What is the control lockout or lockout on my electric range?

The control lockout or lockout on an electric range is a safety feature that allows the user to lock out all oven and surface burner operation. When locked, there can be no unintended oven or surface burner activation.

The control lockout feature is available on a number of range makes and models, including GE, Whirlpool and Kenmore. The feature is available on many gas models as well. While the burner controls can be disabled using this feature, on many models other features of the range remain on, such as the clock, lights and timers. Enabling and disabling the function is usually simple and requires punching in only a few key commands to operate.