Antique Stove Repair
My wife and I are looking into buying a vintage stove from Build it Green in Astoria. What are the pitfalls and potential hazards of using/fixing and old stove/oven, and can anyone recommend a specialist?
My wife and I are looking into buying a vintage stove from Build it Green in Astoria. What are the pitfalls and potential hazards of using/fixing and old stove/oven, and can anyone recommend a specialist?
I had stove done by http://www.antiqueappliancecompany.com they are the best and charge pocket change for shipping
Please take a look at my website. We may be able to help you.
http://www.stovelady.com
There are more antique stove places in Massachusetts if you can get up there or ship it. Erickson Stove is one of the best: David Erickson, 978.857.8014 in Littleton. He does business down here sometimes so you might get him to pick up after he does a delivery. Great guy and great stoves! I bought an old range and another parlor stove from him and he delivered.
Ask at Moon River Chattel in Williamsburg – they were doing these repairs themselves, but I think they don’t anymore (but they can still recommend someone).
As Rick says, they are pretty easy to work on yourself, and there are lots of parts and expertise available online.
Many of the local antique stove refurbishers have passed on and/or closed up shop – there are resources on-line but shipping costs can be prohibitive. We eventually had to scrap the antique stove in our house as we couldn’t find anyone who could repair it and I don’t feel comfortable with a testy gas appliance.
I worked on my 1940’s Chambers stove myself, it’s not complicated. However, If you’re not handy, buy a stove that has already been cleaned up and gone through to be sure it functions well and is safe to use. Many stoves earlier than 1940 did not have pilot lights, you had to light the stove and oven with a kitchen match every time you used it. There’s a good chance you can get blow back from your oven and burn your eyebrows lighting it. So look for a stove that has pilot lights. If you do a lot of baking, be sure to get a stove that’s insulated well and has a working thermostat . Buy a high end model stove for its time. They will have the safety features and the attractive design I’m sure you would want. Popular models like the Chambers stove have a large fan base and many parts are easily found. There are many antique stove places on the web that will sell you a renovated stove. A quality vintage stove is a pleasure to use every day. I think it’s well worth the trouble and expense.