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Troubleshooting >>
Appliance Repair Troubleshooting DIY or Start Your
Gas Range Troubleshooting:
How it works, what to look for and How to check it
An oven igniter must reach a predetermined temperature before it will ignite gas. Example: the oven thermostat is set at 250° your igniter would have to reach a temperature of 500° to ignite gas and light the venture bar. Your igniter stays on and must maintain its predetermined temperature from the manufacturer. All manufacturers maintained degrees can vary.
If your igniter is discolored grey looking or burnt spot or broken it will not have the required resistance to generate the degree of heat needed to start or maintain the required heat and will stop the flow of gas and turn off.
If a visual check does not show anything unusual by taking an amps reading clamp your amps meter around one lead to your igniter turning your oven control on will now show what amount of amps your igniter is drawing and if it is up to manufacturers specifications this amps reading should only be performed on leads with yourself outside of the oven.
Changing an igniter:
1. Disconnect electrical power supply to the range.
2. Cut the leads of the defective igniter 3 inches from the ceramic block and remove defective igniter from the burner. Make sure to leave the connections between the leads and safety valve intact.
3. Connect the new igniter to the harness leads using the porcelain wire nuts.
4. Attach the new igniter to the burner and route leads away from flame area.
5. Restore electrical power and test range.
WARNING: ALWAYS USE THE PROPER IGNITER FOR THE RANGE YOU ARE REPAIRING. FOR EXAMPLE: Replacement igniter kit WB2X9998. This igniter must only be used on GE Gas ranges that operate in an electrical series with a 3.4-3.6 AMP range. Use of any other igniter with a different AMP rating can create a safety hazard due to the igniter and safety valve interaction.
Never attempt to take a reading while reaching inside of the oven.
To take an amps reading from the inside of the oven:
1. Make sure the gas is shut off.
2. Put your amps meter on one lead safely away from the igniter
3. Set your thermostat to a low setting
4. Look at your meter to see if an amps reading is being detected.
To test the oven igniter you could also trace the igniter leads back through the range to find a safe testing place outside of the range.
Make sure if you are testing from the outside of the range you do not have anything inside of the oven. If the range is experiencing slow igniting in the oven or broiler you may want to have the gas off for safety reasons.
Diagnoses and troubleshooting gas range oven thermostat.
Example: Customer says oven temperature is off by 10° to 15° this is acceptable and within normal operating range. But if you set the thermostat at 350° and it turns off at let’s say 250° or 300° the control is faulty and must be changed or for example you set he control at 350° and it won’t shut off until reaching 400°-425° or for example just stays on and the temperature just keeps rising the thermostat must be changed.
Oven won’t start; the glow bar will not go on or even glow.
This would indicate loss of power.
1. Check the wall outlet for 110 volts.
2. If you have 110 volts in the wall outlet check the power cord for continuity from one end of the cord to the other end like in my video. No continuity change the cord.
3. Check the oven thermostat for continuity. An open thermostat will not allow the igniter to light. If there is not continuity at the thermostat you will need to change the thermostat.
FOR THE TOP FOUR BURNERS:
The rotary switch goes over the shaft of the gas valve with 2 wires connected to it like in the video. When the control knob for the burner is rotated the shaft also rotates the inside of the burner switch allowing gas into the burner area as the spark igniter gets an electrical current to send spark to the burners and ignite the gas. Like I showed you in the video.
If you have no spark in only one of the burners
1. Check the igniter to see if it is broken, chipped or cracked. If it checks good
2. Check the rotary switch for continuity, if there is none then you need to change the rotary switch. Remember you must rotate the rotary switch when checking or continuity. If you have continuity then follow the wires in reverse from the rotary and igniter back to the modular for continuity. If you have no continuity you have an open/broken wire that needs to be changed.
If the range won’t light and you have power, continuity in your rotary switches, igniters are good; traced wires back to modular and have continuity then you have a faulty modular.
(revised 3/2010)
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