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keitel_gw

Bluestar - I have to be honest about this thing ...

keitel
15 years ago

I love cooking on it. Really love cooking on it. But, these are the absolutely frustrating facts: 1) 2 of the inner channels under the burner assemblies are missing the "threaded" portion of the levelling screw holes and therefore can't be levelled. I also didn't have any levelling screws until this past week, but unfortunately, due to poor quality control? I can't use half of them. 2) The oven burner needed a service call at about month 3 for improper lighting and excessive unlit gas release. 3) The convection motor went at about 6 months. It was very unbalanced and loud and was replaced within warranty. 4) While roasting some oven fries (at 450 degrees with the convection fan and the simmer burner on) today my range nearly gave me a heart attack. There was very loud and repeated popping and sparks flying 3 or 4 feet out of the upper right corner of the door onto my hardwoord floor along with a great deal of smoke. Literally, think of firecrackers in your kitchen coming out of a gas appliance. I have never been so scared of an explosion in my life. I instinctively (with a 10" chef's knife in my hand that I was drying at the moment) shut the oven off. The sparks and smoke stopped and now the electrical is dead in the range. There is gas so I can use the stovetop with matches but I certainly don't have an oven and, truthfully, I'm a bit nervous to use anything at all given what happened. The breaker is not flipped in the house. I do believe that some part or all of my "no electrical, no fuss, nothing to break" tank of a $4 000 range just bit the dust at month 13 of my ownership. Any thoughts?

Comments (24)

  • alexrander
    15 years ago

    the last guy who installed the convection motor left a wire in harms way. That's my guess.

  • tommmy2007
    15 years ago

    If it was BlueStar's local Mr. Goodwrench this needs to be point out to some local official before he blows someones house up. We had a house blow up in Austin last week due to a gas repair. After the repair the woman was bathing her 2 kids in the tub and smelled gas. She carried everyone out and the total house exploded.

  • clinresga
    15 years ago

    keitel: wow, what a story. On one hand, any range can have its share of problems--we've had an intermittent ignition problem with our beloved Lacanche. Still, this seems like an escalating series of issues that is way beyond a reasonable expectation. I'd hope this thread stays active long enough for some of the big Bluestar advocates like Trevor at Eurostoves to step up to the plate and offer both explanations and remedies for a crazy and dangerous situation. I think this will be a fair and telling test of which Bluestar is the real one--the little company that could, turning out high quality pro-style ranges, or the little company teetering on bankruptcy sending out inferior quality goods.

  • PRO
    Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
    15 years ago

    I emailed the relevant Bluestar people about the post from keitel last night.

    I assume keitel has emailed or called bluestar, i am sure they will respond appropriately and in a timely fashion.

    If need be i am available.

  • clinresga
    15 years ago

    it's nice to have Trevor on site to help with these situations.

  • keitel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I did email Bluestar and have heard back from Matt so thanks for whatever part you played in that Trevor. He's sent the info. to the local company who's going to come here to look at it on Thursday. No word on what's to be done about the levelling screws. I've since shut the breaker off to the range and used it tonight with a barbecue lighter. I'm pretty nervous about the electrical. The whole thing's just unbelievalbe to me - I'm the one who went through all that hassle with Wolf. I'm cursed.

  • clinresga
    15 years ago

    keitel: I'm bumping this as I'm dying to see what the problem was and what will be done to remedy it. Hope it goes well now that you have Matt from BS and Trevor from ES pitching in.

  • ya_think
    15 years ago

    "He's sent the info. to the local company who's going to come here to look at it on Thursday."

    ;)

  • keitel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    ya think, please explain.

  • clinresga
    15 years ago

    ya think, I actually DID read keitel's post in which he stated that someone was coming out Thursday.

    If you read my post, I was expressing interest in:
    1) What the problem was (not answerable til after Thursday)
    2) What will be done to remedy it (not answerable until Thursday at the earliest).

    So...the reason I'm bumping this is to keep the thread current until keitel can fill us in on what happens NEXT :-)

  • morton5
    15 years ago

    Keitel, I think the only reason you don't have 20 posts on this is that Bluestar owners are absolutely stunned that something so dangerous could happen with a range. My BS has been trouble free for 3 months-- boy I hope it stays that way. Best of luck with your repair.

  • keitel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I'd have had way more action had my subject line been more dramatic. Like "Bluestar almost blew up my kitchen" or "Bluestar provided 4th of July in my kitchen" or "BLEWstar! Stand back!".

    Sorry. I'm trying to make light my own bad situation.

  • mcmann
    15 years ago

    Keitel - I remember when you had problems with the Wolf and you were so excited at getting a Blue Star. I have to let you know that I appreciate your subdued approach to this problem. Hopefully everything will be resolved to your satisfaction in a timely manner. I can't imagine too many things more disappointing than paying premium dollars for an appliance and then experiencing what you've been through.

    loved the "Bluestar"

  • mcmann
    15 years ago

    oops - I meant to type - loved the "BLEWstar" It would have made a great heading!

  • keitel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Verdict: pinched wire. Not from the convection fan motor replacement but right from the factory underneath a side panel. While they were in there they found 2 more that were pinched and "starting to go" that had to be replaced.

    They also have to order me 2 new support bracket / channel things because mine do not contain threaded screwholes for the levelling screws as they should.

    I am not going to editorialize these things. We all know what I paid for the range. We all know what the minumum expectations of quality should be for this range straight out of the factory. And we all know my ongoing experience over the past 15 months.

    One thing I will say is that this forum has made me so much more knowledgeabout about this range than those who come to service it. They attempt many excuses that are not true. Professional service people tend not to enjoy being corrected by customers or being told things they previously didn't know.

    I'm going to bake now (that I can).

  • clinresga
    15 years ago

    Glad you got it fixed. At least it was a simple "fix it once and for all" kind of problem that should never strike again. Crazy how you got hit with all those issues. Maybe you got one of those "built on the Friday before vacation" units. Agree with your implied opinions on expectations, but hopefully you're fixed for life now.

  • guadalupe
    15 years ago

    In these times everybody knows more than the technicians, especially if the technician is from A&E service

  • ellene613
    15 years ago

    So how is it working now?

  • keitel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    We've done a ton of baking since the repair. All's well.

    Now I'm just waiting for the new channel support replacements and the stupid screws.

  • judyfoodie
    15 years ago

    Keitel, so sorry to hear about all your mishaps with all your ranges. I'm expecting delivery of my bluestar in the next few weeks and was very nervous after reading your thread. Did you pay for this repair since it was in month 13 of ownership? The way I see it they ought to give you the white glove service given you were one of the first customers in Canada to buy after they officially launched here. That's the least they could do and therefore extend your warranty by an extra year.

  • Susied3
    15 years ago

    Keitel, not to open a can of worms, but I've searched to see if I could find what problems you had with Wolf, but I guess I'm not too good at it.
    Do you mind telling me what problem you had with them? I'm in a tetor right now trying to decide which Range to buy. After all, buying appliances these days is more of an investment than a quick buy. It's worse than buying a car.

    Thanks so much

  • keitel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I had a faulty / exposed wire on the broiler that smoked and smelled badly for a few weeks which was then fixed. Then the burners wouldn't work at all / properly when the oven was on, whether pre-heating or not. Wolf couldn't fix it. I gave up after service calls numbering in the double digits and 2 different ranges that did exactly the same thing. Wolf kindly bought it back and I moved on to Bluestar.

  • jakkom
    15 years ago

    keitel, I'm sure you must be feeling "snake-bit" at this point! I don't think Wolf has managed to really fix the burner/oven problem yet, since someone else recently reported this same issue in the last couple of months with their new Wolf.

    I hope you get the remaining few items fixed, and have many years of trouble-free cooking and baking ahead with your beautiful Bluestar.

  • lamermaid
    15 years ago

    keitel, i feel for you. hopefully your range will be problem free. good luck