My stove stopped working. Actually, just the oven part of the stove. The top burners, no problem. The stove would “click†on, but never actually start heating up.
This is a ten year old GE gas stove we purchased brand-new. Never had any trouble with it. My first though: do a Google search for “most common gas oven problemsâ€
The results were terrific. And the #1 problem? The Glow Coil Igniter go bad. (It’s the thing in the picture)Â
Step #1 – find the model of my stove. This was located in the bottom drawer, or the broiler. Rather than just write it down, I used my iPhone to take a picture of the tag.
Step #2 – Google Igniter and the stove model number. I found it all over the place online, very common part.
Step #3 – call local! I then called Soules Repair, which is a ten minute walk from my front door. They are located at 767 Capital Ave. NE. I told the nice lady on the phone what my problem was, she agreed it is more than likely the igniter. They have them in stock, $60 out the door.
Step #4 – Quick drive to Soules (feet of snow and sub-zero temps mean I drive it, not walk it!) and they tested my part to confirm it was bad. It was
Step #5 – Install the replacement Igniter. Stove fires right up now!
Yes, step #2 was actually taking apart part of the stove to remove the igniter. Very simple process, four screws.
And yes, I could have saved almost 50% by buying the product online, waiting two days, and installing it as above. But I like to support local businesses, and at $60, it’s not like an expensive part. Plus, if this did not fix the stove, I could have returned it immediately with no hassle.
The internet is great! It provided me with how-to video’s to replace this part. It gave me troubleshooting tips to confirm this is the bad part. It gave me the phone number, address, and even directions had I needed them to find the part locally.
And it allowed me to share this story with you!
I could’ve written this article myself just last week.. I did the same exact thing (GE stove, same part!), except I got the part on the web for $25… 🙂 Great minds think alike… Thanks for the great writing, keep it up!
I found it much cheaper than the $60 I spent, but the difference was I was able to fix it right away, rather than waiting 24-48 hours for the part to arrive. I would usually be happy to wait and save that money, but with a family of 5 under this roof, no oven means limited food choices. 🙂
Makes sense. That’s why I have an extra big toaster oven too! The element was a pain to put in, but I know a lot more about my oven then I did before. 😉
but… i must say, my cheapo part didn’t last a month. Don’t buy the $25 part anybody. It may look good and cheap… but it is only the latter