GE JGP640, JGP641 Use and Care & Installation Guide

UseandCare& Installation Guide

Gas Downdraft Cooktop

Safety Instructions	................... 3 –5
Operating Instructions, Tips
Controls............................................................	6
Cooktop Comparison....................................	6
Cookware ........................................................	7
Electric Ignition...............................................	6
Features.......................................................	5, 6
Using Your Cooktop..............................	7, 8
Vent System ...........................................	8, 9
Care and Cleaning......................	9, 10

Problem Solver..............................

21

More questions?…call

GE Answer Center® 800.626.2000

Installation Instructions... 11–20

Converting to LP Gas.......................... 18–20

Downdraft..................................................... 14

Consumer Services	.................. 23
Appliance Registration.................................	2
Important Phone Numbers.......................	23
Model and Serial Numbers .........................	2
Warranty .......................................	Back Cover

Models:	JGP640, JGP641

GE Appliances

HELP US HELP YOU…

Read this guide carefully.

It is intended to help you operate and maintain your new cooktop properly.

Keep it handy for answers to your questions.

If you don’t understand something or need more help, call:

GE Answer Center® 800.626.2000

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Write down the model and serial numbers.

You’ll find the model and serial numbers on a label located on the underside of the cooktop.

These numbers are also on the Consumer Product Ownership Registration Card that came with your cooktop. Before sending in this card, please write these numbers here:

Model Number		Serial Number

Use these numbers in any correspondence or service calls concerning your cooktop.

If you received a damaged cooktop…

Immediately contact the dealer (or builder) that sold you the cooktop.

Save time and money. Before you request service…

Check the Problem Solver in the back of this guide. It lists causes of minor operating problems that you can correct yourself.

WARNING: If the information in this guide is not followed exactly, a fire or explosion may result causing property damage, personal injury or death.

—Do not store or use gasoline or other flammable vapors and liquids in the vicinity of this or any other appliance.

—WHAT TO DO IF YOU SMELL GAS

•Do not try to light any appliance.

•Do not touch any electrical switch; do not use any phone in your building.

•Immediately call your gas supplier from a neighbor’s phone. Follow the gas supplier’s instructions.

•If you cannot reach your gas supplier, call the fire department.

—Installation and service must be performed by a qualified installer, service agency or the gas supplier.

IF YOU NEED SERVICE

To obtain service, see the Consumer Services page in the back of this guide.

We’re proud of our service and want you to be pleased. If for some reason you are not happy with the service you receive, here are three steps to follow for further help.

FIRST, contact the people who serviced your appliance. Explain why you are not pleased. In most cases, this will solve the problem.

NEXT, if you are still not pleased, write all the details—including your phone number— to:

Manager, Consumer Relations GE Appliances

Appliance Park Louisville, KY 40225

FINALLY, if your problem is still not resolved, write: Major Appliance Consumer Action Program

20 North Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Read all instructions before using this appliance.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE

•The California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act requires the Governor of California to publish a list of substances known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm and requires businesses to warn customers of potential exposure to such substances.

•Gas appliances can cause minor exposure to four of these substances, namely benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and soot, caused primarily by the incomplete combustion of natural gas or

LP fuels. Properly adjusted burners, indicated by a bluish rather than a yellow flame, will minimize

incomplete combustion. Exposure to these substances can be minimized further by venting with an open window or using the ventilation fan.

When You Get Your Cooktop

When you get your cooktop, have the installer show you the location of the gas cut-off valve and how to shut it off if necessary.

•Have your cooktop installed and properly grounded by a qualified installer, in accordance with the Installation Instructions. Any adjustment and service should be performed only by qualified gas range installers or service technicians.

•Plug your cooktop into a 120-volt grounded outlet only. Do not remove the round grounding prong from the plug. If in doubt about the grounding of the home electrical system, it is your personal responsibility and obligation to have an ungrounded outlet replaced with a properlygrounded three-prong outlet in accordance with the National Electrical Code. Do not use an extension cord with this appliance.

•Be sure all packing materials are removed from the cooktop before operating it, to prevent fire or smoke damage should the packing material ignite.

•Be sure your cooktop is correctly adjusted by a qualified service technician or installer for the type of gas (natural or LP) which is to be used.

Your cooktop can be converted for use with either type of gas. See the Installation Instructions.

•Do not attempt to repair or replace any part of your cooktop unless it is specifically

recommended in this guide. All other servicing should be referred to a qualified technician.

WARNING—TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS, OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING:

A.Use this unit only in the manner intended by the manufacturer. If you have questions, contact the manufacturer.

B.Before Servicing or Cleaning the Unit, Switch Power Off At Service Panel.

C.When cutting or drilling into wall or ceiling do not damage electrical wiring and other hidden utilities.

D.Ducted fans must always be vented to the outdoors.

E.To reduce the risk of fire, use only metal ductwork.

WARNING—TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A COOKTOP GREASE FIRE:

A.Keep fan, filters and grease laden surfaces clean.

B.Always turn vent ON when cooking at high heat.

C.Use high settings on cooktop only when necessary. Heat oil slowly on low to medium setting.

D.Don’t leave the cooktop unattended when cooking.

E.Always use cookware and utensils appropriate for the type and amount of food being prepared.

CAUTION—For General Ventilating Use Only. Do Not Use To Exhaust Hazardous Or Explosive Materials and Vapors.

Using Your Cooktop

•Do not leave children alone or unattended where a cooktop is hot or in operation. They could be seriously burned.

•CAUTION: Items of interest to children should not be stored in cabinets above a cooktop— children climbing on the cooktop to reach items could be seriously injured.

•When raising or lowering the vent: Keep fingers away from all vent parts; assure that cookware, pans and handles will not be struck and tipped when raising the vent.

•Do not operate or clean your cooktop if the glass is broken or cracked. Cleaning solutions and spillovers could penetrate the broken cooktop and create a risk of electric shock. Call for service immediately if the cooktop glass breaks or cracks.

•Clean the cooktop with caution. If a wet sponge or cloth is used to wipe spills on a hot cooktop, be careful to avoid steam burns.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

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•Do not clean the cooktop with flammable or volatile cleaning fluids.

•Do not clean the cooktop when the appliance is in use.

•Avoid scratching the cooktop with sharp instruments, or with rings and other jewelry.

•Never use the cooktop as a cutting board.

•Let the burner grates and other surfaces cool before touching them or leaving them where children can reach them.

•Never wear loose-fitting or hanging garments while using the appliance. Be careful when reaching for items stored in cabinets over the cooktop. Flammable material could be ignited if brought in contact with flame or hot surfaces and may cause severe burns.

•For your safety, never use your appliance for warming or heating the room.

• Do not use water on grease fires.

Never pick up a flaming pan.

Turn the controls off. Smother a flaming pan on a surface burner by covering the pan completely with a well-fitting lid, cookie sheet or flat tray. Use a multi-purpose dry chemical or foam-type fire extinguisher.

Flaming grease outside a pan can be put out by covering it with baking soda or, if available,

by using a multi-purpose dry chemical or foamtype fire extinguisher.

•Do not store flammable materials near the cooktop. Do not store or use gasoline or other flammable vapors and liquids in the vicinity of this or any other appliance.

• Do not let cooking grease or other flammable materials accumulate in or near the cooktop.

•Never leave surface burners unattended at high flame settings. Boilovers cause smoking and greasy spillovers that may catch on fire.

•Adjust surface burner flame size so it does not extend beyond the edge of the cookware.

Excessive flame is hazardous.

• Use only dry pot holders—

moist or damp pot holders on hot surfaces may result in burns from

steam. Do not let pot holders come near open flames when lifting cookware. Do not use a towel or other bulky cloth in place of a pot holder.

•To minimize the possibility of burns, ignition of flammable materials and spillage, turn cookware handles toward the side or center of the cooktop without extending over adjacent burner or vent area.

•Always turn the surface burners to off before removing the cookware.

•Carefully watch foods being fried at high flame setting.

•Foods for frying should be as dry as possible.

Frost on frozen foods or moisture on fresh

foods can cause hot fat to bubble up and over the sides of the pan.

•Use least possible amount of fat for effective shallow or deep-fat frying. Filling the pan too full of fat can cause spillovers when food is added.

•If a combination of oils or fats will be used in frying, stir together before heating, or as fats melt slowly.

•Always heat fat slowly, and watch as it heats.

•Use a deep fat thermometer whenever possible to prevent overheating fat beyond the smoking point.

•Use proper pan size—Avoid pans that are unstable or easily tipped. Select cookware having flat bottoms large enough to properly contain food and avoid boilovers and spillovers, and large enough to cover burner grate. This will both save cleaning time and prevent hazardous accumulations of food, since heavy spattering or spillovers left on cooktop can ignite. Use pans with handles that can be easily grasped and remain cool.

•Do not place hot cookware on the glass cooktop. This could cause glass to break.

•Keep all plastics away from burners.

•To avoid the possibility of a burn, always be certain that the controls for all burners are at the off position and all grates are cool before attempting to remove a grate.

•If the cooktop is located near a window, do not use long curtains which could blow over the burners and create a fire hazard.

•If you smell gas, turn off the gas to the cooktop and call a qualified service technician. Never use an open flame to locate a leak.

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•Do not cover or block the area around the cooktop knobs. This area must be kept clear for proper ventilation and burner performance.

•When cooking pork, follow the directions exactly and always cook the meat to an internal temperature of at least 170°F. This assures that, in the remote possibility that trichina may be present in the meat, it will be killed and the meat will be safe to eat.

•Do not use a wok on the cooking surface if

the wok has a round metal ring which is placed over the burner grate to support the wok.

This ring acts as a heat trap which may damage the burner grate and burner head. Also, it may cause the burner to work improperly. This may cause a carbon monoxide level above that allowed by current standards, resulting in a health hazard.

SAVE THESE

INSTRUCTIONS

FEATURES OF YOUR COOKTOP

1			2

3

4

4

5

9

8

7

6

5

Models JGP640 and JGP641

1.	Vent	6.	Fan Speed Control
2.	Vent Filters (behind the grille)	7.	Vent Control
3.	Cast-Iron Burner Grates	8.	Surface Unit Controls
4.	Spillproof Burners	9.	Glass Cooktop Surface
5.	High Power Spillproof Burners		(continued next page)

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FEATURES OF YOUR COOKTOP

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Electric Ignition

All of the burners on this cooktop are equipped with electric igniters that eliminate the need for standing pilot lights.

All the igniters make clicking sounds and spark even when only a single burner is being turned on. Do not touch any of the burners when the igniters are clicking.

Auto Relight

The burners on this cooktop relight automatically if the flame goes out. This helps prevent the

inconvenience of having to manually relight a burner. As with electric ignition, all of the burner igniters spark while a burner is relighting. Do not touch any of the burners when the igniters are clicking.

Vent

The vent may be left in any position between fully extended and fully closed but the fan will only operate in the fully extended position.

HOW DOES THIS COOKTOP COMPARE

TO YOUR OLD ONE?

Your new cooktop has gas burners. If you are used to cooking with induction or other electric surface units, you will notice some differences when you use gas burners.

The best types of cookware to use, plus heat-up and cool-down times, depend upon the type of burner or surface unit you have.

The following chart will help you to understand the differences between gas burner cooktops and any other type of cooktop you may have used in the past.

Type of Cooktop	Description	How it Works
Gas Burners	Regular or sealed	Flames heat the pans directly. Pan flatness is not critical to cooking results, but
	gas burners use	pans should be well balanced. Gas burners heat the pan right away and change
	either LP gas	heat settings right away. When you turn the control off, cooking stops right away.
	or natural gas.
Radiant	Electric coils	Heat travels to the glass surface and then to the cookware, so pans must be flat on
(Glass Ceramic)	under a glass-	the bottom for good cooking results. The glass cooktop stays hot enough to
Cooktop	ceramic cooktop.	continue cooking after it is turned off. Remove the pan from the surface unit if
		you want cooking to stop.
Induction	High frequency	Pans must be made of ferrous metals (metal that attracts a magnet). Heat is
	induction coils	produced by a magnetic circuit between the coil and the pan. Heats up right away
	under a glass	and changes heat settings right away, like a gas cooktop. After turning the control
	surface.	off, the glass cooktop is hot from the heat of the pan, but cooking stops right away.
Electric Coil	Flattened metal	Heats by direct contact with the pan and by heating the air under the pan. For best
	tubing containing	cooking results, use good quality pans. Electric coils are more forgiving of
	electric resistance	warped pans than radiant or solid disks. Heats up quickly but does not change
	wire suspended	heat settings as quickly as gas or induction. Electric coils stay hot enough to
	over a drip pan.	continue cooking for a short time after they are turned off.
Solid Disk	Solid cast iron	Heats by direct contact with the pan, so pans must be flat on the bottom for good
	disk sealed to the	cooking results. Heats up and cools down more slowly than electric coils. The
	cooktop surface.	disk stays hot enough to continue cooking after it is turned off. Remove the pan
		from the solid disk if you want the cooking to stop.

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USING YOUR COOKTOP

Electric Ignition

Your surface burners are lighted by electric ignition, eliminating the need for standing pilot lights with constantly burning flames.

In case of a power outage, you can light the surface burners on your cooktop with a match. Hold a lighted match to the burner, then turn the knob to the HIGH position. Use extreme caution when lighting burners this way.

Surface burners in use when an electrical power failure occurs will continue to operate normally.

To Light a Burner

Push the control knob in	• The two rear burners are best for smaller pans
and turn it counterclockwise	and cooking operations requiring carefully
to desired position from	controlled simmering conditions. The two front
HIGH to LOW.	burners are the high power burners for larger pans
	and fast boiling operations.

After the burner ignites, turn the knob in either direction to adjust the flame size.

To turn a burner off, turn the knob clockwise, as far as it will go, to the OFF position.

•Do not operate a burner for an extended period of time without cookware on the grate. The finish

on the grate may chip without cookware to absorb the heat.

•Check to be sure the burner you turned on is the one you want to use.

•Be sure the burners and grates are cool before you place your hand, a pot holder, cleaning cloths or other materials on them.

How to Select Flame Size

Watch the flame, not the knob, as you reduce heat.

The flame size on a gas burner should match the cookware you are using.

FOR SAFE HANDLING OF COOKWARE, NEVER LET THE FLAME EXTEND UP THE SIDES OF THE COOKWARE. Any flame larger than the bottom of the cookware is wasted heat and only serves to heat the handle.

Cookware

Aluminum: Medium-weight cookware is recommended because it heats quickly and evenly. Most foods brown evenly in an aluminum skillet. Use saucepans with tight-fitting lids for cooking with minimum amounts of water.

Cast Iron: If heated slowly, most skillets will give satisfactory results.

Enamelware: Under some conditions, the enamel of some cookware may melt. Follow cookware manufacturer’s recommendations for cooking methods.

Glass: There are two types of glass cookware— those for oven use only and those for surface cooking (saucepans, coffee and teapots). Glass conducts heat very slowly.

Heatproof Glass Ceramic: Can be used for either surface or oven cooking. It conducts heat

very slowly and cools very slowly. Check cookware manufacturer’s directions to be sure it can be used on gas cooktops.

Stainless Steel: This metal alone has poor heating properties, and is usually combined with copper, aluminum or other metals for improved heat distribution. Combination metal skillets generally work satisfactorily if they are used at medium heat as the manufacturer recommends.

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Wok Cooking

We recommend that you use only a flat-bottomed wok. They are available at your local retail store.

USING YOUR COOKTOP

(continued)

Do not use woks that have support rings. Use of these types of woks, with or without the ring

in place, can be dangerous. Placing the ring over the burner

grate may cause the burner to work improperly resulting in carbon monoxide levels above allowable current standards. This could be dangerous to your health. Do not try to use such woks without the ring. You could be seriously burned if the wok tipped over.

Stove Top Grills

Do not use stove top grills on your sealed gas burners. If you use the stove top grill on the sealed gas burner it will cause incomplete combustion and can result in exposure to carbon monoxide levels above allowable current standards. This can be hazardous to your health.

COOKTOP VENT SYSTEM

The built-in vent system helps remove cooking vapors, odors and smoke from foods prepared on the cooktop. Continuous use of the vent system helps keep the kitchen comfortable and less humid, reducing cooking odors and soiling moisture that normally creates a frequent need for cleaning.

How to Operate the Vent System

To raise the vent, turn the	LOWER		RAISE
VENT knob to RAISE.
Hold the knob at the RAISE
position until the vent is fully
extended. The vent will
automatically stop when it
is fully extended or when the
VENT knob is released.		VENT

To lower the vent, turn the VENT knob to LOWER. Hold the knob at the LOWER position until the vent is completely lowered and the flap is closed.

The vent may be left in any position between fully extended and fully closed but the fan will only operate in the fully extended position.

Turn the FAN knob to HIGH position to turn it on.

If you continue turning the FAN knob, you can select a fan speed between HIGH and LOW.

The FAN knob does not have to be turned to OFF before the vent is lowered. The fan will automatically turn off when the VENT LOWER position is selected.

If the fan was not turned off when the vent was lowered, it will automatically come on at the previously selected speed when the vent is fully raised.

OFF

LOW HIGH

FAN

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