I have a 20 year old GE oven. The old broiler element burnt out and I have
replaced it.

The element is shaped like a W, where the two ends go into the back of the
oven through a mounting plate.
It WAS held up by a support going from side to side, attached to the top.
The new element is like the old one, except there is a support going from
the mounting plate to the center of the element, supporting it there. It
seems reasonably stable, without the side to side support, though not a much
as if I put the old side to side support back in.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/oven.jpg

It burnt out by shorting to the support. I wonder if I should put the side
to side support back in, or leave it as it is.
I suppose it will be okay if it shorts out again in 20 years...

Sadly, there is a second issue.
The wire only came out of the back 2", so it was hard to see what I was
doing. The element end is connected to the feed wire with a screw. When I
screwed it in, it bent the back of the element instead of screwing in. When
I realized what was going on, I secured it with a vice grip and got it to
screw in properly.
Nothing is broken, nothing is shorted, the element heats up properly. Can I
rest easily, or should I get a new one?

I tested the old one. Bending the end like I did the new one didn't seem to
do anything to it. Bending it back broke it. In theory, heat should take
stress out of it, shouldn't it.

jack wrote:

I have a 20 year old GE oven. The old broiler element burnt out and I have
replaced it.

The element is shaped like a W, where the two ends go into the back of the
oven through a mounting plate.
It WAS held up by a support going from side to side, attached to the top.
The new element is like the old one, except there is a support going from
the mounting plate to the center of the element, supporting it there. It
seems reasonably stable, without the side to side support, though not a much
as if I put the old side to side support back in.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/oven.jpg

It burnt out by shorting to the support. I wonder if I should put the side
to side support back in, or leave it as it is.
I suppose it will be okay if it shorts out again in 20 years...

Sadly, there is a second issue.
The wire only came out of the back 2", so it was hard to see what I was
doing. The element end is connected to the feed wire with a screw. When I
screwed it in, it bent the back of the element instead of screwing in. When
I realized what was going on, I secured it with a vice grip and got it to
screw in properly.
Nothing is broken, nothing is shorted, the element heats up properly. Can I
rest easily, or should I get a new one?

I tested the old one. Bending the end like I did the new one didn't seem to
do anything to it. Bending it back broke it. In theory, heat should take
stress out of it, shouldn't it.




I don't think one bend and back again damaged the element end enough to
worry about.

But, if the stove were mine I'd put the old support back in too.

BTW what's that cranky looking thing at the back left, held up with a
strip of metal screwed to the oven top? I can't recall seeing one like
that before, but then I don't make a habit of sticking my head in other
peoples ovens. G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:44:36 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:

jack wrote:

I have a 20 year old GE oven. The old broiler element burnt out and I have
replaced it.

The element is shaped like a W, where the two ends go into the back of the
oven through a mounting plate.
It WAS held up by a support going from side to side, attached to the top.
The new element is like the old one, except there is a support going from
the mounting plate to the center of the element, supporting it there. It
seems reasonably stable, without the side to side support, though not a much
as if I put the old side to side support back in.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/oven.jpg

It burnt out by shorting to the support. I wonder if I should put the side
to side support back in, or leave it as it is.
I suppose it will be okay if it shorts out again in 20 years...

Sadly, there is a second issue.
The wire only came out of the back 2", so it was hard to see what I was
doing. The element end is connected to the feed wire with a screw. When I
screwed it in, it bent the back of the element instead of screwing in. When
I realized what was going on, I secured it with a vice grip and got it to
screw in properly.
Nothing is broken, nothing is shorted, the element heats up properly. Can I
rest easily, or should I get a new one?

I tested the old one. Bending the end like I did the new one didn't seem to
do anything to it. Bending it back broke it. In theory, heat should take
stress out of it, shouldn't it.




I don't think one bend and back again damaged the element end enough to
worry about.

But, if the stove were mine I'd put the old support back in too.

BTW what's that cranky looking thing at the back left, held up with a
strip of metal screwed to the oven top? I can't recall seeing one like
that before, but then I don't make a habit of sticking my head in other
peoples ovens. G

Jeff

I'll guess --- t-stat with a ceramic base, mounted on the back wall???

But why the strap?

On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:57:34 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:44:36 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:

jack wrote:

I have a 20 year old GE oven. The old broiler element burnt out and I have
replaced it.

The element is shaped like a W, where the two ends go into the back of the
oven through a mounting plate.
It WAS held up by a support going from side to side, attached to the top.
The new element is like the old one, except there is a support going from
the mounting plate to the center of the element, supporting it there. It
seems reasonably stable, without the side to side support, though not a much
as if I put the old side to side support back in.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/oven.jpg

It burnt out by shorting to the support. I wonder if I should put the side
to side support back in, or leave it as it is.
I suppose it will be okay if it shorts out again in 20 years...

Sadly, there is a second issue.
The wire only came out of the back 2", so it was hard to see what I was
doing. The element end is connected to the feed wire with a screw. When I
screwed it in, it bent the back of the element instead of screwing in. When
I realized what was going on, I secured it with a vice grip and got it to
screw in properly.
Nothing is broken, nothing is shorted, the element heats up properly. Can I
rest easily, or should I get a new one?

I tested the old one. Bending the end like I did the new one didn't seem to
do anything to it. Bending it back broke it. In theory, heat should take
stress out of it, shouldn't it.




I don't think one bend and back again damaged the element end enough to
worry about.

But, if the stove were mine I'd put the old support back in too.

BTW what's that cranky looking thing at the back left, held up with a
strip of metal screwed to the oven top? I can't recall seeing one like
that before, but then I don't make a habit of sticking my head in other
peoples ovens. G

Jeff

I'll guess --- t-stat with a ceramic base, mounted on the back wall???

But why the strap?

Jeff, After looking again the photo is/looks deceptive. The strap you
mention might be another strap for a back mounted support. We cannot
see behind the left hand for another strap.

I does look as if the T-stat (if that's what it is) is supported by
the strap, but is not!

Photo perception...?

Oren wrote:
On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:57:34 -0700, Oren wrote:


On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:44:36 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:


jack wrote:


I have a 20 year old GE oven. The old broiler element burnt out and I have
replaced it.

The element is shaped like a W, where the two ends go into the back of the
oven through a mounting plate.
It WAS held up by a support going from side to side, attached to the top.
The new element is like the old one, except there is a support going from
the mounting plate to the center of the element, supporting it there. It
seems reasonably stable, without the side to side support, though not a much
as if I put the old side to side support back in.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~toller/oven.jpg

It burnt out by shorting to the support. I wonder if I should put the side
to side support back in, or leave it as it is.
I suppose it will be okay if it shorts out again in 20 years...

Sadly, there is a second issue.
The wire only came out of the back 2", so it was hard to see what I was
doing. The element end is connected to the feed wire with a screw. When I
screwed it in, it bent the back of the element instead of screwing in. When
I realized what was going on, I secured it with a vice grip and got it to
screw in properly.
Nothing is broken, nothing is shorted, the element heats up properly. Can I
rest easily, or should I get a new one?

I tested the old one. Bending the end like I did the new one didn't seem to
do anything to it. Bending it back broke it. In theory, heat should take
stress out of it, shouldn't it.




I don't think one bend and back again damaged the element end enough to
worry about.

But, if the stove were mine I'd put the old support back in too.

BTW what's that cranky looking thing at the back left, held up with a
strip of metal screwed to the oven top? I can't recall seeing one like
that before, but then I don't make a habit of sticking my head in other
peoples ovens. G

Jeff

I'll guess --- t-stat with a ceramic base, mounted on the back wall???

But why the strap?


Jeff, After looking again the photo is/looks deceptive. The strap you
mention might be another strap for a back mounted support. We cannot
see behind the left hand for another strap.

I does look as if the T-stat (if that's what it is) is supported by
the strap, but is not!

Photo perception...?


I agree....

A thermostat is the most likely object to be sticking out there.

That strap looks like it is rotated about its mounting screw and it does
look like a little bit of the end of what we're agreeing is a t-stat is
inside it.

I tried enlarging that section of the photo for a better look, but there
wasn't enough resolution to do that effectively.

A fun waste of time on another downpour day here in Red Sox Nation
though. G

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*10^14 fathoms per fortnight.