I wanted to share this experience since it caused some panic in our home and what you could do to avoid any serious health risk. This was regarding the Whirlpool Wall Oven/Microwave Model WOC54EC0AS04.

Normal Day

Just recently, we were heating up pizza for dinner and was faced with an usual situation. Our 2 year old Whirlpool wall oven would not shut down after we pressed the “Cancel” button which would normally power off the Oven.

We had operated the oven as we do every time which includes:

1. Setting it to 400 degrees
2. Set the timer on for 20 minutes
3. Pressing the “Off”/Cancel button on the oven. This would normally shut it off and the oven would cool off by half-hour.

The discovery after an hour

Fortunately, the oven is right next to the refrigerator so there’s plenty of traffic and I happen to hear the oven still running after an hour when getting some ice. At that very moment, I noticed the LED panel was also off, but can hear the oven running and when opening the oven door there was definitely heat blowing outward.

I then attempted to shut it off by trying to re-trigger the off mode, so I turned the oven back on and off. However, this time when I pressed the “Cancel” button, the LED screen responded with invalid characters as if the panel display was broken. I immediately turned off the power breaker switch since it was the only way I could power it down and the oven and microwave were each on its own breaker.

Contacting Whirlpool

This obviously caused concern and after contacting Whirlpool via chat (on their website), they advised not to use the microwave/oven until a service technician comes out to take a look at it. Here was the online representative’s response:

“As for the oven not shutting off without a breaker reset, Whirlpool considers this a serious matter and safety concern. You will need to speak with our Safety Department. You may call Whirlpool directly at (800)253-1301 Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST and a customer service representative will go through questions with you and then connect you with a Safety Team member right away. ”

Whirlpool considered this a serious problem and had to escalate the matter to their Safety team. They were very responsive and was able to get a service technician onsite within 48 hours.

Repair Service

The local technician assigned to our account reached out via phone to confirm the appointment the very next day and gave a 3-4 hour window prior to arrival. Upon arrival, the technician was able to replicate the issue and had to order replacement parts. In speaking to the technician, he didn’t think this was a common issue and was not something he seen often which was a relief.

Once the parts arrived a few days later, the technician came back out to replace the controller, dispenser and display panel.

Final Thoughts

It has been a week now and things seemed to be operating as normal again. Given that we had issues of just two years from purchase and installation, it would be wise to purchase their extended warranty if don’t plan to replace it in the future.

Overall, I was satisfied with Whirlpool’s customer service and they were very responsive to our situation. They did not give us any problems which is a testament to the quality of their customer service and we would not hesitate to purchase any of their products in the future. Despite of the problem we experience, it seems like this can happen with any brand since the technician didn’t seem to have many experience like ours. At least we know Whirlpool will take care of their customers.

Please feel free to share your experience below or leave any comments or question.

Other Articles You Might Be Interested In