I’m fixing a Whirlpool model W10614907A gas oven. This is an igniter-type oven (no pilot) where a 100w electric igniter glows white hot just before the gas turns on, and stays glowing all the time the gas is on. Recently, the oven was getting a lot of use baking sourdough bread, and it finally stopped working 6 years after we bought it. When it was set to bake, there was a click sound of a relay kicking in, but the digital display never moved from 100℉ (any lower actual temperature still reads as 100). There wasn’t the usual sound of gas turning on after less than a minute. When I looked at the slots at the bottom of the oven, there wasn’t the usual dim incandescent glow of the igniter. If the igniter doesn’t glow, the gas won’t turn on – it’s a normal safety feature.
I’m documenting the fix process, here.
This is the inside of the oven with the racks removed. The bottom of the oven lifts up at the back, and tilts out.With the bottom of the oven removed, the igniter is in plain sight – the little unit near the back with two wires coming out. The assembly is held on by just two hex head screws, but we need to get to behind the over to check the connection.I’m putting some felt sliders under the feet of the oven, so it won’t scratch the wood floor.This is the back of the oven. The connections are under the long sheet metal cover. Remove four Philips screws and the cover pops right off.It’s now easy to see the igniter connection, which was made by splicing high-temperature wires with ceramic wire nuts. The nuts are there because this oven was previously repaired with a “compatible” part. The OEM part simply plugs into a connector – no wire nuts needed.If the igniter is not lighting up, possibilities are a loose connection, or a bad relay supplying no power to the igniter, or simply a burned-out igniter. The latter is by far the most likely; a heating element won’t last forever. After I unplugged the stove from the wall outlet, I took a resistance measurement. It should be about 100 ohms, but this read infinite. Bad igniter.Bad igniter has been disconnected from the wire nuts, and can now be pulled through from the other side. Note that if an OEM part was used, it would be a simple matter of unplugging the two-pin connector in my hand.This is the igniter. I confirmed with the ohmmeter that it’s open circuit.I might save the insulating sleeves, as they have the part number of the igniter on it – W10914411. The exact OEM part is W11176454, which includes the plug.I suppose I don’t really have to save the sleeve for reference, as like most major appliances, this has a schematic in a pocket on the back.The stove retains the last time it was unplugged, kind of like an old analog plug. The time difference between the stove and the microwave at upper left is 38 minutes – the time to get this far, including getting out tools and taking pictures.
I buttoned everything up so that we could still use the stove while waiting for the replacement igniter to come. Amazon estimates 6 days for delivery with Fast ‘n’ Free shipping, but well see how long it takes given the strike, and possible winter weather delays. I’ll resume when the part comes.
