Garland range?

December 18, 2010 7:46 AM

Help me find a manual or any other information about this Garland range. Specifically, we need to figure out why it's not working.

We just bought a house. It's a foreclosure and not a lot of information is available on the house or any of its appliances. It's a Garland range, probably over 10 years old. I couldn't find any model numbers on it and it seems like Garland has stopped making ranges for residential uses. I don't know if it's just a pilot light problem but when you turn the handles, I think gas comes out but nothing lights. The inspector thought maybe the igniter needed servicing but first, I'd just like to figure out what model it is and if there are any manuals available for it.

posted by otherwordlyglow to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

Best answer: I have this exact same range. Mine was one of the last ones made before they discontinued the residential line and has always given me a bit of trouble. No manuals though. I've also had trouble with the igniters. When mine broke I couldn't find parts anywhere, but I did find out that a Company called Blue Star took over Garland servicing and manufacturing. Your profile says you are in SF. I'm in San Mateo. When I finally got mine fixed a couple of years ago I contacted a Blue Star distributor in Hayward, (Golden West Distributors). Either they fixed it or they recommended someone who could fix it and they came out and replaced the igniters.

Check out the where to buy link at bluestarcooking.com for contact info. Looks like there's two distributors in Hayward and one in Berkeley.

Another place I would check in with is the kitchen appliance store on Geary where Stanyon ends. Close to the Pancho Villa's there. I think it's called Contractor's Appliance. I think I originally saw that range there when I started looking for one (though I ended up buying it closer to home). They might be able to help point you to someone who can service it.

Good Luck.
posted by rsclark at 9:27 AM on December 18, 2010

Response by poster: rsclark- That's super helpful though kind of discouraging, too. Do you like the performance of your range?
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:47 AM on December 18, 2010

Best answer: Well...It's a million times better than the one I replaced (a cheap marigold colored electric), but I've never felt that it was worth the ~$3500.00 we spent on it. If I were to do it over again I'd have gotten a Dacor. I haven't looked at the high end ranges in years, so don't know what's out there now. But since you already have it, I think it's certainly worth getting fixed. That model Garland is based on the commercial model that Julia Child used. The burners have a wide range of heat (I belive it's 18,000 BTUs on the high burner in the lower left; you can melt chocoloate on a paper plate on the simmer burner on the lower right).

The stove top is great and cooks well, the oven is slow to heat up and mine doesn't seem to hold a consistent temperature, but I do love having the gas over the old electric.

If you take the top apart, you'll find a bunch of cables leading to the igniters. Since yours doesn't light, maybe the cables are loose at the far end of batch. I took mine apart before I finally called someone. I used it for years just lighting it with a fireplace starter before I finally got it fixed. Or is it the oven that isn't lighting? I never got that far into messing with it.
posted by rsclark at 12:47 PM on December 18, 2010

Response by poster: Well that's good to hear. At least it seems like a good range. We have no plans to replace it and I'm looking forward to getting to know it better. We went over to the house again today and were able to light all 4 burners with a match though they seem a bit clogged. The oven igniter works fine. I'll look into the service providers you mentioned since it could probably use a good tune-up at the very least.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:27 PM on December 18, 2010

Response by poster: Following up on our range. I called Contractor's Appliance and they recommended I talk to Gourmet Appliances in Half Moon Bay. They service Garland ranges and they sent an awesome repairman out who diagnosed the problem with the electronic module. It was totally fried, maybe through water damage, and he replaced it, clean the burners up, checked the oven ignitor and now our range works great!
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:14 AM on January 20, 2011