How often do you replace your oven/range

Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a midline oven, how often do you replace it?

My own, although perfectly serviceable, is a candidate for replacement. The top is loose, the burner light doesn't come on, but it heats and bakes just fine. It's one of those common as coin 1970's models.

My concern is that over time it may become hazardous due to the effects of heat and high amperage. So I'm thinking, do I replace when it finally burns down the house, or replace every 15 years, 20 years, when it becomes a major eyesore??

I'm inclined to go with the last choice, but then again I have better things to do with 1000 bucks.

Reply to
Eigenvector
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i can't really answer your question, but my mother has a MagicChef gas stove that we bought new in the fall of 1955. She wouldn't take a new stove if you gave it to her. This one was the top of the line when it was new-- it is 42 or maybe even 48" wide with the oven on the right side and a separate broiler with a door that swings out to the side on the left. It also has a griddle in the center of the top, which she said she just had to have, and hasn't used n 40 years. The broiler is the main reason she wouldn't part with it, as I don't think anyone makes a unit like it anymore. . As to your point about burning the house down, there are a lot of fires started with stoves, but it is almost always by careless use of the stove, not the stove itself. Bottom line-- some people replace perfectly good items, whether it is appliances, furniture, cars etc, just because they want new, while others keep things forever(nearly), and act like it is oee of their children. No reason to replace a working stove, but if you want a new one, no reason not to buy what you want. Just keep in mind that all the higher end ovens have fancy digital control boards that are real nice until they fail--right out of warranty-- then you have the choice of spending at least half the cost of a new unit to repair it, or buying a new stove to replace your 3 or 4 year old one. Larry

Reply to
lp13-30

I've bought two in 41 years. The first was when we did a major kitchen remodel of the old house. The other is when I got fed up with an electric and changed over to a gas range, about 20 years ago. In all that time, I replaced the oven igniter and the clock (that we never used) no longer works. It is showing its age, but still works/cooks perfectly. The only reason to replace it is for looks, not use.

I may replace it next year. It comes down to priorities. My vacation plans are made for this year and I don't want to spend money on a new range just for looks. I don't want to trade my plane tickets for a shiny appliance. Of course, I may wait another year because I'm already thinking of where I want to be in 2008.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

There is no particular reason why it shouldn't continue to work more or less forever, with minor repairs. YOu replace it when other considerations than age force you to do so.

Reply to
Goedjn

"Considerations other than age" is a wonderful euphemism for "the lady of the house."

Best Regards,

Reply to
Todd H.

Believe it or not thanks, that's basically what I was wondering but didn't know for sure. I have problems trusting old high energy appliances from other experiences but at the same time didn't want to fool myself into spending a few coin on something I didn't really NEED at this time.

A lot of my experiences come from a friend who redid most of his house. The oven he pulled out was throwing errors at Thanksgiving (it was one of the first LCD ovens) so when we pulled it the 10/3 aluminum wiring was blackened from years of use and bad wiring.

Needless to say he pulled a new strand of oversized romex to his new digital oven.

Reply to
Eigenvector

Mentioning the digital ovens. Personally I think that's one of the places where the older technology is a FAR FAR better solution than cheap circuit boards make in Asia. A rheostat isn't going to go bad nearly as early or often as a circuit board - especially in a high heat environment like an oven.

Reply to
Eigenvector

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alcoholic

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Raid

:Might sound like a strange question, but given the relative cheapness of a :midline oven, how often do you replace it? : :My own, although perfectly serviceable, is a candidate for replacement. The :top is loose, the burner light doesn't come on, but it heats and bakes just :fine. It's one of those common as coin 1970's models. : :My concern is that over time it may become hazardous due to the effects of :heat and high amperage. So I'm thinking, do I replace when it finally burns :down the house, or replace every 15 years, 20 years, when it becomes a major :eyesore?? : :I'm inclined to go with the last choice, but then again I have better things :to do with 1000 bucks. :

I take you you have an electric range. My range is probably from the

1950's and gas. An Okeefe and Merritt, it was bought for $25 used in the early 1980's. It could use some of that white porcelain paint around where the door handles attach. It functions fine. Every so often I have to adjust the thermostat for the oven. It has a griddle in the middle but I don't use it. I removed the griddle burner. I like the griddle cover, since I can place things on it while preparing. It's my chief food preparation surface.

A utility official came by yesterday to check on some things and he tested the stove for carbon monoxide emissions. The kitchen used to be vented, but is not presently. He said that the burners and the oven were emitting zero CO, which is nice. He also said the oven burner looked rather rusty, but that he could think of no reason that this was a problem. Unless and until I have an excess of money, I won't be replacing that stove any time soon.

Reply to
Dan_Musicant

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Well, in 1941, grandparents had first good wheat crop after the Dust Bowl years of any size and one of the things Grandma got was a new gas range. That range is in the basement as the storm backup and second oven and/or canning stove to this day. Works as well as always.

OTOH, Mom liked electric ranges and the microwave/oven combination -- don't know if anybody even makes one any longer -- but when folks remodeled the house in the very early 80's, bought a new one then as had a little more room than before. It still is fully operational as well except need to replace some of the burner indicator lights. Overall, see no reason to change either any time soon.

Reply to
dpb

I only last year replaced my GE electric stovetop and oven, they were original to the house circa 1959. The electric elements were starting to heat unevenly and pull power for some years by time I did the kitchen remod. And even then I got an inquiry from a sub-contractor as to the GE oven to harvest parts on that vintage!

It mostly depends on how interested one is in new features (wow - I have self-cleaning now, after how many decades that's been the norm :) and what other needs may be.

I know on freecycle older appliances get snatched up for mother in law apartments and student-shared houses and the like. It's pretty widely understood that that stuff lasts quite awhile.

Banty

Reply to
Banty

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