[ahamp]

Have a four-year-old Jenn-air range that started acting like it had a gremlin in it about a year-and-a-half ago. For over 2.5 years it worked fine. Then, it went through a couple of months where there would be an intermittent failure and it would say there was a probe installed (there wasn't). We would reset it at the circuit breaker, and it then it would be fine.

That issue mysteriously corrected itself, but then it began shutting off when the oven was heated, at various times and temperatures during the cooking cycle. The lit panel would also go dead, but the cooktop was still functioning. We found out if we turned the knobs on the range, the oven would turn back on.

The local repair guy didn't really want to touch the range, because I bought it as a scratch 'n dent from anther appliance store, and they had all sorts of excuses as to why there was no serial or model number on it (and they couldn't supply it, either... anyway, that is another story). Jenn-air was no help, either. I searched for a long time on the web reading about others' problems, and it seemed like it was either the clock, touch membrane or range circuit panel. Problem was that you really had to have the serial number for that particular range, because there were over 20 different circuit panels made for that model.

The intermittent problem started becoming very regular, and then it got where the burners wouldn't heat much, either. So, here we are in November with a full house expected for Thanksgiving, and we broke down and bought a Kenmore (Frigidaire). We installed it last night, and to our dismay... it is doing the same thing. The oven is turning itself off. The salesperson looked and he said the most common cause of that is that the wrong amps for the house circuit breaker. He said it required a 40 amp breaker, and ours is 60 amps. Is it possible that too much electricity is flowing to the range and the overheat sensor is going off and shutting down the oven?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It seems very odd that this is the second range to do that with the fault being in the range. Also, my hubby would really appreciate not having to lug another range down our stairs. : )

[smoothy]

The salesman has no comprehension of electricity... I would NOT ask his advice on the stock market or autiomobiles either.

Your wiring size on that circuit branch determines the breaker size... not the appliance hanging off the end.

You you can't "send" it any more electric current than it can use, the capacity is there up to the limit of the breaker. Look at it like a straw in a glass of water... VS putting your mouth around a fire hose and telling them to let 'er rip. Unless there is a short circuit in which case the limit is the circuit breaker or at least should be... before the wiring can get hot enough to melt the insulation and start a fire.

Circuit breakers don't "send any particular amount of electric based on its size... what they do is interrupt the power if anything tries to draw more than it is rated for. And again, that is based on wiring size that determines a maximum branch current that can flow safely.. and its when THAT number is exceded the breaker should do its job (the actual size of the breaker to be put in is determined by that). By interupting all power on the brank until its determined what was the cause or some items are removed until current is again at a safe level.

[ahamp]

Thanks so much, Smoothy. OK, well... so much for my salesman! : )

So disgruntled about these ranges they are making these days!

[ahamp]

Well, we were in the right general area... it was a bad circuit breaker.