On Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:01:42 GMT, Dan_Musicant wrote:
:I'm not really sure this is thermostat problem. This range is O'Keefe
:and Merritt and is probably from the 50's. I've recalibrated the oven
:thermostat many times, probably every 2 years or so since I started
:using it almost 25 years ago. You pull off the oven knob and there's a
:screwdriver adjustment for the calibration. A few little twists and some
atience and I've always managed to get it working right again.
:
:It used to take around 10 minutes for the oven to go from room
:temperature to around 350 F. Now, for some reason it's just not the oven
:it was. It takes about 15 minutes or more to reach 350.
:
:After calibrating it very patiently, the best performance I'm getting is
:this:
:
:I set it at 350 and after 10-12 minutes the gas turns off, obviously due
:to the thermostat action. But it's not even 300 then. However, not
:touching the knob, some 10-15 minutes later the oven is 350 - 375. I'm
retty sure if I leave it on longer, it will get up to 400.
:
:Years ago, a few times I had problems because the gas jet (where the gas
:meets the air and the flame comes off) was evidently clogged and the
ven would stall before reaching the set temperature because the flame
:hadn't reached all the way around the oval gas jet. I resolved that by
:running a brush over the gas jet (when cold). However, I checked
:recently and the gas is all the way around, so I don't know why it's
:taking so long to reach the set temperature.
:
:Is there anything I can do for this? Is this a thermostat problem? Do I
:want to look for a replacement thermostat? There's a used appliance
:store nearby and I could probably get something from them, but wonder if
:it would be the right part. I suppose I could bring mine to the place
:for comparison. Maybe I can get a part number off mine. Or can I order
ne? Thanks for any information or suggestions.
:
an
Here's a picture of the control:
http://fox302.com/userdata/Muse/file...djustments.jpg
I've always adjusted that center adjustment with a thin screwdriver, the
one in the very center of the picture. When I got that exactly right,
the oven would stay at the temperature indicated by the knob, which fit
on the center shaft.
Does anyone know what the "STAND-BY" and "HTR" adjustment screws are
about? I've never adjusted them because I have no idea what they might
do. I also don't know what that writing on the lower left is about,
where it says "ADJUST HEAT MOTOR". The arrow there points to a hole, but
I don't see anything inside that hole to adjust.
Can anyone demystify these adjustments for me? Can I improve the oven's
operations with these adjustments? Are they all associated with the
thermostat? Do I need a new (or working used) thermostat to get the oven
working OK again? Thanks!
Dan