Sears issues warning about Kenmore, Frigiaire stoves from last 7 years

[synaptech]

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/624900


August 26, 2009
Canadian Press
Sears Canada is warning consumers about safety hazards with certain models of Frigidaire and Kenmore stoves sold across the country over a seven-year period.

The company says the warnings apply to smoothtop freestanding electric ranges with rotary knobs and digital displays.
Sears says the stoves' elements may heat up without being turned on, fail to cool down after being turned off, or heat to different temperatures than those specified by users.

The ranges were sold in retail stores, online and through the company catalogue between June 2001 and September 2008.
Sears says it will contact customers who bought the affected units to arrange a free repair, and urges consumers not to use their stoves until the problem is dealt with.

Customers with questions are urged to call Sears at 1-866-691-9948.

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Model numbers affected by the warning are:
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68802x 68802 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68803x 68803 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68804x 68804 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68808x 68808 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68809x 68809 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68830x 68830 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68832x 68832 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-68833x 68833 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-69803x 69803 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-69804x 69804 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-69808x 69808 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
C970-69809x 69809 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
CGLEFM97DBx 29829 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
CGLEFM97DSx 29822 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
CPLEF398ACx 28983 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
CPLEF398DCx 28993 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
CPLEFM99ECx 29843 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
CPLEFZ98GCx 28996 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
PGLEF388CSx 29642 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx
VF122xxxxx to VF831xxxxx or
PGLEF388ESx 29312 NF122xxxxx to NF806xxxxx

[javis]

This is interesting.. I have the following model:

C970-68842 (http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B001N76OFE/ref=sr_11_1/181-9045864-3225949?ie=UTF8&keywords=68842&searsBrand=core#reviewsAndRatings)

Which does not show up as one of the affected models. However, I bought this unit from Sears Outlet ($749 great deal) and they forgot to remove the repair details. It said on the stove that the owner had issues with it not turning off and they had to hit their breaker to get it to stop. I was a little concerned when I read that but I have yet to have any issues with the stove.

[Narci]

will they do this?

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/147548

Ever have that sinking feeling that you left a major appliance running when you left the house? Well you might not be paranoid: It may actually be on... though not of your own doing.

Andrei Melnikov found that out the hard way: Something activated his oven, causing it to turn itself on and melt a plastic meat thermometer which had been left inside.

How did this happen? Melnikov and his Brooklyn apartment building's skeptical super eventually figured it out through trial and error: The tenant's ringing cell phone somehow turned on his nearby Maytag oven when it rang. If you're skeptical, check out the video of this in action at the New York Times website and see for yourself.

Calling the situation "highly unusual," Maytag (and other experts) blame the problem on electromagnetic interference -- basically the same thing that happens when your cell phone gets too close to your speakers and it starts making that beep-beep-beeping noise. In this case, the interference didn't make a sound but rather caused the oven to turn on.

And this may not be an isolated incident: The Times suggests that preliminary experiments have confirmed that different brands of cell phones can activate multiple models of Maytag ovens. And, as the story notes, the oven "prefers high" and activates the broiler when it turns on -- which means anything inside the thing is going to get totally fried. On the other hand, tests with a General Electric oven failed to generate the same response.

Takeaways? It's hard to be a Luddite these days, but mysterious situations like this are likely to become more and more common as advanced electronics find their way into an increasing number of products. There's no special reason why an oven or a toaster needs to have a computer brain so advanced, but microprocessors have become so cheap it's probably easier to include one in an oven than it is to include an old-fashioned, analog temperature control system... and it's probably more accurate, too.

The bottom line: Always keep an eye out for oddball effects like this. If you see something strange happening with the electronics in your kitchen -- or any other room in the house -- consider how close your cell phone is when the antics occur, and try a little home-grown experimentation for yourself. Hey, maybe you'll make the news.

[thelefteyeguy]

thank god...doesnt affect me

[ckhw]

Were those made by Frigidaire? Haven't them learned a lesson not to put the switches at the end of the electric circuit.