Troubleshooting a Whirlpool Range: Useful Tips and Tricks

As a home or business owner, troubleshooting a Whirlpool range can often feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what problems to look for, or even where to start. So if this sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place! 

Keep reading and we’ll go over a few useful tips and tricks to help you get your Whirlpool range working properly once again. Note, however, that attempting to repair your appliances on your own does pose some small risk. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to take safety precautions such as unplugging your range before working on it, and wearing any personal protective equipment necessary.

Common Problems With Electric Whirlpool Gold Ranges

Some of the most common problems with an electric Whirlpool Gold range include a surface heating element that’s no longer working, broil or bake elements that don’t heat properly or that heat unevenly, and an oven that won’t turn on at all.

Surface Heating Element Won’t Work

It’s common for the surface heating element on your Whirlpool range to stop working. In fact, a cooktop burner element only has a lifetime of around 5 to 10 years, so if you have a particularly older model, it’s not uncommon to see the burners become faulty. 

Fortunately, troubleshooting this issue is easy, that is, if you can spot any visible damage to the elements. Try looking for cracks or blisters. If you see any, you’ll know you need to replace the surface heating element.Alternately, if you need any help diagnosing or repairing your range’s surface elements, call a professional appliance repair service. Appliance repair technicians can correctly diagnose the problem and will get you the replacement parts you need.

Broil or Bake Elements Don’t Heat Properly

Just like your surface elements, broil and bake elements only have a lifespan of approximately 5 to 10 years. So, if your range is older than 5 years and your elements aren’t heating properly, it’s likely time to replace them anyways.  Once again, to troubleshoot this issue, you’ll want to visually inspect your Whirlpool appliance’s elements for any visible signs of damage. 

Here’s a good trick: try turning your oven on and visually checking the elements to see if they heat up and turn red/orange completely. If the element has cold spots, it won’t heat evenly, and generally indicates that it’s time to replace it. Fortunately, replacing a faulty element is a relatively simple and affordable repair that you may even be able to do on your. Just make sure to purchase the proper replacement parts from a local appliance repair company.

Oven Won’t Turn on At All

When your oven won’t turn on at all, you likely have a power supply issue. But in some rare cases, you may have a more serious issue or a faulty component causing your problem. So before you decide to start on any major repairs, make sure to double check that your unit is properly plugged in and that it has power coming from your home’s main electrical panel. 

Therefore, you’ll need to find your breaker box, and check to see that the appropriate breaker switch is ‘on’ or ‘off’. If the breaker is ‘off’, switch it ‘on’. Plug the range back into the outlet and test the power. In some cases, a simple power surge may have tripped the breaker. However, if you continue to experience the same problem, you may have a wiring issue in your home or with the appliance itself.

Common Problems With Gas or Dual-Fuel Whirlpool Ranges

Some common problems with gas or dual-fuel Whirlpool ranges include uneven surface burner flames or surface burners that won’t light at all.

Surface Burner’s Flames Are Uneven

Surface Burner Won’t Light At All

A very common problem with gas Whirlpool rages is to have an uneven burner flame, which can cause a serious decline in your cooking performance.  For this, the first thing to inspect is to check the burner cap and burner holes for dirt, grime, or any other cooking residues that may have caused a blockage. 

Also, if the burner cap isn’t in the right position, it may be blocking some of the burner holes. Regardless if the burner holes are blocked or clogged, you’ll likely experience a weak or uneven falem.  You can troubleshoot the issue by lifting the cap and setting it down in the right position, as well as making sure that your burner caps are cleaned and not covered in cooking residues.

A surface burner that won’t light at all could mean you have a malfunctioning ignitor or spark module. While you may be able to diagnose and repair a faulty ignitor on your own, the best tip to troubleshoot a surface burner that won’t light is to get involved in this appliance repair. 

So if you’re not sure how to go about troubleshooting your appliance, don’t hesitate to contact a local repair professional for help. A good technician will test your unit’s switches and ignitors with a multimeter to troubleshoot and find the source of the problem. They can also repair or replace the part as needed.