Another reason to switch to induction. Kitchen, gas and explosion are three words you do not want to hear in the same sentence. I've never experienced this when I used to have a gas range(a long time ago). I would be really cautious and turn the gas off entirely until it is serviced. Who knows? If the gas leaks overnight, simply turning on a light switch could be fatal. I know, I'm being paranoid, but my home burned down when I was a younger from aluminum wiring, so I've earned it. I hope you get that fixed quickly and I hope you keep a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible location in the kitchen (as everyone should).

That is *scary*! I will be waiting to hear from anyone else...I'm glad you're o.k. But really, that's scary. Gosh.

Seeing that all the other burners were off, and you say it only happens on simmer - that leads me to believe that the gas valve for that burner leaks gas through the packing. Maybe it leaks all the time, but with a normal flame the leaked gas is burned. Or perhaps it only leaks at the simmer setting.

If you're handy you could try a little soap bubble solution around the valve, turn it to simmer, and look for bubbles.
Just a guess by this engineer (I'm not a repair specialist)

Got a call into the repair folks. Will let the forum know what they say.

I have a Wolf 36" gas cooktop model CT36 G/S -2 that explodes when using the large burner on simmer, Just found your posting and was wondering if you got yours fixed.

I have had the same problem since installing the CT36 cook top circa 4 years ago.
http://www.wolfappliance.com/GasCooktops/CT36GGasCooktop

Wolf was emailed regarding it, and they were useless even though the cooktop was only a few months old. Their response: "Don't use it, call a service technician". Of course it can't be the cooktop's problem, it must be the installation, and the customer should pay for it. Uh huh.

The problem started out as reported above: the large burner on simmer causes the explosion.
But the problem eventually moved to other burners, but only when on very low (simmer) settings. Heck, this cook top's claim to fame is its heat range!

The good news: the problem has been identified and it is NOT a leak in the plumbing or any other instalation problem.

The bad news: It re-occurs and the "fix" must be re-applied every 6 months or so.

I cannot guarantee that my situation is the same as all others, but it sure smells that way.

Here is the scoop:

When the range is COLD, for instance after sitting overnight, remove the cooking grates and all the burner tops. This will expose the large brass hex shaped components. In my case EVERY ONE of these is LOOSE! Now, not finger loose, but if you put a 7/8" socket on them I�ll bet you can get 1/2 a turn or more on every burner that you regularly use. Do NOT over tighten or something is likely to break, but snug them up like you would a spark plug. This fixes the problem, but does not fix the design defect since in 6 months (more or less depending on your use) it starts all over again.

I suspect it is due to the brass expansion coefficient not matching the metal (whatever it is) that it is screwed into. Or maybe there is a missing gasket or washer, hard to tell, but for certain these loosen over time and temperature cycling and we get the excitement of a BOOF periodically.

Therefore I submit that it is a defect in design, and Wolf should replace or repair ALL these units before someone gets hurt and they have a legal problem as well as a sadly tarnished image.

If were the Wolf representative that received my previous email, I would have sent a Wolf Factory Technician out immediately to investigate the problem. The publicity of these high end cook tops periodically exploding just can�t do them much good :-) Thy must be in denial: "it can't be our problem."

Aside from that, I really like this gas cook top. No electric contrivence will ever compare to gas for cooking.

Regards

w1qg

WOW! Unfortunately, we all have something in common. I purchased my Wolf 30" gas cooktop in the summer of 06. Loved it! I did a lot of pre-purchase homework to ultimately select the Wolf. In Oct. of 09, while cooking for visiting guests (on simmer...on the large burner) BAM!...which happened several times over several days...before I was actually in the kitchen when it happened. Amazing! The entire cooktop leaped into the air several inches with the sound of the explosion...slamming back down onto my Cambria countertops. Of course, I immediately called the Certified Wolf Technician licensed to repair Wolf/Sub Zero appliances for my area. The guy said it was fixed (said it was a rotted rubber seal due to liquid in the space under the top of the cooktop.) I questioned that....it's a STOVE!!!! There's gonna be occasional liquid spilled on the cooktop!!!! Anyway....jump to Christmas Eve this year (2011, 2 yrs, since the "fix.") Another explosion last night...same scenario....but...I found your posts and the supposed "design flaw." I will be contacting Wolf tomorrow morning, the company who sold me the Wolf AND the Certified Technician's company who claimed to "fix" the problem 2 yrs. ago. The person who posted the design flaw on this site....is EXACTLY right about his/her statement! And with that conclusion, Wolf AND the Certified Technician that "fixed" my cooktop 2 years ago had to have KNOWN about this problem. Surely everyone who has this problem ultimately called Wolf. And...I am assuming that all of us have gotten the same "run around." Well....until 3 yrs. ago, when my husband died (08), I was married to a Federal Attorney for 34� yrs. I plan to use the knowledge I learned from him to attack this problem. First, I contact Wolf, at the same time the U.S Product Safety Commission (800-638-2772), then the Certified Technician and also the seller of the product. If none of those gives me satisfaction (of which....ONLY a refund of what I paid for the appliance will be acceptable; considering they canNOT fix it...being a design flaw) I will seek the advise of an attorney with some skills in the Product Safety area. I am a 64 yr. old widow...who could still be hurt or killed by this event...but consider the tragedy if I had small children at home? Wolf needs to take responsibility for this debacle. I plan to deliver it to their door step! BTW...the Wolf/Sub Zero company is located in Madison, WI. I LIVE in WI. I will keep you posted!

Read my last post for details prior to the Certified Wolf Technician coming out today (12-28-11) to deal with my "exploding" cook top problem. After reading the post on this forum, by the person who stated he knew what the problem actually was, a design flaw, I want to say to that person, I got an admission from the Certified Technician today, that it is indeed a design flaw. The good news...Wolf is finally owning up to it and have sent all of their Certified Wolf/Sub Zero technicians a gasket kit...for replacing all 4 gaskets AND applying Locktite (a special industrial glue...that will keep the brass nuts tight for 25 - 30 years.) The technician also had me call Wolf while he was here, to allow him to talk to Wolf and have them authorize a "no charge" to me for today's service call and work, but yet pay the technician for coming out and for his work. Wolf readily agreed to that. In fact, the Customer Care person that I spoke with at Wolf was most accommodating to me. Assured by them that this "Locktite" would keep the brass nuts secure and tight for 25-30 years, makes me satisfied with their "fix." I will now go forth and cook my brains out again! I would recommend to all of you with the same problem, to be sure that the person who is called for repairs on your cook tops, is a Certified Wolf/Sub Zero technician.

Hi this has happened to my wife 3 times now. Her clothes were singed, and all the burners were blown off, with the control knobs. I have rang Wolf UK recently, and they just said that there must have been a blockage. The burners are debris free, so wasn't the reason why they have exploded.
I don't know if WOLF in the UK know about this problem, but I have been quoted ridiculous call out charges?

From the previous posts, it looks like Wolf UK knows about this issue, but chooses to fob-off customers.

Has anyone else had the same since last post in 2011?

Hi this has happened to my wife 3 times now. Her clothes were singed, and all the burners were blown off, with the control knobs. I have rang Wolf UK recently, and they just said that there must have been a blockage. The burners are debris free, so wasn't the reason why they have exploded.
I don't know if WOLF in the UK know about this problem, but I have been quoted ridiculous call out charges?

From the previous posts, it looks like Wolf UK knows about this issue, but chooses to fob-off customers.

Has anyone else had the same since last post in 2011?

Can anyone tell me if wolf paid for the repair and how you got them to pay for it. I have the exact same problem with my burners exploding. It scares the crap out of me and doesn't happen all the time but when it does...... I read one post on here referring to a faint gas smell when this happens.....yep....same thing. I have a repair person coming 1/18/2016. They will,also be looking at my wolf ventilation system --- ventilation works great but light never worked right. This "high end' crap is just that- crap! So disappointed.

It seems you just need to add locktite to resolve it, right? That is probably easier than going through a technician.

I have had the exact same exploding experience with my stovetop, which I purchased in 2005. The stove always did a fair amount of popping on some of the burners when they were on simmer, but I experienced a large explosion, with flying knobs & shifted grates, in late November 2015. The certified Wolf repair tech had to call Wolf to get advice on the problem. He reported that there were problems with worn gaskets from the hex bolts shifting over time, and that we could install the gasket repair kit for several hundred dollars. I was shocked that Wolf wouldn't cover this. I'm even more shocked now that I'm researching and finding all these posts about the same problem. An exploding stove is no small issue. I'll be calling Wolf today to insist that they cover the "fix".

Good luck with that - let us know how it turns out (or whether they politely inform you that they don't cover repairs on an 11-year old stovetop)

So the repairs were completed 1/25/2016. They replaced all 4 'O' rings for each of the 4 burners. They replaced a couple others things as well. The total cost was $400-$500 U.S for the cooktop a lone. It works great at this point and should. So, when they were at my house 1/18 diagnosing the problem, I mentioned to the repair guy about what I found online. He looked at me dumbfounded as if to say 'so?' Don't get me wrong, he was great and he fixed all three of my appliances (a thousand dollar later) but offered no opinion other than 'nobody ever writes a good review' When I made the comment 'this high end stuff isn't worth it' he countered with 'everything breaks.' The repairman was from a wolf authorized repair company in Cleveland, OH. I know things wear and it is 'getting up there' in age but just never expect expensive things to break. I always joke and say 'when you remodel and have everything new, it all starts to break at the same time.' As for my wolf ventilation system, the lights weren't working. He had to completely replace the lights. Said over time they get gunked up with grease, etc.....I'm thinking 'uh, why isn't it built differently then?' And then I recall the Sears brand ventilation system I grew up with. Not only did it NEVER break but the darn lightbulb never seemed to burn out either. : )

A followup to my earlier post. After a long conversation with Wolf, and moving up the chain of command with insistent but polite negotiation on my part, Wolf agreed to cover the repair costs for gasket replacement on my stove. Mission accomplished. I can't shake mild concern about another scary explosion, but the stove seems to be working better than ever, and I think over time I'll feel more at ease :)

I am planning to purchase 48 "WOLF cooktop -propane ( since no gas line)-just wondering if this explosion issues are on "older" model or still happen on new model?

response to hkwan: My "exploding" Wolf was an older model set up for propane, from a kitchen remodel in 2005. It would be interesting to learn if folks with newer models are reporting explosion problems!

Are you folks talking about a cooktop, a range top or both?

cooktop-I am planning to purchase the propane since no gas line. I was told to install Miele - I need a 6 inches clearance? Anyone knows if this is applied to all of the commercial cooktop?

This keeps happening to my cooktop. At least now I know that there is something to do about it.

I'm starting my journey today. An advocate is supposed to call me within 2 hours

Hi Laurie - Any update with this issue?

Yes, these reviews are very helpful. We had rice on simmer and we had this mini explosion. I will call Wolfe tomorrow.

Luckily I decide to purchase 48 inch Mielle Range instead of Wolf cook top since we arrange our kitchen cabinet. Anyone has experience with Mele range?

My Wolf cooktop exploded and lifted off the granite a few inches and then slammed down. I had been using simmer on the large burner. The gas company came and shut it down. How did you get Wolf to pay for the repairs? My unit is way out of warranty but I believe they are aware of the problem and have helped others resolve it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Can you post pics? Also, I am just about to order a cooktop from them, so interested in your model and if you know why this occurred?

The model is CT36G/S. It lifted off the granite countertop and fell back into the same place so it looks okay but it is not. Technician just said o-ring kit is needed to the tune of $600. Things can wear out but this is a safety issue. Will be another 2 weeks without a working stove. Good luck.

hi, the same thing just happened to me. i have CT36 installed in 2006. it has always "popped" when on simmer, but this weekend, it blew up, the cooktop lifted, the grates, burner caps and control knobs all blew off, some striking me in the chest. as of now, Wolff is paying for the diagnostic, but this is very sketchy that this can happen and when you ask them, they have no knowledge, yet this chain goes back 12 years. i would expect a new cooktop as i don't feel comfortable that this will ever be fixed based on what i see above.

There Wolf cooktops are really a blast!

Seriously, i would never consider using one after these reports. I have switched out appliances for much lesser safety problems...

This has happened to my 2006 Gas Wolf 5 burner cooktop 3 times over the past 6 months-simmer on large or medium burner and blammo! After reading these posts, I did tighten the brass nuts on all burners, they were all loose. I will call our Wolf dealer and see what is up as of today.

The same thing is happening with my 30 inch Wolf gas cooktop. Terrifying noise! I guess I'll start the same process as everyone else and call Wolf.

check on the gaskets and the nuts, they all breakdown/loosen.

The Wolf repair guy was here. It is a known problem to the manufacturer. He called Wolf Sub Zero. It exploded while on simmer a few minutes after he turned it on. Supposedly they have changed the design on the new ones. So including today's visit it will be a $900 repair. Something is bent and it needs new gaskets from the repair kit. I would switch to the highly rated 5 Burner Samsung but there is a piece that sticks out so it won't fit. New Wolf cooktops are back ordered until the end of April around here.

Has anyone in this group explored a class action suit? Wolf Sub Zero prides itself on reliability.

i would reach out to them directly. i had the same issue. push them to cover repairs at minimum or a new one which seems much better (i waited 2 1/2 months due to backlog). slow process but they were good about it. also consider reporting to the CPSC.gov as there are a few already there and the more the better for your case.

I am looking at the 24” 3-burner Wolf gas cooktop. Anyone recent buyers of their gas cooktops want to share their experience? These reports are most concerning, and Wolf should have addressed the problem 10 years later — hopefully....