A friend asked me to look at her broken toaster oven. I found a
burned-through connection on the thermostat. I can silver "solder" a
fix, but the nature of the element is confusing & I'm afraid that my
"fix" will subvert its function.

The element is a sorta-corrugated strip of steel(?) that is current
carrying. It is not needed to carry current, as a connection could more
easily be made without it. I'm thinking that is a heater.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobengelhardt/BDToaster.jpg

Anybody know?

Thanks,
Bob

In article ,
Bob Engelhardt wrote:

A friend asked me to look at her broken toaster oven. I found a
burned-through connection on the thermostat. I can silver "solder" a
fix, but the nature of the element is confusing & I'm afraid that my
"fix" will subvert its function.

The element is a sorta-corrugated strip of steel(?) that is current
carrying. It is not needed to carry current, as a connection could more
easily be made without it. I'm thinking that is a heater.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobengelhardt/BDToaster.jpg

Anybody know?

Thanks,
Bob

Have a friend who is a heavy toaster oven user.

She was telling me that she went through 5 or 6 B&D ovens, all replaced
under warranty before giving up on them.

Just called and asked after reading the original post... she said she
spent a few extra bucks and bought a Kitchen Aid replacement which has
lasted years now, and works better to boot.

Anyway, check the warranty status on the B&D... apparently they are good
(or were good?) about warranty replacements.

Erik

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
A friend asked me to look at her broken toaster oven. I found a
burned-through connection on the thermostat. I can silver "solder" a
fix, but the nature of the element is confusing & I'm afraid that my
"fix" will subvert its function.

The element is a sorta-corrugated strip of steel(?) that is current
carrying. It is not needed to carry current, as a connection could more
easily be made without it. I'm thinking that is a heater.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobengelhardt/BDToaster.jpg

Anybody know?

Thanks,
Bob

Is there anything nearby that a heater would effect?
My guess is that it is a low value high power resistor intended to
reduce the power of the heating elements in certain modes of
operation.
Art

Bob Engelhardt wrote:

A friend asked me to look at her broken toaster oven. I found a
burned-through connection on the thermostat. I can silver "solder" a
fix, but the nature of the element is confusing & I'm afraid that my
"fix" will subvert its function.

The element is a sorta-corrugated strip of steel(?) that is current
carrying. It is not needed to carry current, as a connection could more
easily be made without it. I'm thinking that is a heater.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobengelhardt/BDToaster.jpg

Anybody know?

Thanks,
Bob

Perhaps it's intended as a fusible link and the crinkle is intended to
make it spring back when it blows?

Erik wrote:
....
Anyway, check the warranty status on the B&D... apparently they are good
(or were good?) about warranty replacements.

I think that it's really old - the B&D web site doesn't even have parts
for the model.

Bob

Artemus wrote:
Is there anything nearby that a heater would effect?
My guess is that it is a low value high power resistor intended to
reduce the power of the heating elements in certain modes of
operation.

Ah ... maybe. I went down to check the idea by measuring voltage across
the element. Unfortunately I connected a jumper to the wrong buss and
blew out the element! Which is probably for the best since I don't like
cobbled together fixes, for others. Me, I can live with them.

Thanks,
Bob

Pete C. wrote:
Perhaps it's intended as a fusible link and the crinkle is intended to
make it spring back when it blows?

Good guess, but is is blown & hasn't pulled back. Bob

On Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:27:38 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

A friend asked me to look at her broken toaster oven. I found a
burned-through connection on the thermostat. I can silver "solder" a
fix, but the nature of the element is confusing & I'm afraid that my
"fix" will subvert its function.

The element is a sorta-corrugated strip of steel(?) that is current
carrying. It is not needed to carry current, as a connection could more
easily be made without it. I'm thinking that is a heater.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobengelhardt/BDToaster.jpg

Anybody know?

I'm going to guess it's an anticipator, like in a HVAC thermostat.
http://www.inspectapedia.com/heat/Thermostats6.htm

--
Ned Simmons

Bob Engelhardt wrote:

Pete C. wrote:
Perhaps it's intended as a fusible link and the crinkle is intended to
make it spring back when it blows?

Good guess, but is is blown & hasn't pulled back. Bob

Just because it didn't function properly doesn't mean it wasn't the
design intent for the part that was subsequently cost-reduced by the
offshore contract manufacturer...

Ned Simmons wrote:
I'm going to guess it's an anticipator, like in a HVAC thermostat.
....

That's very likely, now that you mention it. The thermostat is
L-shaped, with the bottom leg on the oven wall. The upright leg has the
bi-metal sensor, so there is some distance for the heat to travel. A
heat anticipator would be logical. And this broken element is on the
other side of the leg from the sensor.

Bob

On 2011-12-07, Artemus wrote:

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
A friend asked me to look at her broken toaster oven. I found a
burned-through connection on the thermostat. I can silver "solder" a

[ ... ]

http://home.comcast.net/~bobengelhardt/BDToaster.jpg

Anybody know?

Thanks,
Bob

Is there anything nearby that a heater would effect?
My guess is that it is a low value high power resistor intended to
reduce the power of the heating elements in certain modes of
operation.

Or -- it might be heating the thermostat, forcing it to cycle,
and how often depending on how much air cooling it sees. It heats up
only when the toaster oven's element heats.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---