Q: My 11-year-old GE Profile gas cooktop still works fine, but the markings that show which burner is on and how its heat is set on a 1-to-5 scale have worn off. The GE logo and information about the child lock at the top of the cooktop have also worn off. My son, an engineer, said the company should have stamped the markings into the metal. I have called the company several times over the years for a fix and did not get a satisfactory answer or a correction. I have tried a Magic Marker and an oil-based Sharpie, but they wear off over time. The numbers are too small to re-create with a brush and oil-based paint. I just keep repainting the dots. I gave up on the numbers on the outside of the dials. What can I do?
Falls Church, Va.
A: Your son is right: The markings would be much more durable if they were stamped into the cooktop. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be a design detail that manufacturers prioritize today.
Advertisement
A call to GE Appliances’ customer-service number confirmed that you’re not the first person to experience this problem. Asked how often calls come in with similar complaints, an agent who could only give her first name, Jennifer, said: “Sometimes, but not very many.” She said nothing abrasive should be used to clean a cooktop, just dish soap and water, and drying should be done with a microfiber cloth. (Probably unrealistic advice when a stove is used frequently and gets grease spatters and occasional boil-overs.)
Worn knobs are easy to replace, she said, and they are readily available through the company’s repair parts division. A set of four knobs with adapters to fit most models of gas ranges costs $18.20. But when markings are on the background metal, the only way to get new markings is to replace the entire top panel. Not only is that an expensive part — $469.89 at genuinereplacementparts.com for a piece that would fit some four-burner GE Profile models — but that also needs to be installed by a technician, Jennifer said, which would be an added expense.
However, there is an easy solution that will last for a while: stickers that stand up to heat. Several companies carry these. And the fact that they re-create the look of original markings on stoves and cooktops made by numerous manufacturers hints that your problem is not rare, nor is it limited to appliances made by a single manufacturer. Stovedecals.com, which claims to have invented this solution in 2016, makes stickers that re-create markings on specific models of stoves and cooktops made by companies such as GE, Bosch, Frigidaire, Kenmore, Samsung, LG and Whirlpool. Another source is the Stove Stickers shop on Etsy (etsy.com/shop/StoveStickers).
Advertisement
It may take some sleuthing to find the model number if you don’t already have it handy. The GE Appliances website, geappliances.com, says it could be in any of four places: under the cooktop’s right rear side, under the front right surface, under a control knob, or on the bottom of the cooktop. (To see a code stamped on the bottom of the cooktop, try opening the cabinet or removing a drawer underneath.) A GE code will begin and end with a letter. For tips on where to look on a product from a different brand, call the manufacturer’s customer service or repair parts division.
If you can’t find stickers that match the markings on your stove, you can probably modify what is available. For example, if the stickers show more than five heat settings, just orient the labels so the gradations from low to high match the way your dials turn. Most important: Make sure that “off” on the labels matches where the dials turn off the burners on your stove.
Sticker prices and terms of sale vary. Stove Decals charges from around $39.99 to $59.99 and includes two sets of labels in every order. The Stove Stickers shop on Etsy charges about $8 for one set and about $19 for six sets of stickers with slightly different designs. Stove Decals is based in Florida and ships by U.S. Postal Service, so orders should arrive in a few days. Ben Karlovich, the owner and founder, said his company uses heat-resistant vinyl labels that should last for six years as long as they aren’t scrubbed with rough materials.
Advertisement
Stove Stickers, which is based in the United Kingdom, also uses vinyl labels. It warns that pandemic complications have slowed down mailing operations, so orders to the United States may take five weeks or more to arrive.
Karlovich said decals are easy to apply. First you would need to remove the knobs and get rid of remnants of old markings. Some people rub with a paste of baking soda and water, while others use a low-abrasive scrub powder, such as Bar Keepers Friend. “We use a thin ‘shark’ razor on our test panels to lift off any remnants,” he wrote in an email, “but if you use this method, you’ll want to be careful not to scratch the panel surface.” Wipe off the residue, then use an alcohol pad (included in orders from Stove Decals) to take off traces of grease. Once the area is clean and dry, simply press each decal into place. “The decals will adhere easily as long as the panel is clean and dry,” Karlovich said. Stove Decals provides an application stick that you can use to press the decals down, but Karlovich said it isn’t really necessary. “You can use your hand/fingers for this step just as well if preferred.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLmqssSsq7KklWS1sLnEaK6oqp5isLC7yq2mqWWbo7yjv4yrnKmZmad8c3yRamZpcF9mfnCxlWlrnXFlbXqnhcRrZGpplZd6ea2VcGSfaWSYsXKwkXGcbW%2BPqMGwvthnn62lnA%3D%3D