Those are some good questions. Without some more information, it is impossible to provide answers.

Do you have the manual? What size? The current Jenn-Air induction cooktops call for either 40A or 50A depending on size. I'll assume the older ones are about the same.

That said, it isn't like a small wire will "limit" the amount of current that the cooktop will try to draw. The circuit breaker is the current limiter (or in the extreme case of miswiring, the fire that results from the wire getting hot).

Since you aren't tripping the breaker, the cooktop isn't pulling more than 40A. I suspect an appliance issue.

The fact that it works at all leads me to think you're getting 120v rather than 240v at the power connection. Check the induction connections first.

This post was edited by saltcedar on Fri, Aug 9, 13 at 21:02