We check the burner, igniting parts and the gas connection, and the price is written before we begin. Gas smell means leave and call the gas utility.
Not necessarily. The grease trap and duct are checked first because buildup chokes the airflow. If the blower itself hums or will not start, we test it and quote a replacement in writing.
Often yes. Each cartridge works as its own module, so we test the element or burner, its switch and the wiring to it. You approve the written quote before any repair starts.
Book in about a minute, or call the desk. Same-day windows inside the Loop on most days, next-day across the rest of Houston.