My own GE Monogram electric oven needs repair.

Being a commercial electrician, only, I'd like some feedback as to how best to remove it for repair or replacement.

In particular, in residential work is it normal for this to be hard wired with a whip or plug connected?

I've already got the oven loose in the hole -- but would like some advice before jerking it out 'blind.'

As it stands, it is NOT apparent how this oven is hooked up. The manual does not provide any rear-view illustration nor hook-up commentary. Instead the pitch is to call for their service fleet -- I'd rather not.

You might have the end user manual, there are installation manuals online for the monogram series here: http://www.monogram.com/for_the_trade/faqs/cooking.htm

I opened one PDF to see what they say about hookup and they are to be hard wired to a junction box.

Hope this helps.

Thanks MB...

Now I can only hope that parts are available.

I think the brain is fried.

Is there an access or drawer under the oven? Open/pull that out and see if there is a plug behind there. A lot of times these are just on a greenfield whip hardwired to a 1900 box.
It almost takes 2 people to get one out to work on it.
I wouldn't even start taking the screws out until I tripped the breaker ... but you know that.

I don't know what its like in the US but I a pretty sure here in Canada there has to be replacement parts available for at least 7 years after the model was last made.

If its the board it's not going to be cheap.

I wonder if heat is building up in the area around the oven and causing the board to act up. Maybe a louvered vent at the top of the cavity would help dissipate the heat out of the cabinet its in and prevent the new board from an early end of life.

I'm probably in trouble...

This unit is 20 years old...

And its model number doesn't show up in the PDF.

BTW, it is now apparent that it is hardwired with a greenfield factory whip.

Its worth a try looking around, maybe some of the smaller parts places may have a nos one sitting under a ton of dust in the back room.

If you know the part number there are company's on the internet that have parts number look up and cross references to aftermarket parts.

The first question is what is it not doing? Could this just be a bad element?
If this is the old style thing with dials on it, there is not much to go bad. If it is a new touch pad there is not much to go wrong either but it is the $200 board.

BTW I am looking for a 24" old style wall oven with no joy so far. I am even willing to swap my old style Whirlpool control panel over to a newer one with a fried board if it would fit in the can.

It's almost certainly whip wired.

What seems to be the issue? If its got a digital clock and electronic controls be ready to have *fun*.

If the heating element and wiring continuity checks pass, move onto the control board. The most common issues are cold solder joints and faulty electrolytic capacitors. The electrolytics can be tested just like big motor start/run caps. Be on the lookout for a bulged/blown cap (they usually bulge at the top) and pay attention to the leads...if they have turned green, the cap has a slow electrolyte leak and needs to be changed.

Of course, look for any obvious arcing or burned traces. Most of the control boards passed full element current through the circuit board traces where the relays are soldered in place. Often a solder joint at the relay or terminal will fail. This usually makes a mess as far as arc damage goes but it can be fixed. Remove all burnt solder and clean with an alcohol based solvent before re-soldering. Circuit traces are best repaired using wire as wide as the trace.

About the only things that require total control board replacement are a failure of the custom display module (usually a vacuum fluorescent unit, failures are *rare*) or a fried microcontroller, which of course stores the brains of the unit and is unique to your model.

Blown triacs and diodes are usually substitutable with similar units. The control transformer, usually 12-24VAC output is easily substituted as well.

All signs point to the Varistor 20K150 being zapped by my helpful Poco when they swapped out the old conventional watt-meter for the intelligent modern kind.

This left the brain with voltage starvation...

The trooper failed to kill the main when he swapped the units.

Board-level repair has been consumated...

Power-up is tomorrow...

BTW, the jerk running the field wiring gave me no bonding conductor -- had to correct that, too.

Every time I open a box AT ANY RESIDENCE owned by my extended family -- I wonder why no-one has been killed.

The stuff that flies in Residential -- !!!


If, and only if, the unit flies tomorrow...

I'm writing the Poco a complaint letter. Their procedure is missing a step.

Using the neutral for grounding was allowed by the NEC before 1996. When you run the 4th wire be sure you lift the bonding jumper in the range.

It's interesting that Telsa says the POCO did not turn off the disconnect before swapping meters.

Here the meter tech will not come in the house to do that, the homeowner is responsible power off and on.

IIRC the last time they swapped mine a few years ago
(government required random customer meter accuracy check) I had a letter in my mailbox giving me 24 hours notice to turn the breakers off to anything that could get damaged by a spike if I was not home to kill the main disconnect when the tech showed up to swap meters.

Out here, the MAIN is in the all-in-one...

Hardwareguy nailed one problem: the highest amperage trace of solder to relay-3 was impaired. The extra resistance caused the coils to slug along, starved for current.

This was easily fixed with fresh solder, rosin-core.

The MOV's were both bad.

All other measurements came in within tolerances.

However, the low-voltage brain at the front is touchy and so the display fades in and out. Yet functionality has been restored.

The first time through I was going slow: I HATE collateral damage.

Subsequently my speed picked up such that I could jump all over it in no time.

You'd think the industry would establish frame sizes for such ovens. However, dimensional creep means that getting a new built-in style oven to fit your cabinet is problematic.

I guess they figure if the oven goes it's time for a complete kitchen makeover.