Retro range with the lower drawer open showing the blower, range, stove and cooktop repair in a Post Falls kitchen by SD Appliance

Range, Stove and Cooktop Repair in Post Falls, ID

Owner-Operated | Same Rate as Spokane, No Distance Surcharge | Open 7 Days | Bonded and Insured

The range went dark when the kitchen did, or it went dark on its own. A Post Falls home may be on Avista or on Kootenai Electric Cooperative for electricity, depending on the address, and Avista supplies the gas. For a range, the company that serves the address matters on the day everything in the kitchen goes quiet at once, because the name on your power bill decides whose outage map to check and whom to call.

If the range is gas and you smell gas, Avista's instruction is to “Move everyone upwind” and “From a safe distance, call 911 and then Avista.”

Two power companies, one gas company

When a range stops dead, the cause usually comes down to one of three things: the supply to the house is off, the range's own circuit has tripped, or the range has failed. Only the last needs a repair visit, and the checks that are safe to make yourself are the breaker panel, the display, and a burner on high. In the Idaho Public Utilities Commission's list of utilities by city, Post Falls has two electric providers, “Kootenai Elec/AVISTA,” and Avista alone for gas.

01

The lights are out as well: That is an outage, and it is the electric company's to fix. The cooperative's first step for members is to “Check your fuses or breakers first to make sure the problem is not with your own equipment,” which is worth doing, regardless of which company serves you. A neighbor with lights on does not rule an outage out: Avista notes that because every neighborhood's system is a little different, power can come back at one home while the house next door is still dark.

02

The rest of the house is lit, and the range is not: Electric ranges require 240/208 volts to operate, GE Appliances' power-supply guidance says, and a gas range draws power too, for its oven igniter and gas valve. Start at the panel: check the breakers or fuses, and turn the range's breaker off and then back on.

03

Power is reaching the range, and nothing heats: A lit clock is not proof on its own, because with partial voltage the clock may work while the burners do not heat properly. On an electric coil range, turn a burner on high and watch it heat. A red glow across the coil means voltage is not the problem; no glow, repeated on a second burner, may mean it is. Once the supply checks out, a part inside the range has probably failed, and Range, Stove and Cooktop Repair sorts igniters, switches, elements and controls by fuel type.

Retro range control panel and clock, the first place to look when a range goes dark in Post Falls

Post Falls. Electric: Kootenai Elec/AVISTA. Gas: AVISTA.

Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Utilities by City

Blackouts and the range

Whichever one sends your electric bill. Avista's outage map is at myavista.com/outage, which shows outage updates and restoration times when available, and the cooperative's is at kec.com/outage-map. Have the account, phone or meter number from a recent bill ready when you report. GE Appliances' outage guidance states that electric burners and ovens will not operate during an outage, so a range that stopped at the same time as everything else does not require a repair visit for now. Turn its burner knobs to Off so they do not come back on when the power returns; burners on digital touch controls stay off by themselves. If the range still shows nothing once the lights are back, start with the panel check above.

For its wildfire safety shutoffs, Avista says gas service should not be affected and that “Your gas appliances should work unless they require electricity to operate.” A gas oven with a glow-bar igniter does: GE's outage guidance says that the igniter and the gas valve need power to open, so an oven built that way cannot be used until the power returns.

For Avista customers, the answer is how Avista's lines restart during fire season, as described on its shutoff page. Avista says it changes its settings throughout the hottest months: outside fire season, a circuit gets multiple attempts to automatically re-energize; in fire safety mode it gets one attempt, and in extreme fire safety mode none. A range that went dark with everything else in summer may be on a line that was not automatically restarted, and Avista's outage map shows restoration times when available. Kootenai Electric members should check the cooperative's outage page to see how its lines behave.

Probably not. On many ranges, the clock needs to be set again when power comes back; GE's outage guidance says the settings are not retained in memory on the ranges it covers, and an oven that was in use has to be turned back on and set again. The reason to call is a range whose display has come back but which gives no heat, or an error code that returns after the time has been set. Note the code and read it out on the call, along with how long the house was without electricity.

Charges for a dark range

Sergei of SD Appliance in an SD polo, the owner who prices range repairs in Post Falls

The service call is $89. It covers travel, inspection, and diagnostic time. It goes toward the repair if you go ahead, and it stands on its own if you decide not to.

Parts and labor are warranted for 30 to 90 days as stated on your invoice, with the full terms at Warranty.

Zero-interest financing through Wisetack is available on repairs over $500 for eligible customers, and active-duty service members and veterans get 15% off labor. Terms are at Financing.

The SD Appliance van parked on a Spokane street, range repair only, with supply and fitting work outside it, for Post Falls homes

Supply and fitting work

01

The circuit that feeds the range: A breaker that will not hold, a scorched or loose outlet, or wiring in the wall behind the range is a supply problem. The power-supply guidance treats voltage and cord faults as installation matters and concludes with “Contact an installer or electrician, as needed.” The terminal block, the cord, and the receptacle behind the range carry live current, so leave them alone.

02

The line to the house: On the cooperative's lines, Kootenai Electric owns the meter, while the service mast and the box that holds the meter are the homeowner's; it says meters must never be removed or relocated by anyone other than its authorized employees.

03

Fitting a replacement: New ranges, cooktops and hoods are not fitted.

Range jobs, as reviewed

Booking range work

Say whether the lights went out with the range and, if so, for how long, then call.

Call (509) 866-6767 with the brand, the model number, and what the appliance is doing.

Request a Repair