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General Electric Company Complaint - Oven Fire - Spectra

Spectra - Complaint
Review by G&MD on 2009-09-28
While preheating the oven, I noticed a flickering light through the glass. I opened the oven to a white, sparkler type light and small fire. I turned off the oven and attempted to put the fire out with a flour-like substance (as could be done for a grease fire), but it didn't work. I used the fire extinguisher and called 911. The heating element had burned and broken inside of the oven. There was nothing in the oven to start the fire. The same thing happened to my next door neighbor with the same oven within the past 12 months. Our neighborhood is less than 10 years old, and I want all of my neighbors to know that this could happen. Like my neighbors, we will replace the oven instead of getting a repair...and it won't be a GE Spectra! Thank God I was home and in the kitchen; this story could have ended very differently. Thank you to the firemen and rescue heroes of the world.
Comments:
Posted by Face to Face on 2009-09-28:
this is normal in electric ovens when the bake element fails.

Builders have been throwing bottom line GE appliances in alot of newer tract homes for years...I'm sure your neighborhood is littered with them

Replace the element,keep the oven clean...you'll be fine
Posted by CrazyRedHead on 2009-09-29:
I have an electric oven and one of the elements on the stove did the same thing. I talked to two appliance repair stores and the manufacture and it is normal for elements to eventually do this. I know it is a little scary when you first see it, at least it didn't blow up.
Posted by Slimjim on 2009-09-29:
Like crazy and train said, this is a common way an element can react when it dies. It really poses no fire hazard. It simply would flame out in the oven and just looks scary more than anything.
Posted by JKia on 2009-10-13:
I have the same thing happen to me where the broiler element burned continuously with the switch turn off. It is one thing to expect the element to burn(which I expected it to happen) due to metal fatique but it is another thing to not been able to stop the burning by turning off the switch(isn't switch is designed to cut off/switch off supply of eletricity). It is a fire hazard and where is the government oversight??
Posted by iamedgeman on 2011-11-28:
I hadd the same sparkler effect on a GE Profile. What I did find out was that when the element broke, it did create some type of short. Turning the dial off did nothing. What did stop it immediately was turning off the breaker. I am waiting on the new element to arrive. Seems like poor engineering to me. But if you have that happen, shut off the power to the unit to stop the burning.

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