Whirlpool RF386PXD User manual

UseAndCare
Table of Contents
(complete) .................. 2
A Note to You ................. 3
Range Safety ...............4-6
Getting to Know
Your Range ....................7
Using Your Range .........8
Using the Self-
Cleaning Cycle .............35
Caring for Your
Range ............................ 43
Troubleshooting ..........47
Requesting
Assistance
or Service ..................... 49
Index ............................. 51
Warranty ....................... 52
1-800-253-l 301
Call us with questions or comments.
SELF-CLEANING ELECTRIC RANGE
PART NO. 3189073 Rev. B lo/
95
MODEL RF386PXD

Table of Contents
A Note to You ............................................ 3
Range Safety ......................................... 4-6
Getting to Know Your Range ................... 7
Using Your Range .................................... 8
Using the surface units ......................... 8
Positioning racks and pans ................ 10
For best air circulation ........................ 11
Using aluminum foil for baking ........... 11
The electronic oven control ................ 12
Setting the clock ................................ 13
Using the electronic Minute Timer ...... 14
Starting a function .............................. 15
Canceling a function .......................... 15
Audible signals .................................. 15
Baking/roasting .................................. 16
Adjusting the oven
temperature control ............................ 18
Broiling .............................................. 19
Broiling tips ........................................ 21
Energy saving tips ............................. 22
Using the electronic
MEALTIMERTM control ....................... 22
The oven vent .................................... 33
The storage drawer ............................ 33
The anti-tip bracket ............................ 34
Optional door panel pat ..................... 34
Using the Self-Cleaning Cycle ............... 35
Before you start ................................. 35
Before setting the controls .................. 36
Setting the controls ............................ 36
Special tips ........................................ 42
How the cycle works .......................... 42
Caring for Your Range ........................... 43
Cleaning the cooktop ......................... 43
Cleaning other range parts ................. 45
The oven light .................................... 46
Troubleshooting ..................................... 47
Requesting Assistance or Service ....... .49
Index ....................................................... 51
Warranty .................................................. 52
2

A Note to You
Thank you for buying a WHIRLPOOL@ appliance.
Because your life is getting busier and more complicated, WHIRLPOOL ranges are easy to
use, save time, and help you manage your home better. To ensure that you enjoy years of
trouble-free operation, we developed this Use and Care Guide. It is full of valuable informa-
tion about how to operate and maintain your appliance properly and safely. Please read it
carefully.
Also, please complete and mail in the Ownership Registration Card provided with your
appliance. The card helps us notify you about any new information on your appliance.
Please record your model’s information.
Whenever you call to request service for
Model Number
your appliance, you need to know your
Serial Number
complete model number and serial number.
You can find this information on the model
Purchase Date
and serial number plate (see diagram on
Dealer Name
page 7 for location of plate).
Please also record the purchase date of
Dealer Address
your appliance and your dealer’s name,
address, and telephone number.
Dealer Phone
Keep this book and the sales slip together in a safe place for future reference.
I
Our Consumer Assistance Center
number is toll-free 24 hours a day.
1-800-253-1301 1
3

Range Safety
Your safety is important to us.
This guide contains safety statements
under warning symbols. Please pay special
attention to these symbols and follow any This symbol alerts you to such
instructions given. Here is a brief explana- dangers as fire, electrical shock,
tion of the use of the symbol. burns, and personal injury.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
General
@Read all instructions before using never be allowed to sit or stand on
the range. any part of the range. They could
l Install or locate the range only in be burned or injured.
accordance with the provided *Do not operate the range if it is
Installation Instructions.The damaged or not working properly.
range must be installed by a
qualified installer. The range must .Do not use the range for warming
be properly connected to electri- or heating the room. Persons
could be burned or injured, or a
cal supply and grounded. fire could start.
muse the range only for its intended
use as described in this manual.
*WARNING: To reduce the risk
of tipping the appliance, the
appliance must be secured by a
properly installed anti-tip bracket.
To check if the bracket is installed
properly, see “The anti-tip
bracket” on page 34.
l CAUTION: Do not store things
children might want above the
range. Children could be burned
or injured while climbing on it.
@Do not leave children alone or
unattended in area where the
range is in use. They should
*Do not touch surface units, areas
near units, heating elements, or
interior surfaces of oven. Surface
units and heating elements could
be hot even though they are dark
in color. Areas near surface units
and interior surfaces of an oven
become hot enough to cause
burns. During and after use, do
not touch, or let clothing or other
flammable materials contact
surface units, areas near units,
4

heating elements, or interior sur-
faces of oven until they have had
sufficient time to cool. Other sur-
faces of the range, such as the
oven vent opening, the surface
near the vent opening, the
cooktop, and the oven door and
window, could also become hot
enough to cause burns.
4s
‘\
@Donot wear loose or hanging
garments when using the range.
They could ignite if they touch a
hot surface unit and you could be
burned.
@Use only dry pot holders. Moist or
damp pot holders on hot surfaces
could result in burns from steam.
Do not let pot holder touch hot
heating elements. Do not use a
towel or bulky cloth for a pot
holder. It could catch on fire.
l Keep range vents unobstructed.
ADO not heat unopened containers.
They could explode. The hot
contents could cause burns and
container particles could cause
injury.
*Use only utensils approved for
oven use. Follow utensil
manufacturer’s instructions, espe-
cially when using glass or plastic
utensils.
*Do not store flammable materials
on or near the range. The fumes
could create an explosion and/or
fire hazard.
When using the cooktop
ADO not cook on a broken cooktop.
If cooktop should break, cleaning
solutions and spillovers could pen-
etrate the broken cooktop and
create a risk of electrical shock.
Contact a qualified technician
immediately.
@Select a pan with a flat bottom
that is about the same size as the
surface unit. If pan is smaller than
the surface unit, some of the heat-
ing element will be exposed and
could result in the igniting of cloth-
ing or pot holders. Correct pan size
also improves cooking efficiency.
*Check to be sure glass cooking
utensils are safe for use on the
range. Only certain types of glass,
glass-ceramic, ceramic, earthen-
ware, or other glazed utensils are
suitable for cooktops without break-
ing due to the sudden change in
temperature.
@Never leave surface units un-
attended at high heat settings.
A boilover could result and cause
smoking and greasy spillovers that
could ignite.
l Turn pan handles inward, but not
over other surface units. This will
help reduce the chance of burns,
igniting of flammable materials,
and spills due to bumping of the
pan.
continued on next page
5

When using the oven @Small amounts of formaldehyde
@Always position,oven rack(s) in and carbon monoxide are given off
desired location while oven is in the Self-Cleaning cycle from
cool. If a rack must be removed fiberglass insulation and food
while oven is hot, do not let pot decomposition. Significant exposure
holder contact hot heating ele- to these substances could cause
ment in oven. cancer or reproductive harm. Expo-
muse care when opening oven sure can be mini-mized by venting
door. Let hot air or steam escape with a hood or open window and
before removing or replacing wiping out excess food spills prior
food. to self-cleaning.
Grease
@Grease is flammable. Do not
allow grease to collect around
cooktop or in vents. Wipe spill-
overs immediately.
*Do not use water on grease fires.
Never pick up a flaming pan.
Smother flaming pan on range by
covering with a well-fitted lid,
cookie sheet, or flat tray. Flaming
grease outside of pan can be
extinguished with baking soda
or, if available, a multipurpose
dry chemical or foam-type
extinguisher.
Care and cleaning
@Do not use oven cleaners. No
commercial oven cleaner or oven
liner protective coating of any kind
should be used in or around any
part of the oven.
*Before self-cleaning the oven,
remove broiler pan, broiler grid,
oven racks, and other utensils.
Do not use your oven to clean
miscellaneous parts unless you
are instructed to do so in this
Use and Care Guide.
ADO not clean door heat seal. It is
essential for a good seal. Care
should be taken not to rub, damage,
or move the seal. Clean only parts
recommended in this Use and Care
Guide.
~DO not repair or replace any part
l Clean cooktop with care. Some of the range unless specifically
cleaners could produce noxious recommended in this manual. All
fumes if applied to a hot surface. other servicing should be referred
If a wet paper towel is used to to a qualified technician.
wipe spills on a hot cooking area, *Disconnect the electrical supply
be careful to avoid steam burns. before servicing the range.
- SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS -
6

Getting to Know Your Range
This section contains captioned illustrations of your range. Use them to become familiar with
the location and appearance of all parts and features. To help you find information on specific
parts or features quickly, page references are included.
Model and
serial number
P. 34)
Removable
(P. 33)
Oven vent
(P. 33)
CLEANTOPQ
ceramic
- cooktop
(PP. %43)
Automatic
oven light
switch
(P. 46)
Broil element
(P. 20)
.,..
- Bake element
(P. 17)
Control panel
Left front Left rear
control control
knob knob Electronic
oven control
Rlght rear
control
knob
Right front
control
knob
(pp. 8,45) (PP. 8,451 (P. 12) (PP. 8945) (PP. 8,451
S&face unlt marker
(P. 8) Surface unlt indicator light
(P. 8)
7

Using Your Range
To obtain the best cooking results possible, you must operate your range properly. This
section gives you important information for efficient and safe use of your range.
Using the surface units
Push In control knobs before turning them I
Fire Hazard
to a setting. You can set them anywhere Turn all controls off when done I
between HI and OFF. cooking.
Failure to do so can result in death,
fire, or burns. I
Surface unit markers
The solid dot in the surface unit marker
00
q
0
shows which surface unit is
turned on by that knob.
Surface unit indicator lights
One of the Surface Unit Indicator Liahts on
the control panel will glow when
a surface unit is turned on.
Hot swface indicator lights
One of the Hot Surface Indicator Light(s) on
the cooktop will glow when a
surface unit becomes too hot
to touch. The Indicator Light
will continue to glow as long
as the surface unit is too hot
to touch, even after it is turned off.
Until you get used to the settings, use
the following as a guide. For best results,
start cooking at the high setting; then turn
the control knob down to continue cooking.
SElTING
HI
5-8
RECOMMENDED USE
l To start foods cooking.
l To bring liquids to a boil.
l To hold a rapid boil.
l To fry chicken or
Dancakes.
5
2-4
LO
l For gravy, pudding, and
icing.
l To cook large amounts
of vegetables.
l To keep food cooking
after starting it on a
higher setting.
l To keep food warm until
readv to serve.
8

Using the ceramic glass
cooktop
Cooking on the ceramic glass cooktop is
almost the same as cooking on coil surface
units. There are, however, a few differences:
l The surface unit will glow red when it is
turned on. You will see the element cycling
on (glowing red) and off - even on HI
setting -to maintain the proper tempera-
ture setting you have selected.
l Sliding metal pans on ceramic glass
cooktop surface could leave marks. Wiping
off the cooktop before and after each use
will help keep the surface free from stains
and provide the most even heating. See
pages 43 and 44 for care and cleaning
suggestions.
Cookware tips
l Select a pan that is about the same size
as the surface unit.
l NOTE: For best results and greater
energy efficiency, use only flat-bottomed
cookware that makes good contact with
the surface units. Cookware with rounded,
warped, ribbed (such as some porcelain
enamelware), or dented bottoms could
cause uneven heating and poor cooking
results.
You can, however, use the newer
cookware available with slightly indented
bottoms or very small expansion channels.
This cookware is specially designed to
provide the good contact needed for best
cooking results.
Also, woks, canners, and teakettles with
flat bottoms suitable for use on your
cooktop are now available in most stores
that sell housewares.
l The pan should have straight sides and a
tight-fitting lid.
l Choose medium to heavy gauge (thick-
ness) pans that are fairly lightweight.
l The pan material (metal or glass) affects
how fast heat transfers from the surface
unit through the pan material and how
evenly heat spreads over the pan bottom.
Choose pans that provide the best cooking
results.
l Handles should be made of sturdy, heat-
resistant material and be securely attached
to the pan.
l With your hand, feel the bottom of your
pans while they are cool for nicks and
scratches. Nicks and scratches on pan
bottoms will scratch the ceramic glass
cooktop.
l Make sure bottoms of pans are clean and
dry before using on cooktop.
l Avoid spillovers on cooktop. Use pans
with tall sides.
l Do not cook food directly on cooktop.
NOTE: Do not leave an empty utensil, or
one which has boiled dry, on a hot surface
unit. The utensil could overheat and damage
the utensil or surface unit.
9

Home canning information
I
center over , I
wface unit
l Start with hot water. This reduces the
;
1 inch
q .-
. I t-
time the control is set on high. Reduce
,-: Pan heat setting to lowest position needed to
maximum , keen water boilina.
i~~~“-e unit inStJUCtionS.-
l Refer to your canner manual for specific
-1111-
l Use the largest surface unit for best
results. Also, use a canner/pan which can
be centered over the surface unit.
Positioning racks and pans
General guidelines
l Always position oven rack(s) in desired
location before turning oven on.
l To move rack(s), lift rack(s) at front and
pull out.
l Be sure the rack(s) is level.
l If rack(s) must be moved while oven is
hot, use pot holders or oven mitts to
protect hands.
l For baking/roasting with one rack, place
the rack so the top of the food will be
centered in the oven.
l When baklng on two racks, arrange
racks on the bottom and third level from
the bottom.
Rack placement for specific
foods:
FOOD RACK POSITION
Frozen pies, large Lowest level or
roasts, turkeys, angel 2nd level from
food cakes bottom
Bundt cakes, most 2nd level from
quick breads, yeast bottom
breads, casseroles,
meats
Cookies, biscuits,
muff ins, cakes,
nonfrozen pies
2nd or 3rd level
from bottom
NOTE: For recommended rack placement
when broiling, see “Broiling rack position
chart” on page 21.
10