How it Works
The range’s electric stove top uses
heating elements - or burners - shaped like flat coils to provide heat. The
temperature and cooking cycle is controlled by a series of dials or touch
screens. Some modern ranges have a glass stove top with built-in elements.
Ranges usually include an oven for baking, roasting and broiling. The
electric range’s oven heats up with one or several electrical
heating elements, mounted at the bottom or back of the oven compartment. A
heating element is also mounted at the top of the oven for roasting, grilling
and broiling. Some ovens have electric fans to evenly distribute heat for
cooking.
What Can Go Wrong?
Ranges are exposed to a harsh working
environment. Heat, grease and electric power in some combination are usually
the cause of breakdown. The stove top oven uses a circuit board
that can eventually warp and crack - even under normal use. Its heating elements
can fail because of broken down wiring, but they are easily replaced.
A
serious impact to a glass-top range can sever connections and
render its elements unusable. In these cases, glass-top replacement is often
less cost effective than replacing the entire unit.
Environmental Impact
An electric range’s energy consumption depends on how
it is used: Many families use the electric stove top for quick meals and the
oven for long-term cooking. A typical family of three will use about 1,272
kilowatt-hours (kWh) every year, while producing about 1,920 pounds of carbon
dioxide (CO2) per year.