Our kitchen renovation adventure continued.  We had our new G E gas cook top.  After 3 weeks of getting estimates for a new countertop to go with the new cook top, we decided the  countertop we wanted was too expensive.  So, we installed our G E gas cook top in our old counter.  Installing a cook top seems pretty run of the mill.  However, the demolition and installation was another senior adventure.

                            Clearing the Cabinet for the G E Gas Cook Top

Before starting any work on the stove top, we cleaned out the cabinet.  We foundthings that had been stored and forgotten.   Incredibly, there was everything from things that a slice and dice to ancient hot plates.  We found cast iron pans and some wonderful old, pot holders made by a distant aunt. Everything was piled on chairs in the dining room.  Of course, we could no longer walk in that direction.

Once the cabinet was empty, we tried to remove the old cook top and downdraft.  How difficult can that be?  It was difficult.  We turned off the gas to disconnect the line.  Of course, this meant no heat or hot water.  Which meant a chilly house and no showers for awhile.

We unhooked the power to the old cooktop so we could take it right out.  Of course, it wouldn’t come right out.  Years of caulking around the cook top held it in place.  As well, when the counter top had been redone long ago, the cook top was glued down.  Eventually, careful work with a putty knife  cut the glue.  Finally, the old cook top came up.  We broke some trim tiles, but damage to the cabinet was minimal.

A Few Minor Adjustments for Our G E Gas Cook Top

Of course,  we ran into a few unexpected problems which delayed the stove top installation. Delaying installation delayed the gas hook up.   No gas meant meant no showers or heat.

The new cook top had a 1/2 inch gas fitting.  The old fitting was 1/4 inch.  So, I went off to the hardware store.  It just took a couple of minutes to change the fitting on the gas line.

Unfortunately, the unexpected adjustments didn’t end there.  While looking over the manual for the new downdraft, we discovered  the volume of air moved was much higher than the old unit.  Consequently, it had to have an outside vent.   Consequently, we had to cut a hole in our house.   So, I went off to a larger hardware store to find an outdoor vent and all the piping.  Cutting the hole through the wall and the stucco was a real joy… not! The outside vent cover was huge. It was designed to have the finished wall around it.  Cleaning the edges and painting will make it look a little better.

Installing the G E Gas Cook Top

Eventually, the new gas fitting, the down draft pipe and vent were installed.  The next task was installing the downdraft and cook top into the cabinet shell.  I am much better at breaking things than fixing them, so I had to be careful throughout the process.   The 24 inch long 1/2 inch gas line was easy to install.  I also capped off the electrical wires that had been to the old downdraft.  The new downdraft pipe took awhile to install.  Unfortunately,  we had to cut the interior cabinet wall and the outside wall for the outside vent to be installed.

The G E gas stove top itself was 3/8 inch too big.  I couldn’t believe it.  It must pay to have good eye sight when reading a tape.  Fortunately, the grout line between the stove and the tile edging was about the right size.  The edging broke when the old stove top came out.  Without the grout, the new one fit.

When we unpacked the new downdraft, it looked far too big with its motor and fan to fit into the counter.  With some angling and some technical language,  the downdraft fit.  As it turns out, this one is far more powerful than our old one.

The new G E gas stove top and downdraft were in.  We are still trying to figure out what to do about the countertop.  That’s another adventure.