Wolf Service in Montreux

Wide ranges in a finished neighbourhood

Montreux is one HOA-governed community, now nearly complete, and single-family houses of its kind are where the wider Wolf ranges tend to appear: 48- and 60-inch models with a griddle or charbroiler beside the burners, under a pro wall hood or an island hood. A wider range is a different installation, not simply a bigger appliance, and several of its faults trace back to that difference.

The rules that come with the width

Wolf’s dual fuel installation guide sets out several, and we check each on a first visit:

• Against a combustible back wall, every 48- and 60-inch model needs a riser at least 10 inches tall, as does a 36-inch range with a griddle or charbroiler.
• A range with two ovens wants a 50-amp dedicated circuit; single-oven models take 30.
• The wide models stand on three front legs plus rear casters, and the load should be shared evenly between them. A range that rocks can be carrying its weight on too few.
• A dual fuel range is not approved for downdraft ventilation, so on an island the capture has to come from an overhead hood, which Wolf’s ventilation guide wants at least 3 inches wider than the cooking surface on each side.

Where the extras cause trouble

The griddle and charbroiler are what set these tops apart, and they bring their own faults: a charbroiler that will not light, a griddle hot on one half and cool on the other. Over an island, smoke rolling past the hood’s edge usually says more about overhang and mounting height than about the blower. Summit Cooking Appliance Service, (425) 272-6613, measures those first, before any part is priced.