How To Troubleshoot A GE Spectra Stove

No longer manufactured, GE Spectra ovens were freestanding electric ranges that came in two styles. One model was called the CleanDesign, which featured an all-white appearance. The other was called the QuickClean, featuring a white oven with a black cook-top, black control panel and black oven door. Regardless of which model you have, if you're experiencing a glitch in its operation, the troubleshooting tips apply to both.

If your oven seems to be cooking too slow or too fast, it may be a normal function of an older range. Brand-new and straight from the factory, GE oven thermostats are correctly calibrated. But GE notes that oven thermostats may "drift" over time from these factory settings. You can simply adapt by using different settings for cook times that meet your preferences, or you can adjust the thermostat according to the directions in your user manual.

Because GE Spectra stoves are electric ranges, they require 240 volts of electricity for proper and safe operation. If your model is correctly installed at this voltage, the preheat time should be approximately 10 minutes.

Although you cannot adjust or change the preheat time for a GE Spectra electric stove, certain factors can affect it. For example, for every 25-degree increment above an oven's temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, the preheat time increases by 45 to 60 seconds. Even the number of oven racks is a factor, as each rack adds approximately 60 seconds to the oven's preheat time.

If you're locked out of your own GE Spectra oven, dinner may be a little later than planned. But releasing the lock may be a simple fix. If you have food in a locked oven, wait until the oven cools to room temperature before trying to unlatch the door again.

If the oven is empty of food and utensils, initiate a self-clean cycle. After 60 seconds, press Clear/Off to stop the cleaning cycle, then try to unlatch the door. If it still doesn't open, start a short self-cleaning cycle of one to two hours before trying to open the door again.

If the door still doesn't open after the oven has cooled or a self-cleaning cycle is completed, turn off the circuit breaker that controls power to the oven. Wait for a few minutes before turning the circuit breaker back on to see if that releases the door lock.

If you need to call an authorized GE repair technician, it may be helpful to identify the possible problem by looking at the code on the digital display panel. Some of the common fault codes that you may see include:

• F0, F1, F6 or F7, which indicates a problem with the key panel itself, meaning that the key panel may need replacing.

• F2 or

  F20, which indicates that the temperature of the oven has gone beyond its preset limit.* F3 or
  F4, which indicates that the oven control sensor is faulty and needs to be replaced.* F5, F8
  or

• FF*, which indicates that the electronic control is faulty and needs to be replaced.