Electric range control panel failures

16 years ago

I had a Kenmore smooth cooktop range and got an F1 failure message on the display. The repair seemed too expensive so I bought a GE smooth cooktop with convection. After using it a week, I was just using one burner and got a BAD LINE message on the display. The installers came out and checked the range, which seemed to be OK, but our outlet plate was not fastened down but was loose, and the installer's test probes didn't light up when he put electrodes into the outlet. It seemed to be a wiring problem. DH pulled the plate out some and looked at the wiring, which seems to be aluminum. He fastened the outlet plate on securely and is having me use the range again. I've just used burners a few times, and it seems OK. Could this loose outlet problem have caused the other stove to fail after 5-6 years? Is there generally problems with aluminum? It seems like a difficult thing to replace the wiring.

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Comments (3)

User
16 years ago
Aluminum wiring carries electricity just fine. It's the aluminum/copper connections in junction boxes and outlets that are a big issue. They don't connect well at all and have electrolytic corrosion that will give you all kinds of problems. That's why most people with aluminum wiring have replaced it and why you hear horror tales of fires with aluminum wiring. I'm surprised that your home inspector didn't give you a head's up about your wiring when you purchased the home. I'm also surprised that you haven't had other electrical issues with your home.

So yes, your AL wiring could have caused issues with your other range, but you also could have had electrical issues if your range isn't on surge protection. Adding whole home surge protection is becoming more and more common as more items in the home contain sensitive electronics. You should ask an electrician about that when you get an evaluation of your home's electrical system. You may need to add that in addition to doing periodic maintainence of electrical outlets. The worst case scenario is that you will need to rewire your home completely. It IS a possibility, and if resale is ever in your future, it will pay for itself to have done. Most buyers fear aluminum wiring and would not buy a house with it without a rewire or a significant discount to pay for a rewire.
hemnancy
Original Author
16 years ago
We were doing a cash purchase of our house, since we had been fortunate enough to start buying houses way back when they were cheaper and work up several houses during increases. But anyway we were naive and relied on a real estate agent (who I realized afterward has monetary interest in the house sale and is not impartial) to find a house inspector, not the same as relying on a lending institution. The house inspector was shady, the former owners didn't disclose several faults, we had the basement flood from cracks, and now this. But it is otherwise a very sound house with an earth-bermed daylight basement making our pipes secure from freezing since they are between floors. Anyway, I don't think we have the aluminum/copper junction boxes? I would love to change the aluminum wiring but it would require ripping up wall board since there is only one small access panel. Apparently the 240 v wiring to the dryer is also aluminum, but the 120 v is copper.

We will have to look into the surge protection. Thanks!
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59 Dodge
16 years ago
We bought our house new 10/04/75. It has aluminum wiring and we have never had a problem, not even with a single socket. When we redid our kitchen in 2006, we did run new copper wire for cooktop and the oven and speed oven. Then we (The electrician) "Pigtailed" the other 120 volt connections in the kitchen. You can buy these pigtails at Home Depot and I'm sure a lot of other places.
Alto I have never had any problems, anything that draws a lot of electricity, Stoves, ovens, etc I would have those rewired with copper. A good electrician should be able to either pull the new copper wire thru or reroute it as we did.
Good luck!!

Gary