# Not happy with new GE gas range



## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Just got a new GE gas range and I am close to sending it back. It has typical knob type mechanical surface burner controls that have numerical markings like 1 through Hi, which would be 10.

The problem is that moving the knobs between 3 and 7 does not adjust the flame. IOW, the flame is constant no matter where in that range you move the knob. On the ends of the scale (Lo through 3 and 7 through 10) the flame adjusts as one would expect. This is a real PITA to cook with. Very hard to find the right burner setting for a given task.

I called GE and they tried to blow some smoke up my you-know-what by saying the burners change BTU output even though you can't see the flame change or hear the gas flow change. Nonsense. I did some careful heat up tests with a measured mass of water for a fixed time with the knobs in various settings within the "dead" range and got results within 1/10 of a degree.

All 5 burners do the exact same thing so it has to be a characteristic of the control valve design.

Anyone else seen a range behave this way? Is this some sort of new "feature" that other mfgs are also using? If so, why?


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Ray,


Propane or natural gas ? It could have a defective regulator.


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

It is NG... and definitely not a regulator problem. The flame is perfect and strong and modulates just fine in the upper and lower ranges of knob motion from precise simmer to full on power boil. It is a characteristic of the control valve and presents itself precisely the same for all burners. It's like the control valves have cams or ramps built in and they are flat for the center third of knob movement.

I called GE again and they said this is normal, as in it is designed this way. But the help line folks can't tell me why.

Do all the gas range mfgs make their burner controls this way now? I want to send the GE back but not if this is how they all come nowadays. Hard to shop because none of the stores has them set up and connected to gas to actually see how the burners work.

So, anyone here with a newer Jenn-Air, Whirlpool, Kenmore, Frigidaire, Kitchenaid, etc? Do those burners allow continuos seamless modulation throughout the enitre range of the control knob, or do they have a middle constant flame "dead" zone like the GEs?


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

I know that gas heating systems use modulation its been around for a while, modulation technology is the new fad because of environmental issues. Here's a good article on the topic: 

Gas Technology: Modulation Migration (Nov. 2007) - GAS TECHNOLOGY - Appliance Design


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Yes, modulation for heating is interesting. Also improves comfort by giving longer lower furnace runtimes (warm drafts) while retaining the ability to ramp up for colder days. I just installed a new NG forced air furnace in my house and opted for a 2-stage instead of modulating mainly because of my usage patterns (setback at night and during workday, then rapid warmp ups). I got one with a first stage about 20% less output than my old furnace so I should get longer runtimes for normal conditions while having the 2nd stage for recovery from setbacks and for those outlier cold days. If I was to be home every day I'd have gone with a modulating model. They also make boilers that use this princple for hydronic systems. It will be interesting to see how reliable the mods turn out.


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