Handling Problems with Viking Ranges

Many of our customers love to cook and purchased a Viking range. Viking is considered one of the best brands of ranges and ovens on the market so the decision makes sense. The nice thing about working with the owners of Viking ranges and ovens is that not only are they good cooks, they also take care of their appliances, and listen to our troubleshooting tips and follow our advice to avoid Viking repair services.

Even though the purchase price of Viking ranges tends to be higher than other brands, they’re not designed to last forever. Sooner or later the owner will experience a problem, giving our company’s techs the opportunity to work on a really nice piece of equipment. We’ve gotten pretty good at troubleshooting Viking ranges based on the service calls.

One of the more common complaints we get from the owners of Viking ranges involves the appliance not turning on. Sometimes this does turn out to be a really serious problem, and the electrical work on the fuses and electrical wires need to be replaced, but most of the time, we find the self-cleaning cycle to be the problem. If the customer has programmed a self-cleaning cycle, the Viking range won’t turn on. The problem occurs because the client failed to close the oven door completely, making it impossible for the range to clean itself.  We have the client shut the door fully. Most of the time this activates the self-clean, if not, we go the client’s home to check out the electrical system and look for a short or blown fuse.

Blown fuses have been the most common reason we’ve found for the Viking range igniter to not light. When the igniter continues to spark after the owner has started using the stove, the polarity has usually gotten reversed and needs to be changed back. Dirty igniters can spark and refuse to turn on. When we determine the igniter needs to be replaced, it’s been our experience the wire connector will also need to be changed.

We’ve gotten a few calls lately with regards to Viking ovens which weren’t turning on. While there have been some instances where this turned out to be a major problem which required different types of repairs, several times we found this to be the result of a the oven bulb. Over time it loosened. Tightening the bulb, and in a few cases replacing a burned out bulb, corrected the problem.

Malfunctioning broilers can be a problem with the Viking brand. The door, in particular, tends to be a problem. Most of the time this proves to be a simple problem that’s once again caused by the range’s self-cleaning cycle. Most of the time, the owner hasn’t given the oven time to cool down before trying to use it. The way Viking designed the ranges, the broiler door stays tightly locked until the appliance has completely cooled. Most of the time when the broiler won’t turn on, it’s because the owner turned the knob past the broiler position.

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Is Your Viking Oven and Range Ready for Holiday Cooking?

The holidays are almost upon us. That means you’re doing one of two things. If you’re not packing to go see friends and family, you’re most likely preparing to welcome holiday guests into your own home. If you fall into the latter category, you need to pull yourself away from your menu planning and evaluate the state of your kitchen appliances, especially your Viking oven and range. Be honest, are they really up for the challenge of helping your prepare a Chanukah or Christmas feast? You might want to consider calling a Viking appliance repair professional if you have any doubt.

It’s estimated that approximately 15% of the Los Angeles residents who stay home and cook their own holiday meals will experience some sort of appliance malfunction. For these people, the holiday is ruined. They find it very difficult to be grateful for cheese and crackers and other cold dishes when they were expecting ham, turkey, and steaming piles of mashed potatoes. Even though they’re surprised by the fact that their range let them down, when pressed, most appliance owners admit there were signs something was going to go wrong, they just didn’t pay attention.

If you use your Vikingoven and range on a regular basis, you’re already ahead. Many Los Angeles residents only use the oven a few times a year, and sitting dormant is actually quite hard on the appliance. By using your Viking oven on a regular basis, you already know how it cooks, and know that all the knobs, doors, ignition switches are working properly.

If you don’t use your Viking oven and range on a regular basis, you need to test it out. Don’t put this off. The sooner you test the Viking range and oven, the sooner you will know it works.

One of the mistakes people commonly make when it comes to their Viking oven is having unreasonable expectations. They stuff multiple items in the oven, and have all the burners going on their Viking range and expect everything to come out perfectly prepared. It never does. Yes, cooking multiple items at the same time will cut down on the amount of energy you use, but you need to be reasonable about the amount of items you stuff in the oven. You can’t overload it. Instead of trying to roast a turkey, bake three or four pies, and cook a green bean casserole at the same time, you need to look at your menu and ask yourself if there’s anything you can prepare in advance. Not only will this cut down on the amount of work your Viking oven has to do on the big day, but it also provides you with the perfect opportunity to determine just how well the oven really is working.

If you even suspect there’s a problem with your Viking oven or range, you need to get in touch with us at Ameripro Appliance Repair. We have the best Viking certified appliance repair techs in Los Angeles and use top quality parts. We’re ready and willing to provide any repairs you need. We’re available 24/7.