Does anyone have ideas what could be causing both (two separate) Dacor convection wall ovens inside lights to click on-off randomly? I’ve had over heating issues with both that were covered by warranty. Now I’m out of warranty and their customer service hasn’t a clue. We have separate circuits for each, so I don’t thinks it’s the circuit. Any ideas?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Listeners write in about deepening foundations and ask questions about HRVs, smoothing rough concrete, and finding the right workwear.
Related Stories
-
Podcast Episode 665: Rough Concrete, Good Workwear, and Framing a High-Performance House -
Podcast Episode 664: The Best of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast, Volume 8 -
FHB Podcast Segment: The Best of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast, Volume 8 -
Podcast Episode 663: Green Stains, Larsen Trusses, and Insulating Behind Stucco
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
No idea what causes it, but mine does it as well, and is also out of warranty. Service tech told me over the phone that the solution was replacing the main circuit board for mucho $$$. I'm living with it, but it really irritates me that they won't deal with what is probably a design flaw.
Unreal...can't believe someone else has the same problem and Dacor won't deal with it. A guy at an designer appliance outlet said it's probably a short in the door circuit that allows the light to go on when you open the door.
What model do you have? I have two separate single wall ovens - Millennia MCS130.
Is this one of those ultra smart oven's with digital everything? Maybe it's just coming up with good ideas for new recipies every now and then. ;)
Have you contacted the dealer you bought it from or did you go directly to the manufacturer's phone service? You might try calling some of the appliance repair centers in your area too. If it's a common problem they have probably seen it before.
Trust me, if it were coming up with recipes I'd let it flash all day long!
I went to the Dacor customer service hotline, as instructed by the place I bought them. They gave me the out-of-warranty story and suggested it's the circuit (passing blame). There's plenty of juice on each of the spearate circuits we had professionally wired. I have a cranky old appliance repair guy that has repaired other factory defects on these ovens, but given that others have the exact same problem...
I'm temped to contact one of those local news watch-dog guys and rat them out to the entire San Francisco Bay Area!
Does it flicker off when it's supposed to be on, or on when it's supposed to be off, or both? When is it supposed to be on, just while cooking or while cooking or the door is open, or on demand, or what? Do you have or can you get a schematic for the main circuit board?
If there's a door switch or a manual switch, my first guess (and I emphasize it's a guess, because I don't know anything about digital ovens) is an intermittent fault in the switch or in the connectors wired to the switch. You can diagnose this by removing one of the wires on the switch and then by shorting it directly to the other connector, bypassing the switch. (That's two tests, open circuit and short circuit.)
My second guess is an intermittent fault where the switch wires attach to the circuit board. My third guess is an intermittent fault in the leads of the transistor or SCR that drives the light, if there is such a thing. Fourth is an internal fault in the transistor. Fifth is a fault in the leads of the microprocessor. And sixth is an internal fault in the microprocessor.
If it's an internal fault in any of the devices on the board, you're pretty much hosed. If it's a fault in any of the leads on the board, there's a pretty good chance that you could fix it by resoldering all the connections, making sure not to create any new circuit paths.
When I titled this "Haunted" I wasn't kidding...on and off randomly whenever it feels like it. It's doing it slowly, right now. Sometimes it goes on-off very fast, too. The actual switch rarely works. And, it's not the type of oven where the light goes on when the door opens. You must turn the light on manually - if it will let you!
I have the installation specs, but it doesn't sow the circuit board. All of the suggested fixes you mention seem well outside the skills of the average appliance repair service. I really need to do something about them as we'll be selling this place next year when our other house is complete. I can't have the ghost-oven going crazy as in California, disclosure is paramount in real estate sales.
Now what?
It's possible there is something shorting the contacts on the switch itself. That would sure be a nice and easy fix for a perplexing problem if you were so fortunate.
Try repairclinic.com
I had one do this because it was dropped.
I haven't had any problems Dacor installs, so I've never had to deal with their customer service...did this "hainting" start before or after the warranty period?...perhaps related to the warrenteed overheating? I'd get pissy<G>
Don't worry, we can fix that later!
I've heard of your problem only once vefore, and the only fix was indeed to replace the control panel. And yes, that's a several hundred dollar repair.
It cerainly is too bad, as Dcor doesn't offer simply swap-outs of circuit boards.
As silly as this may sound, try unplugging the oven (for a couple of minutes) and then plug it back in. Another attempt can be had by popping and resetting the circuit breakers (the oven's breakers). resetting the circuit breakers on the oven.
Sometimes those two simple things can make the offending queertron go away.
Usually not.
As a totally last resort, ask your appliance repair place if they have a cosmetically damaged Dacor face planel that you can hack. Be prepared for a negative reply.<g>
As silly as this may sound, try unplugging the oven (for a couple of minutes) and then plug it back in. Another attempt can be had by popping and resetting the circuit breakers (the oven's breakers). resetting the circuit breakers on the oven.
Or as they say in the computer world, if its not running correctly, reboot it!
Amazing what a 'reboot' can do for you. And that's better that what I was going to suggest (ie, take the bulb out.. or twack it to break the filament) ;)
jt8
Don't know about this particular problem but had to jump in with a DACOR story.
We have a dual fuel convection oven / gas stove top. Bought it the first time about 6 years ago. Just before the 2 yr part warranty ran out it starting beeping giving a code F1,(manual says call for service). only way to stop it from beeping was to turn it off at the circuit breaker.
3 weeks later the service guys comes, I turn on the breaker. It is working fine. he leaves.
5 weeks later it starts beeping at 3 am one morning.
Local service comes out again can't find anything. Call Dacor tech support all they can come up with is to start shotgunning the thing(replacing things seemingly at random)
Long story short after about 12 service calls, almost every electronic part and 2 years the local service gives up and suggests we go up the Dacor chain. My wife sendas at letter to the president and shortly there after they offer us a brand new one for a very reasonably cost. So far it hasn't beeped.
Still have the old one in my barn. Don't know what to do with it. perfectly good. Just needs to be turned off with a switch.
Summary. Local service guys(not Dacor) were pretty good. Customer support is sympathetic but not very technically helpful. I get the impression that they hired a bunch of Silcon Valley computer engineers who have made their products more complicated than they really need to be.
The result is an oven that is just about as reliable as my PC!!!
I had the same problem...beeping and the F1 fault code. Did the same thing...unplugged it when it went off. and it would go off at the most inopportune times
Advice from Dacor? The next time it goes off, just let it keep beeping...until the appliance repairman shows up.
Uh huh.
It was after warranty, but I wrangled a new face panel free of charge.
One thing to add. They say a common...or should I write "somewhat common"...anyhow, they say the reason some of the electronics go bad, and also a reason that the CB behind the face plate pops, is that people broil (more of a problem) or bake (less of a problem) with the oven door partially or fully open and the escaping heat wreaks havok on the electrons.