Whirlpool RF344BXH User Manual
A Note to You ............2
Range Safety.............3
Parts and Features....6
Using Your Range .....8
Using the Self-
Cleaning Cycle ........22
Caring for Your
Range.......................25
Troubleshooting.......32
Requesting
Assistance or
Service.....................34
Index ........................35
Warranty ..................36
1-800-253-1301
Call our Consumer Assistance Center
with questions or comments.
4.65 Cubic Foot Oven
MODELS RF344BXH RF350BXG RF354BXG
8053396A
Self-Cleaning
Electric Ranges
A NOTE TO YOU
Thank you for buying a WHIRLPOOL®appliance.
The Whirlpool Brand is committed to designing quality products that consistently perform for you to make your
life easier. 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, please 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 diagram in
the “Parts and Features” section).
Please also record the purchase date of your appliance
and your dealer’s name, address, and telephone number.
Keep this book and the sales slip together in a safe place for future reference. It is important
for you to save your sales receipt showing the date of purchase. Proof of purchase will assure you of in-warranty service.
2
1-800-253-1301
Our Consumer Assistance Center number is toll free.
To find detailed product information, the location of the nearest Whirlpool dealer or designated servicer, to
purchase an accessory item, or register your appliance on-line, please visit our Web site at
www.whirlpool.com
Model Number
Serial Number
Purchase Date
Dealer Name
Dealer Address
Dealer Phone
3
RANGE SAFETY
continued on next page
You will be killed or seriously injured if you don’t
follow instructions.
You can be killed or seriously injured if you don’t
follow instructions.
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:
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.
wWARNING
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.
Anti-Tip Bracket
Range Foot
THE ANTI-TIP BRACKET
The range will not tip during normal use. However, the range can tip if you apply too much force or weight to
the open door without the anti-tip bracket fastened down properly.
4
RANGE SAFETY
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.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
•
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 cooktop and surfaces facing the cooktop.
•
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
5
RANGE SAFETY
•
Do Not Cook on Broken Cooktop – If cooktop
should break, cleaning solutions and spillovers
may penetrate the broken cooktop and create a
risk of electric shock. Contact a qualified technician immediately.
•
Clean Cooktop 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.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
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 on.
6
PARTS AND FEATURES
PUSH TO TURN
PUSH TO TURN
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
OFF
OFF
OFF
OFF
ON
PUSH TO TURN PUSH TO TURN
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
OFF
OFF OFF
OFF
3
BAKE
BROIL
START ?
HEAT
CLEAN
DOOR LOCKEDDOOR LOCKED
BAKE
CUSTOM
BROIL
AUTO
CLEAN
TEMP
START
OFF
CANCEL
5 SEC
ENTER
SELF-CLEANING OVEN
ON
(Model RF350BXG)
Oven vent
(p. 21)
Plug-in coil element
unit with one-piece
reflector bowl
(pp. 25, 28, 29)
Anti-tip bracket
(p. 3)
Door stop clip
(pp. 30, 31)
Model and
serial number
plate
(behind left side
of storage drawer)
Removable
storage drawer
(p. 21)
Electronic
oven control
(pp. 14-20)
Control panel
(pp. 6, 25)
Gasket
(p. 22)
Broil element
(not shown)
(p. 18)
Bake element
(p. 16)
Right front
control knob
Surface heating
indicator light
(lights up when a
coil element is on)
Right rear
control knob
Left rear
control knob
Left front
control knob
CONTROL PANEL
Electronic
oven control
Coil element marker
(shows which coil
element you are setting)
7
PARTS AND FEATURES
Oven vent
(p. 21)
CLEANTOP
®
ceramic glass
cooktop
(pp. 11, 27)
Surface
cooking area
(pp. 8-11, 27)
Anti-tip bracket
(p. 3)
Door stop clip
(pp. 30, 31)
Model and serial
number plate
(behind left side
of storage drawer)
Removable
storage drawer
(p. 21)
HOTHOT SURF SURFACEACE
PUSH TO TURN
PUSH TO TURN
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
OFF
OFF
OFF
OFF
ON
Electronic oven
control
(pp. 14-20)
Control panel
(pp. 7, 25)
Hot surface
indicator light
(p. 11)
Gasket
(p. 22)
Broil element
(not shown)
(p. 18)
Bake element
(p. 16)
PUSH TO TURN PUSH TO TURN
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
LO
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HI
OFF
OFF OFF
OFF
3
BAKE
BROIL
START ?
HEAT
CLEAN
DOOR LOCKEDDOOR LOCKED
BAKE
CUSTOM
BROIL
AUTO
CLEAN
TEMP
START
OFF
CANCEL
5 SEC
ENTER
SELF-CLEANING OVEN
ON
Right rear
control knob
Right front
control knob
Surface heating
indicator light
(lights up when a surface
cooking area is on)
Left front
control knob
Left rear
control knob
CONTROL PANEL
Surface cooking
area marker
(shows which surface cooking
area you are setting)
Electronic
oven control
(Model RF354BXG shown)
(Model RF344BXH not shown)
8
USING YOUR RANGE
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.
wWARNING
Fire Hazard
Turn off all controls when done cooking.
Failure to do so can result in death or fire.
RECOMMENDED USE
•
To start food cooking.
•
To bring liquid to a boil.
•
To hold a rapid boil.
•
To quickly brown or sear food.
•
To maintain a slow boil.
•
To fry poultry or meat.
•
To make pudding, sauce, or gravy.
•
To stew or steam food.
•
To simmer food.
•
To keep food warm.
•
To melt chocolate or butter.
SETTING
HI
6-8
5
2-4
LO
USING THE SURFACE COOKING AREAS
Easy ways to save energy
•
When heating large quantities of liquid for foods
such as pasta or soup, cover with a lid to help
shorten cooking time.
•
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.
9
USING THE SURFACE COOKING AREAS (CONT.)
USING YOUR RANGE
Home canning information
To protect your range:
•
Use flat-bottomed canners on all types of
cooktops, especially
ceramic glass. Canners
with rippled or ridged
bottoms do not allow
good contact with the
surface.
• Center the canner over
the largest surface
cooking area. Do not
extend more than one
inch outside the surface
cooking area. Large diameter canners/pans, if not
centered correctly, trap heat and can cause
damage to the cooktop.
•
Do not place your canner on two surface cooking
areas at the same time.
•
The type of material the canner is made of
determines the length of heating time. Refer to the
“Characteristics of cookware materials” chart later
in this section for more information.
•
When canning for long periods of time, allow
elements and the surrounding surfaces to cool
down.
1" 1"
Pan
Surface
cooking area
•
Alternate use of the surface cooking areas between
batches or prepare small batches at a time.
•
Start with hot water, cover with a lid, and bring
to a boil; then reduce heat to maintain a boil or
required pressure levels in a pressure canner.
•
On coil element model, keep your reflector bowls
clean so that they will always reflect heat well.
•
For up-to-date information on canning, contact
your local U.S. Government Agricultural Department Extension Office or companies who
manufacture home canning products.
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 dealer or designated
service company.
continued on next page
10
Cookware tips
USING THE SURFACE COOKING AREAS (CONT.)
USING YOUR RANGE
•
Select a pan that is about the same size as the
surface cooking area. Cookware should not extend
more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) outside the area.
•
For best results and greater energy efficiency,
use only flat-bottomed cookware that makes good
contact with the surface cooking area. Cookware
with rounded, warped, ribbed (such as some
porcelain enamelware), or dented bottoms could
cause uneven heating and poor cooking results.
•
Cookware designed with slightly indented
bottoms or small expansion channels can be used.
•
Cookware with a non-stick finish has heating
characteristics of the base material.
•
Check for rough spots on the bottom of metal or
glass cookware which will scratch the ceramic glass
surface.
•
Use flat bottom cookware for best heat
conduction from the surface cooking area to the
cookware. Determine flatness with the ruler test.
Place the edge of a ruler across the bottom of the
cookware. Hold it up to the light. No light should be
visible under the ruler. Rotate the ruler in all
directions and look for any light.
•
Do not leave empty cookware, or cookware which
has boiled dry, on a hot surface cooking area. The
cookware could overheat, causing damage to the
cookware or the surface cooking area.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COOKWARE MATERIALS
The pan material affects how fast heat transfers from the surface cooking area through the pa n material and how
evenly heat spread s over the pa n bottom. Choose pans that provide the best cooking results.
Aluminum
• Heats quickly and evenly.
• Use for all types of cooking.
• Medium or heavy thickness is best for most cooking.
• Used as a core or base in cookware to provide even heating.
Cast iron
Ceramic or
ceramic glass
Copper
Earthenware
Porcelain enamel-on-steel or
enamel-on-cast iron
Stainless steel
• Heats slowly and evenly.
• Good for browning and frying.
• Maintains heat for slow cooking.
• Can be coated with porcelain enamel.
• Heats s low ly a nd uneve nly.
• Use on low to medium settings.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions.
• Heats very quickly and evenly.
• Used as a core or base in cookware to provide even heating.
• Can be used for cooktop cooking if recommended by the
manufacturer.
• Use on low settings.
• See cast iron and stainless steel.
• Heats quic k ly but uneve nly.
•
A core or base of aluminum or copper on the cookware provides
even heating.
• Can be coated with porcelain enamel.
11
Using the ceramic glass cooktop
(Models RF
344
BXH and RF
354
BXG)
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
on. You will see the
element cycling on and
off – even on the HI
setting – to help the
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.
•
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.
Hot surface indicator light
(Models RF
344
BXH and RF
354
BXG)
The Hot Surface Indicator Light on the cooktop will
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.
USING YOUR RANGE
USING THE SURFACE COOKING AREAS (CONT.)
•
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.
•
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
“Cleaning the ceramic glass cooktop” in the
“Caring for Your Range” 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” in the “Caring for Your
Range” section for care and cleaning suggestions.
HOT SURFACE
HOTHOT SURF SURFACEACE
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