GasDowndraft 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
GEAnswer 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
I Moflels: JGP640,JGP641
GEAppliances
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.
Ifyou don't understand something orneed 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.
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.
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.
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:
Maior Appliance Consumer Action Program
20 North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
2
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Read all instructions before using this app ance.
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, vdll 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 properly-
grounded 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 alwavs be vented to the outdoors.
E. To reduce the risk of fire. use only metal ductwork.
V_RNING--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. Ira wet sponge
or cloth is used to wipe spills on a hot cooktop, be
careful to avoid steam burns.
_continued next page)
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
(continued)
• 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 shal_
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 orhot surfaces and
may cause severe burns.
• For your safety, never use your appliance for
warming or heating the room.
_0 • 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-pul_ose dry chemical or foam-
type 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 un attended 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
•Alwavs 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 fatbeyond
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.
• 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.
FEATURES OF YOUR COOKTOP
° 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 aheat 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 ahealth hazard.
SAVE THESE
INSTRUCTIONS
/
Models JGP640 and JGP641
1. Vent
2. Vent Filters (behind the grille)
3. Cast-Iron Burner Grates
4. Spillproof Burners
5. High Power Spillproof Burners
6. Fan Speed Control
7. Vent Control
8. Surface Unit Controls
9. Glass Cooktop Surface
(continued next page)
5
FEATURES OF YOUR COOKTOP
(continued)
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.
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.
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.
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
(Glass Ceramic)
Cooktop
Electric coils
under a glass-
ceramic cooktop.
Heat travels to the glass surface and then to the cookware, so pans must be flat on
the bottom for good cooking results. The glass cooktop stays hot enough to
continue cooking after it is turned off. Remove the pan from the surface unit if
you want cooking to stop.
©
Induction
_xx\mlto/
Electric Coil
@
Solid Disk
High frequency
induction coils
under a glass
surface.
Flattened metal
tubing containing
electric resistance
wire suspended
over a drip pan.
Solid cast iron
disk sealed to the
cooktop surface.
Pans must be made of ferrous metals (metal that attracts a magnet). Heat is
produced by a magnetic circuit between the coil and the pan. Heats up right away
and changes heat settings right away, like a gas cooktop. After turning the control
off, the glass cooktop is hot from the heat of the pan, but cooking stops right away.
Heats by direct contact with the pan and by heating the air under the pan. For best
cooking results, use good quality pans. Electric coils are more forgiving of
warped pans than radiant or solid disks. Heats up quickly but does not change
heat settings as quickly as gas or induction. Electric coils stay hot enough to
continue cooking for a short time after they are turned off.
Heats by direct contact with the pan, so pans must be flat on the bottom for good
cooking results. Heats up and cools down more slowly than electric coils. The
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.
6
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.
To Light a Burner
Push the control knob in
and turn it counterclockwise
to desired position from
HIGH to LOW.
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.
oo
oo
Surface burners in use when an electrical power
failure occurs will continue to operate normally.
• The two rear burners are best for smaller pans
and cooking operations requiring carefully
controlled simmering conditions. The two front
burners are the high power burners for larger pans
and fast boiling operations.
• 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.
r_
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.
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.
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.
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.
(continued next page)
_o
r_
r_
_o
7
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 _N_a _J_
N__//
support rings. Use of these types
of woks, with or without the ring
in place, can be dangerous.
Placing the ring over the burner ,_o _
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
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.
LOWE_AtSE
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.
_!iiiiiiiiii_.... ,_iii!iii_,
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.
8
OFF
LO!@ !elGH
FAN