Whirlpool RF325PXE, RF324PXE User Manual

Standard-Cleaning

Electric Ranges

A Note to You............ 2

Range Safety ........ 3-5

Parts and Features ... 6

Using Your Range ..... 8

Caring for Your

Range ..................... 26

Troubleshooting...... 36

Requesting Assistance or

Service .................... 38

Index ....................... 39

4.65 Cubic Foot Oven

MODELS RF324PXE RF325PXE

PART NO. 3196274 Rev. C

Warranty ................. 40

1-800-253-1301

Call our Consumer Assistance Center

with questions or comments.

A NOTE TO YOU

Thank you for buying a WHIRLPOOL® appliance.

Because your life is getting busier and more complicated, WHIRLPOOL appliances are easy to use, save time, and help you manage your home better. To ensure that you enjoy years of trouble-free operation, we developed this Use and Care Guide. It is full of valuable information about how to operate and maintain your appliance properly and safely. Please read it carefully.

Also, complete and mail the Product Registration Card provided with your appliance. The card helps us notify you about any new information on your appliance.

Please record your model’s information.

Whenever you call to request service for your appliance, you need to know your complete model number and serial number. You can find this information on the model and serial number label/plate (see the diagram in the “Parts and Features” section). Also, record the other information shown in the next column.

Look for these tips!

Look for these Time Smart Tips located throughout your Use and Care Guide. They will help you save time and make the most of your new appliance.

Model Number __________________________________ Serial Number ___________________________________ Purchase Date __________________________________ Dealer Name ____________________________________ Dealer Address __________________________________ Dealer Phone ___________________________________

Keep this book and the sales slip together in a safe place for future reference.

Our Consumer Assistance Center number is toll free.

To find detailed product information, the location of the nearest Whirlpool dealer or authorized servicer, to

purchase an accessory item, or register your appliance on-line, please visit our Web site at

www.WhirlpoolAppliances.com

1-800-253-1301

RANGE SAFETY

Your safety and the safety of others is very important.

We have provided many important safety messages in this manual and on your appliance. Always read and obey all safety messages.

This is the safety alert symbol. This symbol alerts you to hazards that can kill or hurt you and others. All safety messages will be preceded by the safety alert symbol and the word “DANGER” or

“WARNING.” These words mean:

You will be killed or seriously injured if you don’t

wDANGER

wWARNING

All safety messages will identify the hazard, tell you how to reduce the chance of injury, and tell you what can happen if the instructions are not followed.

follow instructions.

You can be killed or seriously injured if you don’t follow instructions.

wWARNING

Anti-Tip Bracket

Range Foot

Tip Over Hazard A child or adult can tip the range and be killed. Connect anti-tip bracket to rear range foot. Reconnect the anti-tip bracket, if the range is moved. See the installation instructions for details. Failure to follow these instructions can result in death or serious burns

to children and adults.

Making sure the anti-tip bracket is installed:

Slide range forward.

•

Look for the anti-tip bracket securely attached to floor.

•

Slide range back so rear range foot is under anti-tip bracket.

•

continued on next page

RANGE SAFETY

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire, electrical

shock, injury to persons, or damage when using the range, follow basic precautions, including the following:

WARNING – TO REDUCE THE RISK OF

•

TIPPING OF THE RANGE, THE RANGE MUST BE SECURED BY PROPERLY INSTALLED ANTI-TIP DEVICES. TO CHECK IF THE DEVICES ARE INSTALLED PROPERLY, SLIDE RANGE FORWARD, LOOK FOR ANTI-TIP BRACKET SECURELY ATTACHED TO FLOOR, AND SLIDE RANGE BACK SO REAR RANGE FOOT IS UNDER ANTI-TIP BRACKET.

CAUTION – Do not store items of interest to

•

children in cabinets above a range or on the backguard of a range – children climbing on the range to reach items could be seriously injured.

Proper Installation – Be sure the range is properly

•

installed and grounded by a qualified technician. Never Use the Range for Warming or Heating

•

the Room. Do Not Leave Children Alone – Children should

•

not be left alone or unattended in area where the range is in use. They should never be allowed to sit or stand on any part of the range.

Wear Proper Apparel – Loose-fitting or hanging

•

garments should never be worn while using the range.

User Servicing – Do not repair or replace any part

•

of the range unless specifically recommended in the manual. All other servicing should be referred to a qualified technician.

Storage in or on the Range – Flammable

•

materials should not be stored in an oven or near surface units.

Do Not Use Water on Grease Fires – Smother

•

fire or flame or use dry chemical or foam-type extinguisher.

Use Only Dry Potholders – Moist or damp

•

potholders on hot surfaces may result in burns from steam. Do not let potholder touch hot heating elements. Do not use a towel or other bulky cloth.

DO NOT TOUCH SURFACE UNITS OR AREAS

•

NEAR UNITS – Surface units may be hot even though they are dark in color. Areas near surface units may become hot enough to cause burns. During and after use, do not touch, or let clothing or other flammable materials contact surface units or areas near units until they have had sufficient time to cool. Among those areas are the cook-top and surfaces facing the cook-top.

Use Proper Pan Size – The range is equipped

•

with one or more surface units of different size. Select utensils having flat bottoms large enough to cover the surface unit heating element. The use of undersized utensils will expose a portion of the heating element to direct contact and may result in ignition of clothing. Proper relationship of utensil to burner will also improve efficiency.

Never Leave Surface Units Unattended at High

•

Heat Settings – Boilover causes smoking and greasy spillovers that may ignite.

Make Sure Reflector Pans or Drip Bowls Are in

•

Place – Absence of these pans or bowls during cooking may subject wiring or components underneath to damage.

Protective Liners – Do not use aluminum foil to

•

line surface unit drip bowls or oven bottoms, except as suggested in the manual. Improper installation of these liners may result in a risk of electric shock, or fire.

Glazed Cooking Utensils – Only certain types of

•

glass, glass/ceramic, ceramic, earthenware, or other glazed utensils are suitable for range-top service without breaking due to the sudden change in temperature.

Utensil Handles Should Be Turned Inward and

•

Not Extend Over Adjacent Surface Units – To reduce the risk of burns, ignition of flammable materials, and spillage due to unintentional contact with the utensil, the handle of a utensil should be positioned so that it is turned inward, and does not extend over adjacent surface units.

Do Not Soak Removable Heating Elements –

•

Heating elements should never be immersed in water.

– SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS –

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

RANGE SAFETY

Do Not Cook on Broken Cook-Top – If cook-top

•

should break, cleaning solutions and spillovers may penetrate the broken cook-top and create a risk of electric shock. Contact a qualified technician immediately.

Clean Cook-Top With Caution – If a wet sponge

•

or cloth is used to wipe spills on a hot cooking area, be careful to avoid steam burn. Some cleaners can produce noxious fumes if applied to a hot surface.

Use Care When Opening Door – Let hot air or

•

steam escape before removing or replacing food. Do Not Heat Unopened Food Containers –

•

Build-up of pressure may cause container to burst and result in injury.

Keep Oven Vent Ducts Unobstructed.

•

Placement of Oven Racks – Always place oven

•

racks in desired location while oven is cool. If rack must be moved while oven is hot, do not let potholder contact hot heating element in oven.

DO NOT TOUCH HEATING ELEMENTS OR

•

INTERIOR SURFACES OF OVEN – Heating elements may be hot even though they are dark in color. Interior surfaces of an oven become hot enough to cause burns. During and after use, do not touch, or let clothing or other flammable materials contact heating elements or interior surfaces of oven until they have had sufficient time to cool. Other surfaces of the appliance may become hot enough to cause burns – among these surfaces are oven vent openings and surfaces near these openings, oven doors, and windows of oven doors.

For self-cleaning ranges –

Do Not Clean Door Gasket – The door gasket is

•

essential for a good seal. Care should be taken not to rub, damage, or move the gasket.

Do Not Use Oven Cleaners – No commercial oven

•

cleaner or oven liner protective coating of any kind should be used in or around any part of the oven.

Clean Only Parts Listed in Manual.

•

Before Self-Cleaning the Oven – Remove broiler

•

pan and other utensils.

For units with ventilating hood –

Clean Ventilating Hoods Frequently – Grease

•

should not be allowed to accumulate on hood or filter.

When flaming foods under the hood, turn the fan

•

off. The fan, if operating, may spread the flame.

– SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS –

PARTS AND FEATURES

This section contains captioned pictures of your range. Use them to learn where all parts and features are and what they look like. Use the page references to help you quickly find out more about the part or feature you are interested in.

(Model RF325PXE shown)

OFF

Oven vent

(p. 23)

OFF

PUSH TO TURN

HEAT BAKEBROILLOCK'D TIMER

TIMER

SET

CLOCK LIGHT

TIMERTIMER

TEMP

OFF

CUSTOM

BAKE

BROIL

ACCUBAKE SYSTE

OFF

START

CANCEL

ENTER

MIN

5 SEC

PUSH TO TURN

Plug-in coil element with one-piece reflector bowl

(pp. 8, 26, 28)

Anti-tip bracket

(p. 24)

Model and serial number plate

(behind left side of storage drawer)

Removable storage drawer

(p. 25)

Control panel

(pp. 8, 26)

Automatic oven

light switch

(p. 35)

Broil element

(not shown)

(p. 20)

Bake element

(p. 17)

CONTROL PANEL

Surface heating indicator light

(lights up when a coil element is on)

OFF

Left front control knob

PUSH TO TURN PUSH TO TURN

Left rear control knob

AccuBake system electronic oven control

OFF OFF

BAKE

CUSTOM

BROIL

AUTO

CLEAN

TEMP

TIMER

CLOCK LIGHT

TIMER

ACCUBAKE SYSTE

SET

HR MIN

OFF

START

ENTER

OFF

CANCEL

5 SEC

Right rear control knob

Coil element marker

(shows which coil element you are setting)

OFF

Right front control knob

(Model RF324PXE shown)

Oven vent

(p. 23)

PARTS AND FEATURES

OFF

7 PUSH TO TURN

HEAT BAKEBROILLOCK'D TIMER

TIMERTIMER SET

CLOCK LIGHT

TIMERTIMER

TEMP TEMP

OFF

CUSTOM

BAKE

BROIL

ACCUBAKE SYSTE

OFF

START

CANCEL

ENTER

MIN

5 SEC

PUSH TO TURN

CLEANTOP

ceramic glass cooktop

(pp. 10, 31)

Surface cooking area

(pp. 10, 31)

Anti-tip bracket

(p. 24)

Model and serial number plate

(behind left side of storage drawer)

Removable storage drawer

(p. 25)

Control panel

(pp. 8, 26)

HOT SURFACE

Automatic oven

light switch

(p. 35)

Broil element

(not shown)

(p. 20)

Bake element

(p. 17)

CONTROL PANEL

Surface heating indicator light

(lights up when a surface cooking area is on)

OFF

Left front control knob

PUSH TO TURN PUSH TO TURN

Left rear control knob

AccuBake system electronic oven control

OFF OFF

BAKE

CUSTOM

BROIL

AUTO

CLEAN

TEMP

TIMER

CLOCK LIGHT

TIMER

ACCUBAKE SYSTE

SET

HR MIN

OFF

START

ENTER

OFF

CANCEL

5 SEC

Surface cooking area marker

(shows which surface cooking area you are setting)

Right rear control knob

OFF

Right front control knob

USING YOUR RANGE

To get the best cooking results, you should use your range the correct way. This section tells you what you need to know to use your range safely and efficiently.

USING THE SURFACE COOKING AREAS

Using the control knobs

Push in the control knobs before turning them to a

setting. You can set them anywhere between HI and OFF.

Surface cooking area heat settings

Use the following chart as a guide.

SETTING HI

6-8

2-4

RECOMMENDED USE

To start foods cooking.

•

To bring liquids to a boil.

•

To hold a rapid boil.

•

To fry chicken or pancakes.

•

For gravy, pudding, and icing.

•

To cook large amounts of

•

vegetables. To keep food cooking after

•

starting it on a higher setting. To keep food warm until it’s

•

ready to serve.

Turn off all controls when done cooking. Failure to do so can result in death or fire.

•

wWARNING

Fire Hazard

Easy ways to save energy

Match the pan to the surface cooking area size.

The pan should have a flat bottom, straight sides, and a well-fitting lid.

To help shorten your cooking time, use the least amount of liquid possible.

Preheat your pots and pans only when recommended and for the shortest time possible.

Start your food on a higher heat setting, then turn the control to a lower setting to finish cooking.

Place a filled pan on the surface cooking area before turning it on.

Coil element model: Keep your reflector

bowls clean for best heat reflection.

USING THE SURFACE COOKING AREAS (CONT.)

USING YOUR RANGE

Using cookware

Use the correct cookware to prevent damage to

•

the surface cooking area, cooktop, wiring, and surrounding areas.

If the cookware is too small for the surface

•

cooking area or the bottom is not flat, the surface cooking area could stay glowing red for an extended length of time causing damage to the range.

If you start cooking on high, it is important to turn

•

the control down to a lower setting to complete cooking.

The surface cooking area could overheat or be

•

damaged if a pot has boiled dry or has been left empty on a hot surface cooking area.

Using the right cookware

makes a big difference

Flat bottomed cookware, including woks,

•

canners, and teakettles, will provide better contact with the surface cooking area and provide the best cooking results.

Warped, dented, and ribbed-bottomed

•

cookware can result in uneven cooking due to incomplete contact with the surface cooking area.

Cookware that has been designed with

•

slightly indented bottoms or small expansion channels can be used.

Choose medium to heavy gauge

•

(thickness) cookware. The pan material (type of metal or glass)

•

affects how quickly and evenly the pan heats.

Home canning information

To protect your range:

Use flat-bottomed canners/pans for best results.

•

1" 1"

Surface cooking area

centered correctly, trap heat and can cause damage to the cooktop.

Do not place your canner on 2 surface cooking

•

When canning for long periods of time, alternate

•

use of the surface cooking areas between batches to allow the areas to cool down, or prepare food in small batches.

On coil element model, keep your reflector bowls

•

clean so that they will always reflect heat well. Refer to your canner manual for specific

•

instructions.

Pan

Use the largest

•

surface cooking area for best results. Also, use a canner/pan that you can center over the surface cooking area and that does not extend more than one inch outside the surface cooking area. Large diameter canners/pans, if not

areas at the same time. Too much heat will build up and damage the cooktop.

Start with hot water.

•

This reduces the time the control is set on high. Reduce the heat setting to the lowest position needed to keep water boiling.

Optional canning kit

(Coil element model)

Most water-bath or pressure canners have large diameters. If you do canning with them at high heat settings for long periods of time, you can shorten the life of regular coil elements. This can also damage the cooktop. If you plan to use the cooktop for canning, we recommend the installation of a Canning Kit. Order the kit (Part No. 242905) from your Whirlpool dealer or authorized Whirlpool service company.

USING YOUR RANGE

USING THE SURFACE COOKING AREAS (CONT.)

Using the ceramic glass cooktop

(Ceramic glass cooktop model)

Cooking on the ceramic glass cooktop is similar

to cooking on coil elements. There are, however, a few differences:

The surface cooking

•

area will glow red when the element is turned

HOTHOT SURF SURFACEACE

area stay at the temperature setting you chose. Do not cook foods directly on the cooktop.

•

Do not cook popcorn that comes in prepackaged

•

aluminum containers on the cooktop. The container could leave aluminum marks on the cooktop that cannot be removed completely.

Lift pots and pans onto and off of the cooktop.

•

Sliding pots and pans on the cooktop could leave marks that are difficult to remove or could leave permanent marks.

Dropping a heavy or hard object on the cooktop

•

could crack it. Be careful when using heavy skillets and large pots. Do not store jars or cans above the cooktop.

Do not use the cooktop as a cutting board.

•

on. You will see the element cycling on and off – even on the HI setting – to help the

Do not allow anything that could melt, such as

•

plastic or aluminum foil, to come in contact with the cooktop while it is hot.

Sugary spills and soils can cause pitting. See the

•

“Cleaning the ceramic glass cooktop” section for more information.

Wiping off the cooktop before and after each use

•

will help keep the surface free from stains and give you the most even heating. See “Cleaning the ceramic glass cooktop” section for care and cleaning suggestions.

Using cookware on

ceramic glass cooktops

Check for rough spots on the bottom of

•

your metal or glass cookware which could scratch the ceramic glass surface.

Make sure the bottoms of pots and pans

•

are clean and dry before using them. Food and water particles left on the bottoms can leave deposits on the cooktop when it is heated.

NOTE: Do not leave empty cookware, or

cookware which has boiled dry, on a hot surface cooking area. The cookware could overheat, causing damage to itself or the surface cooking area.

Hot surface indicator light

(Ceramic glass cooktop model)

The Hot Surface Indicator Light on the cooktop will

HOT SURFACE

glow when a surface cooking area becomes too hot to touch. The Indicator Light will continue to glow as long as the surface cooking area is too hot to touch, even after it is turned off.

POSITIONING RACKS AND PANS

USING YOUR RANGE

General guidelines

Follow this section carefully to get the best cooking results.

Before turning on the oven, place oven racks

•

where you need them. To move a rack, pull it out to the stop, raise the

•

front edge, and lift it out. Be sure the rack(s) is level.

•

Use pot holders or oven mitts to protect your

•

hands if rack(s) must be moved while the oven is hot.

When baking/roasting with 1 rack, place the

•

rack so the top of the food will be centered in the oven.

When baking/roasting on 2 racks, position racks

•

in oven to allow good circulation of air around all the food.

Do not place items on the oven door when it

•

is open.

Rack placement for specific foods:

FOOD

Frozen pies, large roasts, turkeys, angel food cakes

Bundt cakes, most quick breads, yeast breads, casseroles, meats

Cookies, biscuits, muffins, cakes, nonfrozen pies

NOTE: For information on where to place your

rack when broiling, see “Broiling guide” later in this section.

RACK POSITION

1st or 2nd rack guide from bottom

2nd rack guide from bottom

2nd or 3rd rack guide from bottom

Using insulated bakeware, ovenproof

glassware, and dark metal pans

When baking with insulated cookie sheets

•

or baking pans, place them in the bottom third of the oven. You may need to increase the recommended baking times, so test for doneness before removing from the oven.

When using ovenproof glassware or dark

•

bakeware, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F but use the same baking time. Because these pans absorb heat, producing darker bottom browning and crispier crusts, place the rack in the center of the oven. When baking pies and bread, you can use the temperature suggested in the recipe.

USING YOUR RANGE

FOR BEST AIR CIRCULATION

Hot air must circulate around the pans in the oven

for even heat to reach all parts of the oven. This results in better baking.

Place the pans so

•

that one is not directly over the other.

For best results,

•

allow 11⁄2-2 inches of space around each pan and between pans and oven walls.

For best baking results, bake 1 sheet of cookies

at a time.

If baking with

•

2 cookie sheets, use racks 2 and 4. Switch the cookie sheets to the opposite rack about 2⁄3 of the way through the baking time, then finish baking.

Where to place pans:

WHEN YOU HAVE

1 pan 2 pans

3 or 4 pans

PLACE

In center of the oven rack. Side by side or slightly

staggered. In opposite corners on

each oven rack. Stagger pans so no pan is directly over another.

USING ALUMINUM FOIL FOR BAKING

Use aluminum foil to catch spillovers from pies or casseroles:

Place the foil on the oven rack below the rack

•

with the food. Turn up the foil edges and make sure the foil is about 1 inch larger all around than the dish holding the food.

Do not cover the entire

•

rack with aluminum foil. It will reduce air circulation and give you poor cooking results.

Do not line the oven bottom or the entire oven rack

•

with foil or other liners. It could affect the quality of your baking.

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