Christmas catastrophe averted

[Currently]

Most stoves are plugged in the wall with a 3 wire or 4 wire plug.

Yank that sucker out of the receptacle ... please hold the receptacle with one hand and the plug with the other.

Stove is now dead.

Do what you gotta do and plug her back in.

I have replaced two elements on two different stoves, not a big job.

Borrow some magnetic nutdrivers if you don't have any, it will make the job much easier.

[Mike.357]

if I had done that Ron she would have been thrilled. Now I would not have done a vaccum cleaner. A new stove would have been okay. she has been wanting a new stove.

[Mike.357]

Most stoves are plugged in the wall with a 3 wire or 4 wire plug.

Yank that sucker out of the receptacle ... please hold the receptacle with one hand and the plug with the other.

Stove is now dead.

Do what you gotta do and plug her back in.

I have replaced two elements on two different stoves, not a big job.

Borrow some magnetic nutdrivers if you don't have any, it will make the job much easier.

i thought about the unplugging, might still opt for that. Not sure how stuck the stove is to the floor ,LOL. Might be easier to flip the breaker and test an oven burner to make sure it is not under any power.

Have the magnetic nut driver but thanks for the reminder on it.

I think she so easily settled for the new element over a new appliance since the cost of an oven would have used up my bonus and the cash from my last day of vacation that I cashed in instead of using. That and the fact that Santa treated her pretty well this morning got me the okay for a 30 dollar part.

[ftncityfatboy]

if I had done that Ron she would have been thrilled. Now I would not have done a vaccum cleaner. A new stove would have been okay. she has been wanting a new stove.

as long as it's HER idea you are good to go

[ftncityfatboy]

i deal alot with Brown Appliance down on Central. Take the model # and most likely they will have it. good bunch down there....

[Mike.357]

^^^^

too late

[JPS]

If I tried to buy my pretty wife an appliance for a Christmas gift I'd be wearing it as a new hat.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/67479/wrong_gift/

[dralarms]

well sort of, I guess it depends on the definiton of catastrophe.

The boss stuck the turkey in the oven, it was pre heated good to go.

She checked it about 45 minutes later and the oven had died. I can see a crack in the element that is about three inches long. There was a spot near that on the element glowing like a welding rod.

So I saved the bird anyway. Pulled the upper two racks out of the gas grill, heated it up and finished cooking it. Looks pretty good actually and smells great. She ran over to her moms to bake the macaroni and cheese, while I did my end. Everything is good to go I think. She just ran back to grannies to pick up the macaroni and I guess we will be eating soon. Time to carve the bird almost. Everything else she did on the stove top or microwave.

What sucks though is everytime I have a little cash set aside, almost feel like I am half a step ahead something like this happens. Must be life, I dunno.

Going tomorrrow to see about buying a new stove. Heck if I knew the thing was going to die I would have bought one and called it her xmas present. Now I have to buy one anyway and I alread bought her a xmas present. The short end of the stick always seems to point at me.

I am not a miser, ( well not too much ) the oven was here when we bought the house 6 years ago. The thing was old then. I guess I am out of excuses to not buy a new one.

Funny thing you should mention the oven problem, while my boss was cooking she hollered at me, aparently my bottm element is going out, got about a 2 inch place that is twice as bright as the rest of it. Dan it it's only 10 years old too.

[Mike.357]

Funny thing you should mention the oven problem, while my boss was cooking she hollered at me, aparently my bottm element is going out, got about a 2 inch place that is twice as bright as the rest of it. Dan it it's only 10 years old too.

What a coincidence Doc. the only thing heating on our element was a section about an inch long and it was so bright I was afraid I burned my retina looking at it briefly. The rest of the element was not even glowing at all. There is a long crack in the thing now.

Never seen this before.

We did have a element break in the condo we were renting in Fla. IIRC the landlord replaced the stove.

[DavidH1]

thanks willis.

after I posted I thought to myself, " ggez you dummy just google White Westinghouse oven element and google how to replace oven heating elements. Found a bunch of info. Now I just need to narrow down which one I need.

I might be able to buy a gun after all, LOL

Make sure you unplug it first;)

[Garufa]

Glad you were able to get that Turkey cooked. Would hate to see you having to pack up and head down to the Chinese place "Christmas Story" style.

Sounds like and easy and "approved" fix to replace that element.

[Guest mosinon]

Trip the breaker. Most stoves use press in contacts so you can probably just unscrew the screws and pull the thing out. If you've got enough wire clip the new one in and you're done. But of course it is going to be harder than that so be prepared to open the back panel.

You'll figure it all out easily enough. One word of advice. Suppose you work at a place that makes oven windows. A place in Athens TN. And you feel really comfortable around ovens. And you decide to replace the element without tripping the breaker or unplugging the thing. And you replace said element. And then you think "I want to make sure this works before I screw the bracket back in" It would be bad idea to have someone turn it on while you are holding the element. You'd think that it would heat up slowly and you could say "It works" and set it down. But you'd be wrong. Those things get really hot, really fast. So don't try that.

[Oh Shoot]

Make sure you unplug it first;)

You can't "unplug" built-in ones.

Many years ago, living in an old falling apart country house, one cold night threw some silverware into the sink and blue sparks flew!

Turned out to be a shorted water heater element somehow feeding current around water pipes in poorly grounded system. Could have really gotten zapped.

That was place that had so many mice, that every night when we fired up the wood stove, could hear all the mice in the walls scurrying in closer to the heat. Also had to shore up a corner of an upstairs dormer that started sagging, due to huge honey deposit from bees.

Those were the days.

- OS

[Guest SUNTZU]

Those were the days.

- OS

Just don't start singing.

[Mike.357]

Glad you were able to get that Turkey cooked. Would hate to see you having to pack up and head down to the Chinese place "Christmas Story" style.

Sounds like and easy and "approved" fix to replace that element.

Yanno, the thought of chinese never crossed my mind when it happened, I am disappointed now that I did nto think of that and suggest it. And thats after watching Christmas Story off and on all day yesterday, LOL.

It would be bad idea to have someone turn it on while you are holding the element. You'd think that it would heat up slowly and you could say "It works" and set it down. But you'd be wrong. Those things get really hot, really fast. So don't try that.

I might could have done that. I will just turn it on and wait to feel some heat come off of it without touching.

You can't "unplug" built-in ones.

- OS

Its a free standing unit. Should be able to pull it away from the wall if need be.

This place really is a wealth of information

[dralarms]

Mike,

If the stove is off then it's safe to change the element without having to unplug it. Just a suggestion, if you want to make sure there is no power on the stove just turn off the breaker (it's lighter then the stove:D). I used to build stoves and there is always enough wire to pull it through the front to change the element (but just barely).

Now I'm off to hunt down an element for mine today.

[Guest HVAC Worker]

Thats not true dralarms,almost all stoves have 110 volts feeding thru the oven element with the oven control in the off position.Slide the stove out away from the wall and unplug it or go to the breaker and turn it off.Make sure you turn the right breaker off.Easy way to check is after you turn breaker off turn on cooktop eye,if it dosent heat up and you see no signs of powerlights on the control panel you are good to go.

[frankmako]

good save. now get ready to buy her a new one. you can fix your old one for under $50.00 yourself,,, but when the wife wants a new one, you better get the new one. lets see $50.00 or $500.00 which one is better?? to a man the $50.00 is better.

[dralarms]

Thats not true dralarms,almost all stoves have 110 volts feeding thru the oven element with the oven control in the off position.Slide the stove out away from the wall and unplug it or go to the breaker and turn it off.Make sure you turn the right breaker off.Easy way to check is after you turn breaker off turn on cooktop eye,if it dosent heat up and you see no signs of powerlights on the control panel you are good to go.

Funny, I've changed a crap load of them without unplugging or turning off the breaker. If they had "110 volts running throughthem all the time" would they not be using electricty all the time?

[willis68]

Funny, I've changed a crap load of them without unplugging or turning off the breaker. If they had "110 volts running throughthem all the time" would they not be using electricty all the time?

They DO have Live voltage running through them all of the time, the wires have to be shorted together to complete the circuit and allow for the current to flow, (this is what the burner switch does) in a perfect world you would not see this voltage until the switch is engaged, however if you short them together you will see live Voltage, (very easy to do changing out the element) I work on 4800 VAC, 480 DC power with more than 200 amperes of current displacements all of the time, everyone who does RESPECTS that high of voltage and current, unfortunately it is ignorance to household 110 VAC, 220 VAC that gets people killed every day, if you do not prove a circuit dead, you are asking to be shocked and perhaps to be killed

Edited December 26, 2009 by willis68

[gregintenn]

Now you'll have some extra money, an excuse to go to the hardware store and buy some new tools, and you'll be the hero for repairing the oven. As long as you unplug before working on it, I don't see where you could go wrong!!!! You call it a catostrophy, I call it an opportunity.

[Mike.357]

I think i will turn off the breaker and unplug the thing to be double safe in addition to locking the doors and making the wife stand guard near the breaker box. Of course she will be handcuffed to the pole and be just a hairs reach short of touching the thing herself, but should still be able to fend off anyone who goes near the breaker box. You know on the odd chance that someone other than a Mormon wanders down my driveway to check my breakers.

Seriously I do appreciate all the advice and safety warnings. I am not afraid of dying but I was hoping to fend that off for a few more years anyway.

And why is that whenver the oven breaks I get a craving for a frozen pizza?

[Guest tnmale46]

They DO have Live voltage running through them all of the time, the wires have to be shorted together to complete the circuit and allow for the current to flow, (this is what the burner switch does) in a perfect world you would not see this voltage until the switch is engaged, however if you short them together you will see live Voltage, (very easy to do changing out the element) I work on 4800 VAC, 480 DC power with more than 200 amperes of current displacements all of the time, everyone who does RESPECTS that high of voltage and current, unfortunately it is ignorance to household 110 VAC, 220 VAC that gets people killed every day, if you do not prove a circuit dead, you are asking to be shocked and perhaps to be killed

yes they do have voltage when turned off . dont ask how i know.

[DaveTN]

And why is that whenver the oven breaks I get a craving for a frozen pizza?

Why do you need an oven to eat a frozen pizza?

[Mike.357]

Why do you need an oven to eat a frozen pizza?

i prefer my frozen pizza only frozen until the point I put it in the oven making ready to eat ,LOL