Parts of a Range Appliance that Commonly Need Repair

range repair training
Fred's Appliance
June 24, 2016
Parts

Whether a range is made by GE, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, or another manufacturer, one thing is sure: If you keep it long enough, it will need some sort of service. Fortunately, the most commonly-needed repair is also simple and inexpensive. Here are some of the things to keep an eye on for range appliance repair as your range or range/oven ages:

Burned-Out Elements

This is the most common range repair. The reason for this is simple: Range elements, much like the filaments in old-fashioned light bulbs, slowly vaporize over time. The ones for the range are very thick and made of tough material, so it takes years for this to reach the level of failure. When the time finally comes, the element may visibly crack or it may simply stop lighting. Either way, the fix is simple: unplug the old one and plug in a brand new one. This can be done by a technician, but you can also get the proper replacement from our parts department.

One or More Electric Burners Won’t Come On – But it Isn’t Burned Out

This is usually a problem with the switch or the wiring to the burner. If the range has analog knobs, the repair will be fairly simple once the problem has been found. A technician can use a multimeter to see where the electricity stops flowing. This will pin down the location of the electrical fault. Then the appropriate switch or wire can be replaced to restore the current to the burner.

If the range is controlled by a computer, like many new ones are, the problem may turn out to be in the circuit board instead of the wiring. Then, repairs can cost quite a bit more. However, the usual way of fixing controller problems is to replace the entire board. Even those in the computing industry rarely repair circuit boards, finding it more reliable to use ones that are new from the factory.

An Electric Burner Stays On All the Time

If you have a burner that stays on all the time even when it’s not turned to the highest setting, it’s either a controller problem or a failed thermostat. As with burners that won’t come on, the expense of a repair depends mostly on whether the range is analog or digital. Analog switches are almost always cheaper than new controller boards. Thermostats, on the other hand, are priced mainly according to availability.

The Gas Range Won’t Operate at All

This almost always means that a safety switch has failed. A gas range includes several safety mechanisms to ensure that gas doesn’t leak out. Other safety controllers make sure that if you turn the range on, the gas will stop coming if it doesn’t actually get lit. If any of these devices go bad, they default to the “off” state to prevent dangerous situations from arising.

The best solution for this is to have a technician come out. There are so many possible devices that it’s hard to find which one is causing the problem unless you already have direct experience.

A Single Gas Burner Won’t Light

On modern ranges, this can mean that its igniter is no longer producing the needed sparks. However, it can also be caused by grime plugging up the holes the gas comes from. Therefore, try cleaning it with a wire brush first. If it still doesn’t work, call for repairs.

These are just some of the things that can go wrong with a range as it gets older. For repairs of any kind of range problem, just contact us. We’ll get it working again right away.

 

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