Range Repair
It’s hard to imagine a modern kitchen without a kitchen range. There are gas, electric, and combined ranges. This is obviously the main difference between ranges, but they also differ in design, size, installation type, etc.
At some point, any range can stop working, but here we will consider a breakdown of an electric range. In this article, we will cover the possible causes of the problem.
Such issues may appear for various reasons like damaged cables or failure of your electric oven parts. We will try to cover both options in detail.
Electrics One of the first causes to consider is possible issues with electrics and wiring. Sometimes the range burners keep working without illumination — in this case, the possible reason is a faulty range lamp. You can still use this range, but the lamp must be replaced.
If the burners are not heating up with the range plugged in, carefully inspect the power plug and cable for any mechanical damage or melting. You should also inspect the outlet connecting the range to the power line. The test is easy — just plug in any other electrical device and make sure it’s working; it means the socket is in order and you should look for the fault in the oven itself.
But sometimes the socket is not working. If this is the case, call an electrician to replace the socket with a new one, and your range will get back to work as usual. However, before calling an electrician you should check the circuit breakers in the board. What if the reason for a non-working range is a triggered breaker?
I would like to draw your attention to another peculiar feature of modern ranges: a range is quite a dangerous home appliance, so the manufacturers do their best to safeguard their users. As a result, a faulty internal part of a range may trigger interlocking that prevents the range from turning on. The solution is to find and fix the issue.
What is the most common failure in the ranges?
- Oven heating elements.
- Cooktop heating elements
- Thermostats
- Electric range control boards. Usually, the control board fails to send the required signal, and it results in self-blocking or unstable operation of the range.
- If the range installation area is prone to voltage surges, we highly recommend checking the fuses that are easily damaged with such surges.
All above-mentioned range parts are generally non-repairable in case of a fault. They must be replaced with new parts. You can do it by yourself or call our service company to do it for you.
One of the most remarkable and important parts of an electric range is a burner — they distribute the heat evenly on the bottom of a pan or saucepan and allow you to cook. This is a major working element of any burner, including gas, electric, and combined models. What does it mean? It means a faulty burner makes the range completely unserviceable.
On the other hand, if you have a range with four burners and only one is not working, you may leave it and put it off for a while. But it’s better to keep in mind that if one burner has a fault today, no one can guarantee it will not happen to others tomorrow. And this might be a much more serious problem. So it’s better to deal with the problem without any delay.
A common reason for a faulty burner is a user operating the range in the wrong way. If you buy a new range, spare some time and read the operation manual where the manufacturer explains all the requirements for range operation, and if you follow them, the range will actually serve you with dedication and commitment for a long time, while wrong operation may lead to a premature failure.
Usually wrong operation implies using cookware unsuitable for a specific range type. Such cookware may have the wrong bottom diameter or concave or buckled bottom.
You should also understand that even with the most careful operation of an electric range it may have a fault one day or another. All in due time. When it happens, you should better avoid self-repair and call our service technician able to carry out diagnosis, troubleshooting, and repair by replacing faulty parts of the electric range.
Let’s find out what other reasons may lead to a range burner fault. It’s worth mentioning that you shouldn’t panic as soon as you find a burner not working — first of all, just check if you have power at home. There’s a chance of a triggered circuit breaker or power outage in your house. If you have found such a problem and know what to do to fix it, like switching on the circuit breaker or waiting for power recovery after an outage, just do it or wait if it’s out of your control. If the reason is unclear, go ahead and call an electrician who will help you to sort it out.
This also includes a situation when the power and circuit breakers are on, but the burners are not working. In this case, you should call our company and invite a qualified specialist able to fix the problem.
As you know, an electric range is a complicated home appliance, but that said, we would like to explain the burner operation principle for you to have a general idea about electrical ranges.
Any burner usually consists of two main parts — a housing and a coil inside it. When the current is supplied, the coil heats up and quickly raises the temperature of the burner housing and then of a sauce or frying pan placed on it. Frequent overheating and too intense operation raise the chances of a sooner burnout compared to the manufacturer’s expectations. This is a common reason for a burner not heating up. If you’re facing this issue, you can solve it by replacing the coil with a new one.
Apart from the housing and coil, a burner has another important element called a thermostat. A thermostat is designed to monitor a burner overheating above the preset value which triggers the unit and sends a signal to turn off the burner. Since a faulty thermostat will not turn off the burner upon overheating, the coil will easily overheat and burn out. Our appliance technician can easily replace a thermostat.
It is also equipped with range knobs that control burner heating power and switching it on and off. This knob may break down over time and prevent the burner from switching on. In this situation, the knob must be replaced with a new one.
Sometimes the reason for a non-working burner is a faulty range control module. In this situation, the module is not repaired but replaced with a new one.
Most models of electric kitchen ranges have an oven. There are various types of ovens like gas or electric that are dependent or independent of the cooktop. Read this article If you want to know more about the peculiar features of ovens.
Since the oven is an important part of a range and it is usually used to cook delicious meals of our cuisine, their failure is especially disappointing for housewives. Since any problem can be solved with a suitable solution, we urge you to be optimistic if you face any issues in oven operation.
Let’s try together to find out the most common reasons for a failure of an electric range oven.
There are various reasons as usual, but we will focus on the most important:
- Faulty electrics inside the oven. Since it can be dangerous to health, we recommend avoiding self-repair and calling a qualified specialist for help. They will be able to diagnose the oven and eliminate the root cause.
- Faulty heating element inside the oven. The heating element or simply the heater can fail due to intensive use — for example, when the heating element lifetime is about to run out but we keep using it. In this case, the heater must be replaced with a new one. Another reason for a heater fault is a surge in the electric circuit.
- Broken oven knob. A broken knob can also cause some troubles like preventing the oven from turning on. Since a knob is quite easy to replace, you can do it by yourself if you have expertise in repairing sophisticated appliances. Otherwise, a specialist is your friend.
- Faulty thermostat. Just like an electric range burner, the oven is equipped with a thermostat that powers off the heating element when the temperature exceeds the limits established by the manufacturer.
- Faulty control module. A faulty control module results either in oven operation malfunction or total outage when the oven will simply stop turning on. Control modules are usually not repaired but replaced with new ones.
What to do if electric range display stops working?
The electric range displays are designed to show a wide range of operation data. The data can be textual and graphical — it all depends on the brand and model of your range. The display usually shows the cooking surface temperature, activated range features, cooking time, timer, etc. While the display is not a key element of electric range, it certainly improves the user experience.
Display failure may occur for two main reasons:
- faulty control module mentioned above;
- faulty ribbon cable connecting control module and display.
When testing an electric range, other things to check apart from the control module and ribbon cable are a fuse, power switch, and display. As you can see, there are numerous reasons for a faulty display.
We recommend basic users always follow safety rules and apply common sense. If the type of range defect and your self-repair attempts may lead to injuries, restrain from a self-repair and call a qualified technician with skills and experience in repairing your range.
Please keep in mind that any electric range should be maintained, kept, and operated according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. As a rule, regular care results in longer appliance life and breakdowns cause less time and money troubles for owners.
Enjoy smooth and hassle-free performance!