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Need new thermostat for a 1983 oven, can't find one..

F

fleabag

Banned
I have a Jenn-Air W181 self cleaning wall oven that needs a new internal temperature probe/thermostat. This thermostat is used for determining how hot the internal temperature of the over is, it is not used for checking the temperature of meat or as a thermal cutoff switch. I contacted a parts supplier for whirlpool but they said that they don't manufacture the part I need anymore.

This is a digital oven albiet old and it works fine aside from this pesky old thermostat is giving invalid readings to the oven, making the oven think it's 900F when it's really 60F and 70F when it's really 400F. I'm pretty sure it's not a digital thermostat but probably some sort of thermo coupler that could easily be replaced by someone with electronics experience. Since this is a tech forum, I wanted to ask how I should approach such an issue where I need a replacement part/repair said part but they don't make it any more. So understanding the fundamentals of a temperature probe would appear to be a good idea.

Does anybody know much about temperature probes like how they work and how I should approach this issue? This oven isn't used that often and I really would like to NOT replace an entire oven because of a pesky thermostat as it has been trouble free since the day we bought it aside from this issue that is cropped up since last year.
 
Ordered the part, we'll see what happens! Even if the part doesn't work, thanks for the effort. So in the event the part does not work, how would one manually replace a thermo coupler or what ever it is that makes a thermostat work? I was interested in disassembling the thermostat and then trying to replace the parts within the part to make it a whole part, or something like that.
 
At $160 for the part + your time or labor, it'll be almost cheaper to get a new oven. Plus, you'll likely get newer or better features and something that is more reliable and safer.
 
Originally posted by: dullard
At $160 for the part + your time or labor, it'll be almost cheaper to get a new oven. Plus, you'll likely get newer or better features and something that is more reliable and safer.
Click to expand...

nah man...those old ovens are incredible. They are built like tanks. My mom had to lay her old one to rest. She just complains about the new one now....
 
Originally posted by: dullard
At $160 for the part + your time or labor, it'll be almost cheaper to get a new oven. Plus, you'll likely get newer or better features and something that is more reliable and safer.
Click to expand...

If he does it himself, $160 is nowhere near as much as a new wall oven would cost.
 
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: dullard
At $160 for the part + your time or labor, it'll be almost cheaper to get a new oven. Plus, you'll likely get newer or better features and something that is more reliable and safer.
Click to expand...

If he does it himself, $160 is nowhere near as much as a new wall oven would cost.
Click to expand...

Word, a really low end wall oven was somewhere like in the $1000 range. I couldn't believe that an oven from 1983 was more advanced than some of the lower end models of even today but I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering that most ovens have not progressed much technologically speaking and price points are there for a reason I suppose. Also what is worse, one oven that we looked at which turned out to be $3200 only had a 1 year warranty! I plan on doing the work myself so it will be about $173 in total costs as my time is definitely worth less than a new oven.
 
Originally posted by: fleabag
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: dullard
At $160 for the part + your time or labor, it'll be almost cheaper to get a new oven. Plus, you'll likely get newer or better features and something that is more reliable and safer.
Click to expand...

If he does it himself, $160 is nowhere near as much as a new wall oven would cost.
Click to expand...

Word, a really low end wall oven was somewhere like in the $1000 range. I couldn't believe that an oven from 1983 was more advanced than some of the lower end models of even today but I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering that most ovens have not progressed much technologically speaking and price points are there for a reason I suppose. Also what is worse, one oven that we looked at which turned out to be $3200 only had a 1 year warranty! I plan on doing the work myself so it will be about $173 in total costs as my time is definitely worth less than a new oven.
Click to expand...

Im sure that 1983 oven is extremely efficient too 😕
 
Originally posted by: akshatp
Originally posted by: fleabag
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: dullard
At $160 for the part + your time or labor, it'll be almost cheaper to get a new oven. Plus, you'll likely get newer or better features and something that is more reliable and safer.
Click to expand...

If he does it himself, $160 is nowhere near as much as a new wall oven would cost.
Click to expand...

Word, a really low end wall oven was somewhere like in the $1000 range. I couldn't believe that an oven from 1983 was more advanced than some of the lower end models of even today but I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering that most ovens have not progressed much technologically speaking and price points are there for a reason I suppose. Also what is worse, one oven that we looked at which turned out to be $3200 only had a 1 year warranty! I plan on doing the work myself so it will be about $173 in total costs as my time is definitely worth less than a new oven.
Click to expand...

Im sure that 1983 oven is extremely efficient too 😕
Click to expand...
Well apparently is because PG&E doesn't care to give any sort of rebate for any oven replacement. I read somewhere than if you have a self-cleaning oven, it's already as efficient as it's going to get. It makes sense for an oven to not really get any more efficient because all it does is generate heat, which is in a sense 100% efficient. The only way to improve efficiency is to insulate it better and a self-cleaning oven has to be insulated to prevent burning down the house at those 900F temperatures! Aside from insulation, no I don't believe for a second that a newer oven could be more efficient than the one I have.

It was said on the site that if you didn't have a self cleaning oven, upgrading to one would lead to a more efficient oven b/c it would have insulation but thats IT.


I bring up PG&E rebate because PG&E has rebates for just about everything except an oven which I found a little odd but that would make sense if buying a newer oven doesn't result in any energy savings.
 
Originally posted by: fleabag
Word, a really low end wall oven was somewhere like in the $1000 range.
Click to expand...
Um, they start far lower than $1000. Even quality wall ovens are down in the $500 range (and lower at times on sale). You didn't shop around very well. But, clearly you have made your decision and there is no reason for me to change it.
 
"I?m sorry but I have found that the part you ordered is no longer
available. Your account has not been charged and I have canceled the
order. Please let me know if we can be of further assistance.

--
Thanks,
Dustin Curtis
A-1 Appliance Parts"

CRAP

So now that I'm pretty sure I can't buy this part, would it be possible to repair this part? Am I just a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermistor away from a working thermostat? I was thinking of opening up the thermistor and replacing the thermistor inside with a working one.
 
Try the link I posted above. They have forums dedicated to different brands of appliances. I'm sure someone there can help ya out...or not.
(they may just tell you to scrap it out...no parts available)
 
A couple of the responses in this thread are proof throw away mentality is strong.

Originally posted by: akshatp
Im sure that 1983 oven is extremely efficient too 😕
Click to expand...

Because simply shorting out a conductor has improved leaps and bounds the past 26 years? 😕

Also, I heard you should replace your microwave every 3 years because they come out with slick new magnetron designs...
 
Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
A couple of the responses in this thread are proof throw away mentality is strong.

Originally posted by: akshatp
Im sure that 1983 oven is extremely efficient too 😕
Click to expand...

Because simply shorting out a conductor has improved leaps and bounds the past 26 years? 😕

Also, I heard you should replace your microwave every 3 years because they come out with slick new magnetron designs...
Click to expand...

I don't think it is so much the throw away mentality as much as it is that so many consumer appliances see much more rapid advances in technology than in-wall ovens.

As an example, you are often much better off chucking old refrigerators and A/C units rather trying to fix them because the newer ones are so much more efficient that by buying a new one you'll actually be saving money.

 
Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
A couple of the responses in this thread are proof throw away mentality is strong.
Click to expand...

I don't think asking for a new oven every, oh, quarter century is that big of a deal 😛
 
Originally posted by: finite automaton
Originally posted by: geno
Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
A couple of the responses in this thread are proof throw away mentality is strong.
Click to expand...

I don't think asking for a new oven every, oh, quarter century is that big of a deal 😛
Click to expand...

Yeah. Just buy a new freakin' oven 🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah but after that, I'll have to buy a new one every five years. I mean if a manufacturer can't put better than a 1 year warranty on their product, what does that say about their product? I spent $500 on a microwave 2 years ago and it has given me nothing but problems. A microwave we bought in like 1984 we gave away, and every microwave we have purchased since the 90s we've had to replace about 2 years later because it DIES. I'm so irritated with having to replace our appliances because they DIE after a short period of time opposed to 80s appliances and older where they're STILL WORKING! ARGH.
 
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