Whirlpool RF396PXV User manual

Use&CareGuide
Electronic
MEALTIMER’”
clock with oven
controls and
minute timer
Surface unit
omatic oven
Model and se roil element
Bake element
Removable
storage drawer
SELF-CLEANINGDEslGNEwE"
ELECTRICRANGE
RF396PXV

Contents
Page
Important Safety
Instructions .................. 3
Using Your Range ............ 5
Using the surface units ........ 5
The electronic oven controls ... 6
Setting the clock ............. 8
Using the electronic Minute
Timer ..................... 8
Using the Oven Off button ..... 9
Using the oven ............... 9
Using the electronic automatic
MEALTIMER’” control ...... 11
Theovenvent ............... 15
The storage drawer ...........
16
Optional rotisserie ............ 16
Optional door panel pat ....... 16
Caring for Your Range ........ 17
Control panel and knobs ...... 17
Cooktop .................... 17
Using the Self-Cleaning cycle 19
Cleaning tips ................ 24
Using and replacing the light
bulbs.. ................... 25
The oven light ............... 26
If You Need Service
or Assistance ................ 27
Whirlpool Range Warranty. ... 32
01989 Whirlpool Corporation
Remove the Consumer Buy Guide
label. It will be easier to remove before
the range is used. To remove any re-
maining glue:
l Rub briskly with thumb to make a ball,
then remove.
or
l Soak area with liquid hand dishwash-
ing detergent before removing glue as
described above.
Do not use rubbing alcohol or flam-
mable or toxic solvents, such as
acetone, gasoline, carbon tetrachloride,
etc. These can damage the finish.
Thank you for buying a Whirlpool
appliance. Please complete and
mail the Owner Registration Card
provided with this product. Then
complete the form below. Have this
information ready if you need service or
call with a queslion.
l Copy model and serial numbers
from plate (behind the oven door on
the frame) and purchase date from
sales slip.
l Keep this book, the Cooking Guide
and sales slip together in a handy
place.
Model Number
Serial Number
Purchase Date
Service Company Phone Number
You are responsible for:
l Installing and leveling the range on a
floor strong enough to hold its weight,
and where it is protected from the
elements. (See the Installation
Instructions.)
l Making sure the range is not used by
anyone unable to operate it properly.
l Properly maintaining the range.
l Using the range only for jobs
expected of a home range.

ImportantSafetyInstructions
To reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock,
injury to persons, or damage when using the
range, follow basic precautions, including
l Read all instructions before using
the range.
l Install or locate the range only in
accordance with the provided
Installation instructions. It is rec-
ommended that the range be in-
stalled by a qualified installer. The
range must be properly connected
to electrical supply and grounded.
l Do not use the range for warming
or heating the room. Persons could
be burned or injured, or a fire could
start.
l Do not leave children alone or
unattended in area where the
range is in use. They should never
be allowed to sit or stand on any
part of the range. They could be
burned or injured.
l Do not wear loose or hanging gar-
ments when using the range. They
could ignite if they touch a hot sur-
face unit or heating element and
you could be burned.
l Do not repair or replace any part of
the range unless specifically rec-
ommended in this manual. All
other servicing should be referred
to a qualified technician.
l Do not store flammable materials
in or near the range. They could
explode or burn.
l Do not use water on grease fires.
Never pick up a flaming pan.
Smother flaming pan on cooktop
by covering with a well-fitted lid,
cookie sheet or flat tray. Flaming
grease outside of pan can be
extinguished with baking sodaor,
if available, a multipurpose dry
chemical or foam-type extinguisher.
l Use only dry potholders. Moist or
damp potholders on hot surfaces
may result in burns from steam. Do
not let potholder touch hot heating
elements. Do not use a towel or
bulky cloth for a potholder. They
could catch on fire.
l Select a pan with a flat bottom that
is about the same size as the sur-
face unit. If pan is smaller than the
surface unit, some of the heating
element will be exposed and may
result in the igniting of clothing or
potholders. Correct pan size also
improves cooking efficiency.
l Never leave surface units
unattended at high heat settings.
A boil-over could result and cause
smoking and greasy spill-overs
that may ignite.
l Check to be sure glass cooking
utensils are safe for use on the
cook-top. Only certain types of
glass, glass ceramic, ceramic,
earthenware or other glazed uten-
sils are suitable for cooktops with-
out breaking due to the sudden
change in temperature.
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.
. Use care when opening oven door.
Let hot air or steam escape before
removing or replacing food.
l Do not heat unopened containers.
They could explode. The hot con-
tents could cause burns and con-
tainer particles could cause injury.
. Keep range vents unobstructed.
l Always position oven racks in
desired location while oven is cool.
If rack must be moved while oven
is hot, do not let potholder contact
hot heating element in oven.

Important Safety Instructions
Continued
l Do not clean door seal. It is essen-
tial for a good seal. Care should be
taken not to rub, damage, or move
the seal. Clean only parts recom-
mended in this Use and Care
Guide.
l Do not use oven cleaners. No com-
mercial oven cleaner or oven liner
protective coating of any kind
should be used in or around any
part of the oven.
l Before self-cleaning the oven,
remove broiler pan, broiler grid,
oven racks and other utensils. Do
not use your oven to clean mis-
cellaneous parts.
l Do not cook on broken cooktop.
If cooktop should break, cleaning
solutions and spill-overs may
penetrate the broken cooktop and
create a risk of electric shock.
Contact a qualified technician
immediately.
l Clean cooktop with care. Some
cleaners can produce noxious
fumes if applied to a hot surface.
If a wet paper towel is used to
wipe spills on a hot cooking area,
be careful to avoid steam burns.
l Do not store things children might
want above the range. Children
could be burned or injured while
. Do not touch surface units, areas
near surface units, heating ele-
ments or interior surfaces of oven.
Surface units and heating ele-
ments may 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 elements,
heating units or interior surfaces of
oven until they have had sufficient
time to cool. Other surfaces of the
range may become hot enough to
cause burns: such as, the oven
vent opening, the surface near the
vent opening, the cooktop, the
oven door and window.
. FOR YOUR SAFETY l
DO NOT STORE OR USE
GASOLINE OR OTHER
FLAMMABLE VAPORS AND
LIQUIDS IN THE VICINITY OF
THIS OR ANY OTHER
APPLIANCE. THE FUMES
CAN CREATE A FIRE
HAZARD OR EXPLOSION.
climbing on it. - SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS -

UsingYourRange
Usingthe surfaceunits
Control knobs must be pushed
in before turning them to a setting.
They can be set anywhere between
HI and OFF.
Surface unit markers
The solid dot in the surface unit marker
shows which surface unit is turned on
by that knob.
Surface unit indicator lights
One of the Surface Unit Indicator Lights
on the control panel will glow when a
surface unit is on.
Hot surface indicator lights
The Hot Surface Indicator Lights on
the cooktop surface will glow when the
surface units are turned on. The Indica-
tor Lights will continue to glow as long
as the surface units are too hot to touch,
even after they are turned off.
Burn and Fire Hazard
Be sure all control knobs are
turned to OFF and all indicator
lights are OFF when you are not
cooking. Someone could be
burned or a fire could start if a
surface unit is accidentally
left ON.

Using Your Range
Continued
Until you get used to the set-
tings, use the following as a guide.
For best results, start cooking at the
high settings; then turn the control knob
down to continue cooking.
Use HI to start foods cooking; to
bring liquids to a boil.
Use MED-HI to hold a rapid boil; to
fry chicken or pancakes.
Use MED for gravy, puddings and
icing; to cook large amounts of
vegetables.
Use MED-LO to keep food cooking
after starting it on a higher setting.
Use LO to keep food warm until
ready to serve. Set the heat higher or
lower within the LO band to keep food
at the temperature you want.
NOTE: The surface unit will glow red
when it is turned on. You will see the
element cycling on (glowing red) and
off to maintain the proper temperature
setting you have selected.
Cookware
Use only flat-bottomed utensils on the
cooktop. Pans without flat bottoms and
spectalty items with rounded or ridged
bottoms (woks or tea kettles) will cause
uneven heating and poor cooking
results.
To check your cookware for flatness,
place a straight-edge across the bottom
of each piece. Move the straight-edge
around. If light shows anywhere
between the pan and the straight-edge,
the pan is not flat. Do not use it.
Utensil bottoms must be clean and
free from nicks and scratches. Heating
a soiled pan can leave a stain on the
cooktop and cause scratches.
Sliding metal pans on the cooktop
surface could leave marks. Metal marks
can be removed using a special cook-
top polishing creme if they are not
heated. Other marks may be perma-
nent. See page 17 for cleaning and
caring suggestions.
Wiping off the cooktop before and
after each use will help keep the
surface free from stains and provide
the most even heating.
The electronic ovencontrols
There are three parts in the oven control
section:
- The digital display.
-The command buttons.
-The Set Knob.
Instructions for each oven control are
covered on the following pages. Read
them carefully.
When you first plug in the range, the
display will show four flashing 8’s. If,
after you set the clock (page 8) the dis-
play again shows four flashing 8’s; your
electricity was off for a while. Reset
the clock.
Operating instructions are provided
for the electronic controls. They are
located on the inside of the flip-top con-
sole. Use these flip-top instructions for
quick and easy reference.
I
Using a pan with a nicked or
scratched bottom could damage
the cooktop. I

Digital display/clock
When you are not using the oven, this is
an accurate digital clock. When using
the oven or Minute Timer, the display
will show the time, temperature settings
and what command buttons have been
pressed.
When showing the time of day, the
display will show the hour and minutes.
When using the Minute Timer, the
display shows minutes and seconds in
the following sequence:
l For settings from 1-59 seconds, each
second will show in the display.
l For settings from l-10 minutes, the
display will increase in 10 second
increments.
l For settings from lo-99 minutes, the
display will increase in 1 minute
increments.
When using the Bake Hours and/or
Stop Time, the display shows hours and
minutes.
The small display will show “Err” if
two commands that can not be used
together are entered, such as Bake
and Broil.
Command buttons
The command buttons tell the oven
what to do and in what order. A few
examples:
-Time Of Day tells the oven you are
going to set the clock.
-Oven Off tells the oven to turn off.
Each command button (except Oven
Off and Self-Clean) has its own light.
The light comes on when you touch the
command buttons.
Set Knob
Once you’ve pushed a command but-
ton to tell the oven what you want it to
do, you’ll use the Set Knob to set a tem-
perature or time. Turning the Set Knob
clockwise increases the number on the
display. Turning the Set Knob counter-
clockwise decreases the number on the
drsplay.
7

Using Your Range
Continued
Settingthe clock
2. While oushinq the Time Of Day
Usingthe electronic
Minute Timer
1. Push the Min/Sec Timer button.
The TIMER light will come on and
the display will show “0:OO.”
2. Turn the Set Knob until the desired

To cancel the Minute Timer:
l Push the Min/Sec Timer button and
turn the Set Knob until “0:OO” shows
in the display.
Of
l Quickly push the Min/Sec Timer
button twice.
Usingthe OvenOffbutton
The Oven Off button will cancel any
command button except for the Min/
Set Timer button. When the Oven Off
button is pushed, “Off” will show in the
large display. The display will then show
the time of day or, if Minute Timer is
also being used, the time remaining.
Usingthe oven
Baking
1. Position the rack(s) properly before
turning on the oven. To change
rack position, lift rack at front and
pull out.
The rack(s) should be placed so
the top of the food will be centered in
the oven. Always leave at least 1% to
2 inches (4-5 cm) between the sides
of the pan and the oven walls and
other pans. For more information,
see the Cooking Guide.
2. Push the Bake button. “350°F” will
show in the small display to Indicate
the preset temperature and the
PRE-BAKE and ON lights will
come on.
9

Using Your Range
Continued
3.
4.
To cook at a different temperature,
push the Bake button. Turn the Set
Knob until the desired temperature
shows in the small display.
The oven is preheated when you
hear three beeps and the PRE- lrght
goes off.
5. Put food in the oven.
During baking, the elements will turn
on and off to keep the oven temperature
at the setting.
The top element helps heat dur-
ing baking, but does not turn red.
6. When baking is done, push the Oven
Off button. “Off” will show in the dis-
play and all other displays will go off.
Broiling
1. Position the rack before turning the
oven on. See “Broil Chart” in the
Cooking Guide or a reliable cook-
book for recommended rack
positions.
2. Put the broiler pan and food on
the rack.
3. Close the door to the Broil Stop posi-
tion (open about 4 inches, 10.2 cm).
The door will stay open by itself.

4. Push the Broil button. “brl” will show
in the small display and the BROIL
and ON lights will come on.
5. When broiling ISdone, push the
Oven Off button. “Off” will show in
the large display and all other
displays will go off.
Custom broil
l If food is cooking too fast, push the
Broil button and turn the Set Knob
counterclockwise until 325°F shows in
the small display. The CUST BROIL
and ON lights will come on.
l If you want food to broil slower from
the star-t, push the Broil button and
turn the Set Knob so a temperature
between 150°F and 325°F (65.5”C
and 162.7%) shows in the small dis-
play. The lower the temperature, the
slower the cooking. The CUST BROIL
and ON lights will come on.
NOTE: The door must be partly open
whenever the oven is being used to
broil. Leaving the door open allows the
oven to maintain proper temperatures.
Usingthe electronic
automatic
MEALTIMER’”control
The automatic MEALTIMER’” control is
designed to turn the oven on and off at
times you set.. .even when you are not
around.
Automatic baking is ideal for foods
which do not require a preheated oven,
such as meats and casseroles. Do not
use the automatic cycle for cakes,
cookies, etc...undercooking will
result.

Using Your Range
Continued
To start baking now and stop
automatically:
1. Position the oven rack(s) properly
and place the food in the oven.
2. Make sure the clock is set to the
right time of day. (See “Setting the
clock” on page 8.)
3. Push the Bake Hours button. “0:OO”
will show in the display and the
BK/HR light will come on.
5. Push the Bake button and set the
in minutes.
The oven will beep three times when
the PRE- light goes off.
7. When the baking time is completed,
the oven will turn off automatically,
beep four times and “End” will show
in the display.

To delay start and stop
automatically:
I. Position the oven rack(s) properly
and place the food in the oven.
2. Make sure the clock is set to the
right time of day. (See “Setting the
clock” on page 8.)
3. Push the Bake Hours button. “0:OO”
5. Push the Stoo Time button. The

Using Your Range
Continued
6. Push the Bake button and set the
desired temperature. The display will
show the time of day and set temper-
ature. The DELAY and BAKE lights
will come on.
7. Changes can be made at any time
by pressing a command button.
9. When the star-l time is reached, the
DELAY light will go off. The display
will show the set temperature and
the time remaining. The BK/HR,
PRE-BAKE and ON lights will come
on. The display will count down in
minutes.
The oven will beep three times when
the PRE- light goes off.
9. When the baking time is completed,
the oven will turn off automatically,
beep four times and “End” will show
in the display.
To cancel the MEALTIMER’”
control setting:
. Push the Oven Off button. “Off” will
show in the display. The time of day
will then show in the display.
14

O&t”
vent
To avoid sickness and food waste
when using the MEALTIMER’”
control:
l Do not use foods that will spoil
while waiting for cooking to
start, such as dishes with milk
or eggs, cream soups, and
cooked meats or fish. Any food
that has to wait for cooking to
start should be very cold or
frozen before it is put in the
oven. MOST UNFROZEN FOODS
SHOULD NEVER STAND MORE
THAN TWO HOURS BEFORE
COOKING STARTS.
l Do not use foods containing
baking powder or yeast when
using delay start. They will not
rise properly.
l Do not allow food to remain in
oven for more than two hours
after end of cooking cycle.
Theovenvent
Hot air and moisture escape from the
oven through a vent on the backguard
below the control panel. The vent is
needed for air circulation. Do not
block the vent. Poor baking can
result.
Burn Hazard
When the oven is ON, pans and
pan handles left near the oven
vent can become hot enough to
burn the user and to melt plastics.
Use pot holders to move pans.
Never store plastics, paper or
other items that could melt or
burn near the oven vent, or any
of the surface units.

Using Your Range
Continued
Thestoragedrawer
The storage drawer is for stonng pots
and pans. The drawer can be removed
to make it easier to clean under the
range. Use care when handling the
drawer.
Removing the storage drawer:
1. Empty drawer of any pots and pans
before removing drawer. Pull drawer
straight out to the first stop. Lift front
and pull out to the second stop.
2. Lift back slightly and slide drawer all
the way out.
Replacing the storage drawer:
1.
2.
Fit ends of drawer slide rails into
the drawer guides on both sides of
opening.
Lift drawer front and push in until
metal stops on drawer slide rails
clear white stops on drawer guides.
Lift drawer front again to clear
second stop and slide drawer closed
Optionalrotisserie
If you would like a rotisserie for your
oven, you can order a kit (Part No.
242985) from your Whirlpool Dealer.
The kit includes easy installation
instructions.
Optionaldoorpanel pat
If you would like to change the color
of your oven door glass to white or
almond, you can order one of these
kits: White (Kit No. 814069) or Almond
(Kit No. 814070) from your Whirlpool
Dealer, The kits include easy installa-
tion instructions.
16

CaringForYourRanae
Burn and Electrical Shock Hazard
Make sure all controls are OFF
and the range is cool before
cleaning. Failure to do so can re-
sult in burns or electrical shock.
Controlpanel andknobs
1. Pull control knobs and buttons
straight off.
2. Use warm soapy water and a soft
cloth, or spray glass cleaner, to wipe
the control panel. Rinse and wipe
dry.
3. Wash control knobs and buttons in
warm soapy water. Rinse well and
dry. Do not soak.
4. Push control knobs and buttons
straight back on. Make sure control
knobs point to OFF Make sure
buttons have not turned oven ON. If
oven has been turned on, push Oven
Off button.
cooktop
Consistent cleaning is essential for
maintaining the glass cooktop.
NOTE: Always follow these directions
when cleaning the cooktop to prevent
staining and damage.
Cleaning before cooking
l Make sure the cooktop surface
is clean before using. Wipe cooktop
surface with a clean, damp
paper towel.
NOTE: Do not use a sponge or cloth
containing soap. Soap or soil can
stain the cooktop when heated.
Cleaning spill-overs
The longer you cook with a spill-over
on the cooktop, the harder it will be to
remove.
For light spills:
l Wipe up light spills with vinegar and a
clean paper towel, when the cooktop
is cool enough not to steam. 17

Caring For Your Range
Continued
For heavy spills:
l Carefully scrape heavy spills using a
single edge razor blade in a holder
while the cooktop is still warm.
Personal Injury Hazard
l Allow surface unit and sur-
rounding area to reduce in tem-
perature from hot to warm
before removing heavy or sug-
ary spills. Wear protective
clothing such as oven mitts.
l Do not use cooktop cleaner on
a hot cooktop. The cleaner may
produce hazardous fumes or
damage the cooktop.
l Do not use the range if the cook-
top is cracked or broken.
Failure to follow these instruc-
tions can result in personal injury.
For sugary spills:
Sugary spills can cause pitting on the
cooktop surface. Clean up sugary spills
as soon as possible to avoid pitting.
Clean glass while still warm.
l Carefully scrape off the spill using a
single edge razor blade in a holder.
l Wipe cooktop with a clean, damp
paper towel. Allow cooktop to cool.
Use Cooktop Polishing Creme to
finish the job (see below).
Cleaning after cooking
l For stubborn soils, keep a vinegar
soaked paper towel on the stain for
lo-15 minutes. Rub off soil. Rinse
and dry well.
l Use Cooktop Polishing Creme
included with your range. Follow
instructions on the container to
remove metal marks (from copper or
aluminum) right away. If heated they
may never come off.
l Remove areas of discoloration from
mineral deposits in water and food,
and dark streaks and specks from use
of incorrect cleaning materials with
polishing creme.
l Tiny scratches or abrasions are not
removable, but do not affect cooking.
In time, the scratches will become
less visible as a result of cleaning.
To obtain order information for Cooktop
Polishing Creme (Part No. 814009),
write to:
Whirlpool Corporation
Attention: Customer Service Dept.
1900 Whirlpool Drive
LaPorte, IN 46305
To avoid damaging the cooktop,
follow these instructions:
l Make sure bottoms of pans are
clean and dry before using.
l Avoid spill-overs. Use pans with
tall sides.
l Do not allow anything that may
melt (plastic, aluminum foil,
sugar or food with high sugar
content) to come into contact
with the surface while it is hot.
wDo not use the cooktop as a
cutting board.
l Do not place food directly on
glass cooktop.
l Do not use steel wool, plastic
cleaning pads, powdered
cleansers, chlorine bleach, rust
remover or cleaning products
designed for white ceramic
cooktops. These could damage
the cooktop surface.
l Dropping heavy or hard objects
on the cooktop can crack it. Be
careful with heavy skillets. Don’t
store jars or cans above the
cooktop.
18

Usingthe Self-Cleaningcycle
Do clean frame I
Do clean door
Do not clean seal Do not clean
center area
The Self-Cleaning cycle uses very
high heat to burn away soil. Before
you start, make sure you understand
exactly how to use the Self-Cleaning
cycle safely.
Before you start
1. Clean the areas shown by hand.
2.
They do not get hot enough during
the Self-Cleaning cycle for soil to
burn away. Use hot water and
detergent or a soapy steel wool pad
on...
l The inside of the door. (The center
area of the door does not need to
be hand cleaned.)
l The frame around the oven.
Do not clean, move or bend the
fiberglass seal. Poor cleaning and
poor baking will result.
Remove the broiler pan and any
pots and pans you may have stored
in the oven.
NOTE: The broiler pan (without grid)
can be cleaned in the oven only if most
of the soil has been removed by hand-
cleaning or a dishwasher. The chrome
broiler grid will discolor if cleaned in
the Self-Cleaning cycle.
3. Wipe out any loose soil or
grease. This will help reduce smoke
during the Self-Cleaning cycle.
4. If the oven has a rotisserie,
make sure the motor socket cover
is closed.
5. If you want the oven racks to
remain shiny, remove from the
oven and clean by hand. Other-
wise, put oven racks on second and
fourth guides (guides are counted
from bottom to top). After racks are
19

Caring For Your Range
Continued
cleaned in the Self-Cleaning cycle,
they become harder to slide. See
page 24.
Turn on a vent hood or other kitchen
vent during the Self-Cleaning cycle.
This will help remove heat and odors
that are normal during the cycle.
Personal Injury and
Product Damage Hazard
l Do not touch the oven during
the Self-Cleaning cycle. It could
burn you.
l Do not use commercial oven
cleaners in your oven. Cleaners
may produce hazardous fumes
or damage the porcelain finish.
l Do not force the Lock Lever, you
could bend or break it. The lever
is designed to stay locked until
the oven is cool enough to
safely open. Wait until it moves
freely.
l Do not use foil or other liners in
the oven. During the Self-Clean-
ing cycle foil can burn or melt
and damage the oven surface.
l Do not block the vent during the
Self-Cleaning cycle. Air must
move freely for best cleaning
results.
l Do not leave plastic utensils
near the vent. They may melt.
Setting the controls
1. Make sure the clock is set to the right
time of day. (See “Setting the clock”
on page 8.)
2. Move the Lock Lever all the way to
the right-the Clean positron.