GE Range Code Bad Line: wiring problem at installation
On GE, Profile and Café ranges and wall ovens with electronic oven controls, the display reads Bad Line when power reaches the unit but the supply wiring is not connected the way the oven expects. The…
- Code
- Bad Line
- Appliance
- Range
- Brand
- GE
- Warranty
- 30-day workmanship
What Bad Line means
On GE, Profile and Café ranges and wall ovens with electronic oven controls, the display reads Bad Line when power reaches the unit but the supply wiring is not connected the way the oven expects. The control has detected a miswired feed, so it refuses to run normal bake, broil or clean functions. You will see the message in the display and the oven will not heat. It points to the installation wiring, not to a cooking setting you can change at the keypad.
Common causes of Bad Line
- Supply connections at the range or wall oven junction that do not match the required wiring
- Wiring left over from a recent installation, move or appliance swap
- Power feed at the breaker panel or outlet that was altered after the oven last worked
1. Turn the oven off at the control and leave the unit alone. 2. Do not open the back panel or touch any supply wires. 3. If the oven was just installed or moved, tell the installer it shows Bad Line. 4. Have the wiring corrected by an installer or an electrician. 5. Once the connections are corrected, power the oven back up and check that the message is gone.
- The message cannot say which wire is wrong, so someone has to inspect the feed with the power off.
- Wiring work around a 240V oven circuit is not something to guess at with a meter in hand.
- If the wiring proves correct, we then look at the control that reads the line condition.
Other Range codes
Is Bad Line something I can cancel from the keypad?
No. The oven is reporting a wiring condition at its power feed, so pressing keys will not change it. The wiring has to be corrected first, and then the message clears on its own.
My oven is brand new. Could it still show Bad Line?
Yes, and that is the most common time to see it. A fresh installation is where a mismatched supply connection is made. Ask whoever set it up to recheck, or call us and we will inspect it.
Will you quote a price before opening anything?
Yes. We give you a written price before any work starts, and our repairs carry a 30-day workmanship warranty. If the problem turns out to be the house wiring, we will tell you plainly.
Still seeing Bad Line?
A technician diagnoses it on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.