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ctlady_gw

Wolf wall ovens high temperature switch problems

ctlady_gw
11 years ago

Has anyone else had problems with the high temperature switch on Wolf wall ovens (30", double ovens) tripping after running a self-cleaning cycle? This is the second time the switch has tripped, necessitating a nearly $200 service call. I am told it is tripping (causing the lower oven not to heat) because it gets too hot when the UPPER oven is cleaned. Wolf has offered to replace it with a switch with a higher tolerance (though they don't like to because of the safety issues ... huh??!) BUT I have to pay another $150 or so in labor, as the ovens are 4 years old. This burns me no end, because I consider the location of the switch -- where heat from a regular self-cleaning cycle trips it but the consumer cannot easily reset it -- a serious design flaw. Why do I have to pay Wolf to correct their design flaw??! Apparently some customers have the switch trip EVERY TIME THEY CLEAN THEIR OVENS!! So Wolf sends out a new little switch... but the customer has to pay if the oven is out of the full 2-year warranty. This strikes me as outrageous: it is not a wear issue, nor a customer misuse issue. It is a problem with the design and location of the switch. Anyone else had this problem??

Comments (11)

  • llblasi
    11 years ago

    We just completed a kitchen remodel and installed the Wolf H series double oven as part of the remo. The Wolf manual says to run the self-clean cycle before using the ovens. Accordingly, we ran the self-clean cycle and did not experince the tripping issue you refer to. Does tripping occur every time you run self clean or is it an occasional issue?

  • ctlady_gw
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    We did the same -- ran the self-clean several times before using the ovens. The tripping didn't occur then, and has only occurred twice since (but $180 a pop!), seemingly randomly. This most recent time, the lower oven hi-limit switch tripped even though it was the upper, not lower, oven we cleaned. It doesn't happen every time (though the service guy told me they had a customer for whom it DID -- tripped every single time she cleaned either oven, and that's when they found that Wolf would, upon request, ship a switch with a higher heat threshold). I know that the $100-$150 in labor would be more than offset by even one more incident; I just don't feel I should have to pay the labor, especially after already paying for two service calls over the past few years, for something which is clearly a design problem. The switch should be placed and/or designed to tolerate the heat of the oven during a self-clean. If it's going to trip often, it should be located where the customer can reset it without a costly service call. Good luck with yours! (They do seem to have solved the faulty enamel problem -- our new set has been fine in that respect. We did have to have the entire motherboard replaced on the original ovens, though ... BEFORE the enamel began to blister off. They were less than a year old when that went. I guess I'm just really disappointed by the quality and design issues we've experienced, given the price point.)

  • PRO
    Elite Household and Relocation Concierge
    7 years ago

    what switch are you referring to that had to be pressed? Thanks

  • ctlady_gw
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    On our unit, it is located way at the back of the unit, between the two ovens. It is in a narrow space between (vertically) the two wall ovens. Because it's way at the back, you need a special, long tool to reach it. Or a coat hanger ;)

  • kaseki
    7 years ago

    I recently had the thermal switch replaced that is mounted to the top of the lower oven of my L-type double ovens. It tripped during a lower oven self clean cycle. The reason for this tripping was that the lower oven ventilation fan had too much drag and wouldn't start allowing the thermal switch area to become too hot. This fan was replaced with the switch. A follow-up self clean was completed successfully after the repair.

    The replaced lower oven's fan appeared to have accumulated a bit of hardened grease on its squirrel cage, hence also likely around the bearings. This could have been caused by pulling in vapor from the lower oven when the door was opened, or perhaps due to some leakage around the door gasket.

    To test for fan degradation, the air exiting under the lower oven should have equal flow on both right and left sides of the exit slot. The left side is the lower oven's fan exit area, while the right side is used by the upper oven's fan.

    kas

  • lipt55
    6 years ago

    Yes, just like Contratto above, each time I have used my self-clean oven, it blows the thermostat and will not reheat; I have to call a repairman to reset the oven button, which is located on the BACK of the oven! This means that he has to pull the oven out of the wall. Each time, it has cost me a service call (not cheap). It is ridiculous, as the care instructions are explicit about not using any cleaning products. I have to clean my oven now and then. Wolf struck out with this poorly designed feature.

  • kaseki
    6 years ago

    Did he check that the fan that cools the thermoswitch is functional? And clean?

  • kileyswest
    3 years ago

    Did anyone ever get Wolf to respond we have the same issue. Everytime we self clean on side of the oven won't work and we pay to have it fixed.

  • gigigadd
    2 years ago

    My oven stopped working and the tech is thinking it is a faulty high limit thermostat. My Wolf oven is 9 years old. I cleaned it about 10 days to 2 weeks before it stopped working. The tech was not even able to pull the unit from the wall to run the necessary diagnostics

  • K Sassa
    9 months ago

    DO30U/S3 double oven. Just had tech out and similar response. Design issue. Bottom of oven expands when gets hot. Expands too much and makes contact with element under bottom and heating shuts down. Due to design issue I have to spend $1500 to add some parts so that when bottom of oven expands it doesn’t come in contact with the other part it’s not supposed to. Why am I paying for this defect??

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