Viking Range - Multiple Issues (Ignitor, Broiler, Electric Oven Temp)

[schoenbc]

I bought a home in 2019 that came with a 48inch, 6-burner, dual-fuel double oven Viking range (Model Number: VGR48-6G-BK).  Based on the serial number, I believe it to be 19 years old.  I am an avid cook/baker and the unit has treated me very well for the last four year but a few issues with it have cropped up lately (I don’t know if they are related or not). 

1)      About a year ago, the ignitor stopped working (for all six burners).  Fully turning any burner knob results in one “click” sound.  It’s very easy to simply light burners with a candle lighter so this isn’t a big deal for me.  On 2-3 occasions, the ignitor starts working again for a bit (a day or two).  It has been at least six months since this happened last.  Again, this isn’t a major inconvenience for me, I am including this here simply for context because it was the first ‘symptom’ and I wonder if all three issues are somehow related.

2)      About six months ago, the broiler in the right oven (the electric oven) stopped working.  While I use the broiler once or twice a month, it hasn’t been too inconvenient.  We recently replaced our dishwasher and fridge, so an expensive broiler repair has fallen down the ‘have fixed list’.

3)      Last week, when using both ovens simultaneously, I noticed that the right/electric oven wasn’t as hot as it should have been.  It DOES heat up, but not to the prescribed temperature.  I set it to 450F last night and let it preheat with a thermometer inside.  After 35 minutes, the oven was only heated to 295F.  I use both ovens frequently, so this issue IS something I need to figure out.

Buying a new range would be crippling to my home budget so I would like to try and fix/get this issue fixed and squeeze out another 2-4 years out of the unit.  Fixing it myself would be the cheapest option so I am starting here in hopes that a resident expert might be able to identify the issue(s) or, at least, provide a best guess at what to work on/replace first.  If these are separate issues, I  can certainly live without a working ignitor and broiler.  I am happy to provide any further detail if it is needed.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

 

[Nathaniel Peterson]

On 9/26/2023 at 9:45 AM, schoenbc said:

I bought a home in 2019 that came with a 48inch, 6-burner, dual-fuel double oven Viking range (Model Number: VGR48-6G-BK).  Based on the serial number, I believe it to be 19 years old.  I am an avid cook/baker and the unit has treated me very well for the last four year but a few issues with it have cropped up lately (I don’t know if they are related or not). 

1)      About a year ago, the ignitor stopped working (for all six burners).  Fully turning any burner knob results in one “click” sound.  It’s very easy to simply light burners with a candle lighter so this isn’t a big deal for me.  On 2-3 occasions, the ignitor starts working again for a bit (a day or two).  It has been at least six months since this happened last.  Again, this isn’t a major inconvenience for me, I am including this here simply for context because it was the first ‘symptom’ and I wonder if all three issues are somehow related.

2)      About six months ago, the broiler in the right oven (the electric oven) stopped working.  While I use the broiler once or twice a month, it hasn’t been too inconvenient.  We recently replaced our dishwasher and fridge, so an expensive broiler repair has fallen down the ‘have fixed list’.

3)      Last week, when using both ovens simultaneously, I noticed that the right/electric oven wasn’t as hot as it should have been.  It DOES heat up, but not to the prescribed temperature.  I set it to 450F last night and let it preheat with a thermometer inside.  After 35 minutes, the oven was only heated to 295F.  I use both ovens frequently, so this issue IS something I need to figure out.

Buying a new range would be crippling to my home budget so I would like to try and fix/get this issue fixed and squeeze out another 2-4 years out of the unit.  Fixing it myself would be the cheapest option so I am starting here in hopes that a resident expert might be able to identify the issue(s) or, at least, provide a best guess at what to work on/replace first.  If these are separate issues, I  can certainly live without a working ignitor and broiler.  I am happy to provide any further detail if it is needed.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

 

For a stove this big there's too much too list that can go wrong if you make a mistake. Simply put you need to test the broil element because that's what's used when preheating the oven. The wires are live so you could get electrocuted if the power isn't off, plus the wires could come off the element terminals which would mean you would have to fish them out or get an extra one or two people to help pull the stove out because leaving them in there exposed if they fall off can cause it to arc when power is turned on. Then you wouldn't be able to use anything on the stove until someone comes out to look at it. Plus technicians are really busy and it could take awhile to get an appointment on top of some companies won't service something that big. That oven is not something to diy unless you work in a similar industry like auto mechanics. Please just call a technician unless someone else is willing to help I wouldn't feel comfortable on something this big. Good luck and hope everything works out. 

[Terry Carmen]

Take off the back and look for burned things, especially around/on the boards and the wire connections and terminals.

Aside from that, it's going to be a really difficult stove to DIY.

If you don't actually need all that real estate and don't want to spend money on a new one, you can put in a normal 30" range and two 9" storage space for cookie sheets and cutting boards.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Terry Carmen