Troubleshooting Major Appliances

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Clogged burners: Most repairs to gas appliances require the expertise of (and, for safety's sake, should be left to) a trained technician. One fortunate exception to this rule of thumb, however, is perhaps the most common of all gas-range maladies: burners clogged with spilled food and other residues. The solution is to clean the components involved by soaking them for several hours in hot, soapy water. (To remove the burners, raise the range's hinged top and lift the ports out; for some models it may be necessary to undo a few retaining screws first.) Once you've soaked the burners, scrub them with a hard-bristled brush, rinse them off, and let them dry thoroughly. Finally, before reinstalling the parts, poke a pin or needle through each burner's gas-port holes to clear out any leftover grease. (Never use a wooden toothpick or matchstick for this job, since a dangerous gas backup could occur if the wooden tip breaks off and gets stuck in a port.)

Element, wiring, and receptacle: The easiest way to check whether or not an element (the coiled heating surface) has gone bad is to remove the part and replace it with its properly functioning twin from the same stove. (On some models, you can slide the element out of a plug-in receptacle, but on others you'll have to remove two terminal screws, and perhaps a porcelain insulator, first.) If the substitute element works, you'll know the original has gone bad and needs to be replaced. if the twin doesn't op erate either, there's a good chance the problem is in the wiring or (if your stove has them) in the plug-in receptacle. Lift the range's hinged top and take a good look at both components. If the wiring appears burnt or otherwise damaged, you'd better call in a professional. If only the receptacle looks charred, however, you can try replacing the part yourself.

Burnt power cord: The power cord, of course, is the plug-in cable that carries current from the wall outlet to your stove. Remove the cover plate where the cord enters the stove's bock, then inspect the wire and its attachment to the appliance's main terminals (in most cases the line splits into three cables, each of which is connected to the terminal block by a screw). If any part of the cord appears burnt or broken, it should replaced . . . by you if you feel qualified, or by a technician.

Oven element: To check this part when it malfunctions, first remove the retaining screws holding the element in place (the connection is at the back of the oven) and pull the unit toward the door to get at the wires. Note whether the two wires—other than the green ground wire—are attached to the element: If only one is, the other has burned off. Grasp what's left of the loose wire with a pair of needle-nosed pliers and pull it toward you (if the wire is nowhere to be seen, you'll have to remove a back panel and push the remaining portion of the wire into the oven). Then cut off the burnt part, strip away a bit of insulation, and reattach the element.

If, on the other hand, both wires are already connected, the problem is probably the element itself. Disconnect one wire and check the element for continuity. Replace it if necessary.

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