Ping: Dave Smith re: oven repair

R

roxyychick !

New member
Funny thing happened! I discovered a box by my front door this afternoon.
Turns out the element the Sears technician ordered for my oven was shipped
to me directly! How about you email me and talk me through it? Maybe I can
install it myself and save the service fee. And he wasn't *completely*
convinced it needs a new thermostat, just said maybe and thought it would be
better to go ahead and replace it. But, if I can fix this myself that would
be ideal.

Jill
 
On 23/02/2011 6:47 PM, jmcquown wrote:


It's a piece of cake, and probably the only tool you will need is a
Phillips screw driver.


Pull the unit out and disconnect the power cord.
Open the door, or remove it completely to make it easier to get in
there. Just open the door part way and slide it up on the bracket.

There are two brackets where the element is mounted into the back wall.
|There will be one or two screws in each. Remove them and the element
should slide right out.

There will be a wire attached to each end of the element. They will be
attached either with a slip on connector or with a screw. Remove the old
element, attach the new one, screw the bracket into place, put the door
on, plug the oven in, push it back into place and sit back and count the
money you just saved for five minutes work.
 
On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:47:29 -0500, "jmcquown" wrote:


If you have a newer stove the element may be the plugin type, otherwise you
have to pull the stove out from the wall, pop the back off and disconnect the
connections install the new one and rewire it. You should realize the stove is
220V it can kill, makes sure you unplug the stove from the wall first.
 
"Stu" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...


It's not new, the oven came with the house which was built in 1987. And
yes, I know to shut the power off at the breaker box. That's what the
technician did when he came out to diagnose the problem. I just wasn't
expecting the element he ordered to be shipped directly to me. I figured
they'd send it to the repair shop and he'd bring it with him when he arrived
for the appointment on March 8th. If I can install it myself I'll save
another service charge.

Jill
 
On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:47:29 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:

I think Boli is the one you need for that. :)

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:52:44 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:

I would expect the cost of the installation trip is included in the
total bill. If you damage the element or it does not fix the problem,
you will probably be out more $.
--
Mr.E
 
wrote in message
news:[email protected]...


Guess you missed the whole stovetop cooking thread :) I have a home
warranty policy that covers repair/replacement of major appliances. There's
a $60 service fee (think "deductible") every time they send out a technician
to diagnose/repair something. Since the stove is so old the guy didn't have
a heating element for it in his truck. He had to order the part and set up
another service call. That will be another $60. And he can't get back here
until March 8th. I've already been without an oven for a couple of weeks.
(It's weird, you don't really miss having an oven until yours suddenly
breaks. Then all of a sudden you want to roast a chicken or bake some
biscuits.) If I can save myself another service fee trying to install it
myself, why not? How hard can it be? And if I somehow screw it up he can
just order another one and I'll just pay another $60 service fee. It will
obviously get here before he does. LOL

Jill
 
On 24/02/2011 7:31 AM, [email protected]d wrote:


I would not count on the second trip being free when dealing with repair
service that takes a week to get out to see the oven and then another
week to get the part. I would have expected that a repairman coming out
to fix and oven with a likely burned out element would show up with a
supply of elements. There aren't that many sizes and shapes to deal with.

How would you expect her to damage the element. Short of dropping it
onto a hard floor from great height, or slamming it in a door, it would
be hard to damage an oven element.
 
On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:26:49 -0500, Dave Smith wrote:

Not really- if the screw-on wire type, fairly easy to strip screw when
tightening or easy to break off spot-welded terminal due to inadequate
support when tightening or plugging terminal on.
Wires that have heated many cycles tend toward being brittle also.
Coupled with difficult access many unexpected problems can arise.


--
Mr.E
 
On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:24:32 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:


With the type of policy you describe doing any repair yourself voids
the warranty. Besides, the fact that you asked means you know you are
not too steady about such things, I would definitely wait for the
service person, you already paid for the repair by having that policy,
that policy is not free, it's somehow figured into the cost of living
there... nothing is "free". Stoves made some 25 years ago were not
made with owner servicing in mind, neither are new modern stoves. I'm
pretty good with tools but when I pay for a service policy I don't do
it myself, what if I damage something, very easy to do... you may even
inadvertantly set yourself up for an electrical fire! I strongly
suggest you wait... some folks have bigger egos than brains. Actually
I'd not put too much money into so old an electric stove, soon as you
fix one thing something else is going to break, I'd seriously consider
putting that repair money into new... treat yourself to brand new
modern with all the bells and whistles.
 
On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:31:28 -0500, [email protected]d wrote:


Wait just a freekin minute here. Something is not adding up... I'm
supposed to be able to build and code computers and told that I'm "not
willing to learn something new" because I don't want to, but Jill is
told not to fix her oven herself or she'll be out more $$ if she
screws it up.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:12:14 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
wrote:



Your correct about the breakers, and unplug the stove on the off chance there's
a live line looping and supplying it with Voltage.
I've been zapped with 110V, wouldn't want to get zapped with 220V.
 
On Feb 23, 3:47?pm, "jmcquown" wrote:

If you're still hesitant after you receive responses, see if your
stove's repair manual is online. Google the model number, part number,
etc. I have found manuals complete with line drawings for just about
everything I own that was built in the last 30-40 years.
 
On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:06:07 -0500, Dave Smith
wrote:



Instead of pulling the stove out, throw the breaker or remove the
fuse. I don't believe that there is any need to get to the back of
stove. Then check by trying to turn on a burner. Or check the oven
light if it normally works.

Then take the new element and look at it carefully and make sure it
looks just like the old one. Maybe set it on top of the old one to
make sure it fits. Thermostat may be a bit trickier.

No, I haven't done it myself, but watched as my husband replaced one
in our stove.

Don't lose the screws.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)
 
On 24/02/2011 1:37 PM, The Cook wrote:

That works. Mine is on a fuse rather than breakers, and my fuse box is
in the basement, so it is easier for me to just pull the stove out and
unplug it. Besides, I needed to clean back there anyway because is had
not been cleaned for a while.
Someone suggested the possibility of the wiring being done backwards and
grounding out. I am not an electrician but I don't think think that can
happen with a 220 circuit because you need the two live feeds to provide
the 220V.



They don't have to be exact, so long as the ends line up properly and
they are the same size and basic shape. When I did mine the other day I
measured the distance from the bracket to the front end of the element
and the width from the left side of the element to the right and i drew
a rough diagram. I went to the hardware store and found one that matched
and it said that it would fit most Maytag ovens.


I had my son help, not because I really needed the help but because I
thought that he should see how easy it is so that he can do it himself
if he ever has the same problem.



I really hate to see people pay good money to do something that they can
easily do themselves. Shortly after I first met my future in laws my
wife's father was going to call an electrician to change the light bulb
in a ceiling fixture. I offered to do it. He said he would pay me.
Nonsense, but he insisted.

He was a smart guy, but he was an old guy who had lived in houses
without electricity. He had done well in business and made good money,
but he knew nothing about electricity. He might have been able to
handle it it was just a simple lamp with accessible bulb, but this was a
ceiling fixture and there were those three tricky screws that held the
globe on.
 
On Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:05:58 -0500, "J. Clarke"
wrote:


Well that can indeed occur. When I have a repair policy I don't
attempt any repairs myself, if something breaks it voids the policy...
it's just too easy to strip a thread on sheetmetal.

But what really perplexes me is that when someone calls for a repair
of say a stove oven with an element that won't heat that the repair
facility didn't ask which model stove... I've never heard of anything
so ridculously unbeliveable... I've phoned to have appliances repaired
and the very first question, even before your name, is what model and
serial number... the service tech would never arrive without knowing
in advance which model and the specific complaint... while still on
the phone they'd check and they'd either have the part or say they
need to order it. Service techs do not make social calls just say
hello. Something doesn't equate here, especially about shipping a
part to the customer that the tech is going to install, that simply
does not happen.
 
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