Infrared tops and grates · Totem Lake
Wolf Grates and Rubber Bumpers
The grates are the cast-iron supports your pans rest on above the burners. On older R series ranges and RT rangetops they stand on small rubber pads, sometimes called bumpers, where they touch the top, so the iron is not sitting directly on the finish and each grate rests level.
Greg Lindqvist Cooking-appliance technician — gas ignition and burners · 18 years in the trade
What We Usually Find · Totem Lake
- Most often
A grate returned to the wrong position, or turned round, after cleaning, so it rests unevenly and pans tip.
- Sometimes
On an older R series range or an RT rangetop, a pad that has come out from under a grate. Wolf's pad note for those models says the pads are held by tension alone, and sliding or rocking a grate is what works one loose.
- Sometimes
Pads that cannot be bought separately for that range. Wolf notes that, depending on the serial number, a grate is sometimes replaced whole rather than re-padded.
- Rarely
A grate that is cracked or no longer flat, usually after being dropped onto a hard floor.
Why a rocking grate matters
A grate that rocks does more than rattle. It tips pans, which is a hazard with hot oil, and a pan nudged across the top can push a burner cap off-centre, which then causes lighting trouble of its own.
What it means for the repair
Pads and grates are parts, ordered to the model and serial number of the range. Where pads are not sold for a particular range, the grate itself is replaced.
Caring for grates
Lift grates straight up rather than sliding them across the top. On the models that have pads, Wolf’s own guidance warns that rocking and sliding pop them out. Clean them flat beside the sink as Wolf describes, towel them dry and set each one back where it came from.
In Totem Lake kitchens
Many Totem Lake kitchens pair a 30-inch range with very little counter beside it, so grates come off and go back often, and in a hurry. A grate that rocks here has usually gone back in the wrong place or the wrong way round, and most of these calls end with the grates sorted, not a part ordered.
What it costs to put right
No set band for this one — Wolf Repair Kirkland quotes it after the diagnosis, as one figure for parts and labour.
A flat $89 pays for the visit and the whole diagnosis; approve the repair and that $89 comes off its price.
Asked about this one
Why does one grate on my Wolf range rock?
Usually it went back in a different spot, or turned round, after cleaning. On an older R series or an RT rangetop, a rubber pad may also have come out from underneath, so turn it over and look for a gap. If it sits where it came from and still rocks, it may be warped; Wolf Repair Kirkland, (425) 699-2400, sources the right grate.
Can I soak Wolf grates or put them in the dishwasher?
Wolf's gas range guide says not to immerse the burner grates. Lift them onto a flat surface near the sink, clean with hot water and mild detergent or a paste of baking soda and water, and towel dry. The charbroiler grate is the one Wolf calls dishwasher safe, though it admits the size and weight make that awkward.
