Guess what I just had to re-boot...

I was guessing those that know electronics on SED/or are well known are OT prefix exempt. A sorta special privilege.

You can still buy the gas-range inserts which use mechanical gas values, with a piezo igniter system. My wife and I have had one of these for about a decade, and they still seem to be in the stores.

The faults that have occured with the one we have, were basically mechanical. One valve failed to shut off properly, a few years ago, and needed to be replaced. The igniter needles tend to fail after around 5 years... the ceramic insulation cracks and the spark jumps across to the metal assembly in the wrong place... fortunately they aren't expensive and are easily replaced.

Well, SHMBO has decided to never by another Whirlpool appliance.

We have a gold line stove that came with the house when it was built. Has a front display and controls, and a nice flat grid over the top.

When we first started it up, there was this fan on the top that turned on whenever the oven was started. I thought maybe we had a convection oven. Then, before very long, that fan got EXTREMELY noisy. You couldn't talk over it. Since it was in warranty, we called in the repair guys. He comes in, and says that the fan is bad (well DUH!) and that he would have to order a new one. I ask him what it is for, and he says "It is to cool the controller." The front mounted control panel can't stand the heat otherwise!

About a year later, the controller itself goes out! Warranty was only a year, so, after spending a complete holiday season without an oven, we finally get it fixed. We 'persuaded' the builder to cover the repairs. It only took them about four weeks to get the part for it, and install it...

Then, six months later, the broiler goes out, it won't light. Not included in warranty for controller repair, will only cost around $200 to get it fixed. We live without a broiler, and go out and buy a little toaster oven.

Finally, about another four months later, the oven goes out again. It won't light, either. We buy a new igniter, it doesn't change. It 'sorta' pops, but no lighting. More research, and find out there is an ignitor spark generator board, separate from the controller. Parts

- $260, labor - $200+. We go out and buy a tabletop convection oven/rotisserie that will hold a small turkey.

Evidently, their engineers couldn't design a controller and spark board that can take normally expected temperatures, even with a fan to cool them!

Charlie

No..no...no; you are supposed to use the kick-plate to _literally_ re-boot it.

You've only trusted dishwashers up 'till now 'cause you're an analog guy.

Three engineers are driving down a road when the car suddenly loses all power. The driver pulls over before the car stops. They sit there discussing the problem.

The mechanical engineer says "I think we should make sure that the engine is sucking in air, and that fuel is being delivered".

The electrical engineer says "don't forget to make sure that it's making a spark!"

The software engineer says "why don't we just open all the doors, close them, then see if it'll start up?"

Slaughter needs to ready tag line... ...Jim Thompson

Not in this one (ASKO). Has only membrane switches along the top edge of the door. "Power" switch only "arms", close door and it starts... usually ;-)

We'll never buy another ASKO product. At slightly over a year the membrane switches were peeling up... NOT covered by warranty :-( ...Jim Thompson

And you can light things with a match and still cook.

John

Firmware quality, uP crashes, and watchdog philosophy are very much on topic for most electronics designers these days.

And why have you become our Miss Grundy? There's not so many posts here that you're going to waste much of your valuable time looking at the body of the first post of a thread. And besides, some OT posts actually drift back to electronics.

John

That's actually how my wife prefers to start them (with a "butane match" rather than a one-strike disposable). The sparks from the electrical igniter sometimes take a few seconds to strike a flame, and she detests the smell of the odorant in the gas that's released into the air prior to ignition.

We light our gas fireplace in the same way - it has a pilot flame, but we get a quicker and surer ignition (with less of a WHOOSHFOOMP) by using a handheld flame to start it.

Hint: Find out email address of CEO and write email. Boy did that cause a KABLAM in most cases. Last time it went a bit far. The person that had screwed up (big time) called immediately and sounded rather choked up. Like after a serious case of being read the riot act.

Isn't that what Archie Bunker did with the TV set? Until one sunny day it went ouuuiiieeeee ... *PHUT*

Other time they drove down a pass when the brakes failed. Scraped along the guard rail, sparks flying, until stopped. All drenched in sweat. Software engineer: Let's go back up and try again, see if the error repeats.

Not good for a up-scale product. We bought an Electrolux a year ago and are (so far, anyway) quite happy with it. We're considering the matching refrigerator, but $3-$3.5K is a little much for me (she will eventually win). I really like their gas rangers but natural gas isn't available here.

We've had an Electrolux central vacuum for 15 years. No problems except for when I threw away an O-ring seal when it was so full I didn't see the O-ring :-( ...Jim Thompson

Essentially, yes. You can still get the good old stuff, meaning sans electronics. But it'll take a whole lot of research, just like it does with cars. Except that it's a bit easier with cars because you just look for models that are popular in places like Africa where things must be easily repairable.

You might also want to check your local Habitat store, maybe some folks foolishly replaced grandma's old range with a newfangled high-faluting digital thang.

I have an Asko with membrane switches on the front. There is also a mechanical push on/push off power switch hidden inside the handle recess. There has to be. Its a code requirement that there be some sort of 'air break' manual switch on all appliances or 'within sight' of them for disconnecting purposes. Its hidden someplace, but its there.

Late at night, by candle light, Tim Wescott penned this immortal opus:

Shouldn't that be 'close all the windows'?

- YD.

also known as "percussive maintenance" .

Jure Z