DCS ranges still in home kitchens
DCS began in 1989 building restaurant equipment. Its home ranges kept that build. The older RGV series is all gas. The later RGV2 is gas, and the RDV2 is dual fuel. They came 30, 36 and 48 inches wide. Wider models could be ordered with a grill or a griddle in the middle. DCS has since moved to outdoor cooking. The indoor ranges now sell under the Fisher and Paykel Professional name. See our DCS appliance repair page for more. This page covers the top of the range. For baking faults, read DCS oven repair.
Top burner problems and their causes
On the RGV2 and RDV2, the power burner makes 23,500 BTU on natural gas. The others make 18,500. All of them turn down to a 1,300 BTU simmer. That wide swing depends on clean parts and the right gas pressure.
- A burner lights on one side only. The brass flame spreader is dirty or not seated.
- All burners click at once and keep clicking. One igniter is wet or a knob switch has shorted.
- Nothing clicks. The spark module has lost power or has failed.
- The simmer flame goes out. The low setting on the valve needs a tune, or a draft is hitting it.
- You smell gas with the knobs off. Shut the gas valve and call us. A burner valve may be leaking.
Grill and griddle faults on 48 inch models
The grill sits over a radiant tray. Grease should run to a drip pan at the front. If the grate is set in wrong, grease falls on the tray and flares up. Set the grate right and most flare-ups calm down. A grill that will not light at all is a different thing. We check its igniter, its gas valve and the wiring to the knob.
The griddle is a thick steel plate with its own heat control. It darkens with use, and that is fine. Cold spots or a plate that never gets hot point to its burner or its thermostat. One note from the owner guide helps here. The grill and griddle will not light while the oven runs a CLEAN cycle. That is by design.
What you can check on a DCS range yourself
Make sure the range is plugged in and the breaker is on. The spark, the grill and the griddle all need power. Top burners can be lit with a match in an outage. Pull the caps and spreaders and clean them when cool. Dry every part before you put it back. Look at the flame. It should be blue and steady all the way around. Empty the grease drip pan if your model has a grill.
Our visit, step by step
You pick a time online or call us. Most days we have same-day openings. A licensed, insured tech arrives with common igniters and switches in the truck. He checks gas pressure, spark and each valve you report. The diagnostic for a home is $79. He then writes up a set price for parts and labor. If you approve, the $79 is dropped from the total. A+ is independent and family owned. Every repair has a 30-day repair warranty behind it.
Keeping a DCS range versus replacing it
The frame, grates and burner bases on these ranges are very thick. They rarely wear out. What fails are igniters, switches, valves and the spark module. All of those can be changed. We suggest a new range only in a few cases. One is a cracked burner box. Another is a part for an early RGV that no one makes now. A 48 inch range is also costly to swap, since the hood and cabinets were sized to it.
Where our DCS range techs work
We fix DCS ranges in Chicago and nearby towns. Our Illinois appliance repair page shows the area. Crews are also posted in L.A., Northern Virginia, the District and Houston. For other brands, see range repair. If you have the drop-in model with no oven, use our DCS cooktop repair page. After any griddle repair, season the plate again with a thin coat of oil. It keeps food from sticking on the first cook.