1996 Whirlpool Electric Stove

[retromom]

Well, it's finally happened. The appliance gnomes have worked their mischief on my oven. I don't know if she is jealous that she will soon (sooner, now) be replaced by the CI or what.

Maybe someone can help me patch her up until we bring the CI home from the warehouse. Here's what happened:

Sunday a.m.: while cleaning the inside edge of the larger oven, the right side of the door came unhinged and fell off. A nickel popped out of it when I tried to put the door back on. I got it back on easily; no problem.

Sunday early afternoon: Austin was surprising us with one of his famous layer cakes. Five minutes after he put the pans into the oven (at 300 degrees mind you; it runs that hot), I smelled the old "food's burning" aroma. We pulled the pans out of the oven a.s.a.p. The cakes were burned on the top and on the bottom with cake batter running down the sides like mini Mt. Etnas. I stuck my hand in the oven and could feel the broiler and baking elements were on. I moved knobs around, etc. It's impossible to mess up the controls on this model. Once again I turned on the oven (bake) to 150 degrees, and once again both heating elements were activated.

Sunday late afternoon: Deciding that the main oven has gone "kaput", I fired up the smaller oven for some baked potatoes. This one is barely heating up at all; even at 450 degrees.

I'm starting to feel like Goldilocks; one stove is too hot, one stove is too cold. Where is the one that is just right?

Does anyone know what the problem could be?

Venus -
and the three bears

 

[coldspot66]

Sounds like a thermostat problem. Do you have a preheat setting on the selector switch or do you just dial in a temp?

 

[retromom]

96 WP

John:

I just set my temp. Of course, I don't have a manual, and I don't see any visible place to adjust the thermostat. I'm thinking that I would probably have to remove the back panel and make adjustment there. I plead total ignorance.

Venus

 

[veg-o-matic]

Can you disconnect the broiler element in the main oven?

veg, who obviously cooks with gas

 

[retromom]

Veg:

Unfortunately, it's not "plugnplay". However, you can take the element out if you unscrew the small metal panel that holds it up. That would leave two exposed holes where the elements would be.

The broiler unit does not come on when I switch the oven to broil. This is weird.

Venus -
I wish I was cooking with gas.....

 

[goatfarmer]

It sounds like it's pre heating,which normally turns on both elements,to heat quickly.
Thermostat adjustments usually mean removing the temperature knob. However,if it just started doing this,it's probably not an adjustment.

kennyGF

 

[retromom]

Compact Whirlpool Range

Kenny:

Are you saying she is "crusher food"?

Venus

 

[goatfarmer]

No,that new a stove deserves a chance to be fixed.Unless you've been wanting an excuse to go retro.....
Can you remove the temperature knob? If you can,some of them have an adjustment on the back.

 

[retromom]

That #@&*%! stove

Kenny:

I've got the 1959 Frigidaire waiting in the wings. I was hoping to make this last until we got the new countertops in. It came with the house (a replacement for the Flair that the house was built with), so it's no big deal. I would have like to have sold it or given it to someone though.

What I may do is take it apart when we get the new stove. I'll just take a screwdriver to the back panel and see what I find. Heck, it can't get anymore screwed up than it already is.

Thanks for the help
Venus

 

[david]

Now that's a spooky stove!

Oh God, I would have freaked out. But I guess these things can happen with the digital oven controls. They're on mine to-I really like the accuracy-so far bakes like a dream. But I'm going to keeep my eye on it just in case...