New thermostat for large oven RCI-645K

[priscilla bozarth]

I am in need of a thermostat for the large oven-right side. I am on a very limited budget but would so like to have an oven to use.

 

If anyone knows of one I can pick up rather inexpensively, I would really appreciate the information.

 

Thank you,

 

Priscilla Bozarth

[Thomas Nichols]

Priscilla

 

Are you sure you need a thermostat? Is that what was diagnosed? Did the thermostat cable wire and arm actually break off?

 

You have a switch and thermostat is attached to it and winds down into the oven area, and when it breaks off, the switch cannot tell what the temperature is.

 

The most common failure to the large oven on the dual ovens on the 645's Custom Imperial, is that someone may have accidentally put the far right dial on the cookmaster to the "off" position rather than in the "man" position for manual operation. Time and time again, people have replaced thermostats and switches, only to find out that there was never a problem at all, just the cookmaster swtich on the clock had been switched to the off position. You model is from 1966, so any of the previous years Custom Imperial switches and thermostats will work, I believe they were all the same in all years, but I would have to review the tech bulletin from later years to see if they will work-meaning the same part number.

 

If you really do need a thermostat and possibly a switch, many of us in the group may have them. I know a used one just sold recently on ebay. I sent one to a gentleman last year from a stove I was parting out. Prices will vary depending on the shape the switch and thermostat may be in, I will check and see what I might have, but if you could let us know some specifics, thank you.

 

Best Regards

 

Tom Nichols

LA TOM

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, October 4, 2009 2:12:38 PM
Subject: [frigidaire-flair] New thermostat for large oven RCI-645K

[priscilla bozarth]

Yes, a couple of years ago when it quit working, we had a an appliance repair man come out and he said it needed a new thermostat. He took the old one with him and tried to find a replacement. He couldn't find one and we gave up.

 

I contacted him recently to see if he had the old part, but he said he got rid of it long ago.

 

So, I don't have the old thermostat and need a new one.

[Thomas Nichols]

Priscilla

 

When you go to turn on the large oven, does it click and the red light comes on, but does not heat, is that correct? Or do you go to turn on the large oven and absolutely nothing happens? Which one? It will help me  know if it is the switch and the thermostat or just the thermostat.

 

Let me know, thanks

 

Tom

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 1:22:51 PM
Subject: [frigidaire-flair] Re: New thermostat for large oven RCI-645K

[priscilla bozarth]

It has been dismantled, I have the knob and indicator dial and some screws in a baggie here.

[Thomas Nichols]

it sounds like he took the switch and the thermostat. There are some places, but rare, that can rebuild these switches and thermostats, I knew a place in chicago, but I cannot remember the name. A gentleman, recently was selling one on ebay for a completely rebuilt switch and thermostat and had it at buy it now for $99.00, the attached picture is what your switch and thermostat should look like.

 

I am in the process of parting out a RCIB-645-2, The switch and thermostat should fit yours fine. There are two switches and two thermostats on a 645 and only one on the 635. They no longer make new ones as far as I know. You  can only find used ones or have the ones you have rebuilt possibly. On the other hand the stove switches and elements are still available. I only have one used one left at this time. I sold the other to a gentleman from Missouri, and was glad to get it and got his oven working again. I would charge you the same price if you are interested. It would be a flat $50.00, that would be the switch, thermostat including shipping and handling. I would still have to pull it from the stove, so let me know. Hope this helps

 

Tom Nichols

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 2:13:39 PM

[Mark Day]

We do have a company listed on the site that do the rebuilding, but you must have the unit to rebuild.

Mark Day 

>>> Thomas Nichols <thos.n...@att.net> 10/5/2009 6:12 PM >>>

[Thomas Nichols]

thanks, Mark, I appreciate it

.........I will look into that, along with the list of stuff from Karen...and Martha.

 

Tom Nichols

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From: Mark Day <Md...@cscc.edu>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 3:18:13 PM

[priscilla bozarth]

So the one you have would work on the large oven, which is the right side? My small, left oven is fine, other than everything burns on the bottom.

 

The rod  with wire thing is still hanging in the right oven.

 

Thank you,

 

Priscilla

[Thomas Nichols]

.................that wire and rod IS your THERMOSTAT. It reads the temperature and sends the message back to the switch. In the pictures you see the switch, and then you see that wire coiled up, with the rod, that wire and rod that you see is the thermostat. So then maybe he just took the switch then, or the wire broke somewhere, then the reading would not get to the switch. Well, this is the best I can with out actually seeing the stove and see what the repair man had done. My switch and thermostat will work fine in your range.

 

Now, you stated another issue. You stated that everything gets burned on the bottom in the small oven. Typically you  pre heat the oven to the temperature requested, then the thermostat tells the switch when it reaches that temperature and the red light goes out and the element will turn off. You put your food in to cook and the element will come on for a moment to reach that required temerature and then go off, but if it stays on, means the thermostat is not working in that oven either. Your food will only burn, when you don't let the oven pre heat, or the thermostat is not working, or needs to be adjusted.

 

It sounds like someone worked on your stove and took it apart and left you hanging in the meanwhile, I wouldn't be happy about that situation either. The more information I can get, the better information I can give you.  Just do not get discouraged, or give up, it will all work out, once we find out what you need. Keep me posted, and give me more info on the small oven, thanks

 

Tom Nichols

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 4:28:40 PM

[priscilla bozarth]

Thank you for the info. The small oven I can deal with, my mom put up with it for years, I guess maybe she didn't preheat it correctly either.

 

So for the big oven, I guess I need what you have. I have the knob with dial, and I have rod with wire.

 

Where are you located? I am in San Marcos, Ca near Escondido.

[Thomas Nichols]

Priscilla

 

I live in Los Angeles county, a small city called Lomita, next to Long Beach, San Pedro, Palos Verdes, Torrance, Carson, Harbor City, Redondo Beach, I think you got the idea. I have a niece in Escondido, our family had an Avocado Ranch in Fallbrook years ago, anyway you are about an hour and half, two hours away. We can meet half way if you want. Is this something that you can install yourself?  Reason for asking, there are about twelve wires that fasten to it to make it work, however, if the switch for the small oven is intact, then you could use that for an example. Attached find two photos of the switch and the wires and what it looks like, let me know, and talk to you later

 

Tom Nichols

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 5:08:57 PM

[Whatt...@aol.com]

Hi,

I'm out of large oven thermostats :(

sorry,

Carol

[Thomas Nichols]

Carol

 

It's about time you turned up! I was talking to Mark, Karen and Martha Mae.

 

Karen was on a roll for awhile, now she's missing, Mark drops in from time to time, and Carol.................not a word.

 

So it has been Martha Mae and I going back and forth and I am sure all the others have been listening in.  Wow your catch up emails have been really good, thanks for the great info. Sorry I thought you were from Ohio, so it's Kansas, should have known!

Talk to you later, it's late, but glad you're back.

 

Tom Nichols

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From: "Whatt...@aol.com" <Whatt...@aol.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 11:00:05 PM

Subject: [frigidaire-flair] Re: New thermostat for large oven RCI-645K

[Thomas Nichols]

...Carol

 

What's the difference between the large oven thermostat and the small oven thermostat?

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From: "Whatt...@aol.com" <Whatt...@aol.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 11:00:05 PM
Subject: [frigidaire-flair] Re: New thermostat for large oven RCI-645K

[Whatt...@aol.com]

without looking at my small thermostat for numbers, the only thing i can think of

is the length of the probe wires ....

on the K the large oven thermostat had 2 of them since it is hooked up with the

meal minder probe.

the small oven only has one probe to the small oven.

my small oven thermo is broken, actually i think it is the switch part

that is broken, the thermostat is probably fine.

[priscilla bozarth]

Hi there,

 

I think I have someone that will install it for me.

 

How should I get it? Do you just want to mail it to me?

[Thomas Nichols]

that's fine, email me your address and I will get it shipped to you as soon as I can.

 

Tom

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 8:10:29 AM

[priscilla bozarth]

I'm at:

643 Grove Hill Drive

San Marcos, Ca 92069

 

Thank you

[priscilla bozarth]

I could also use the sensor thing for the right front burner, it only stays on high.

 

Do you have that?

On Sun, Oct 4, 2009 at 2:58 PM, Thomas Nichols <thos.n...@att.net> wrote:

[Thomas Nichols]

..................ok, tell me more on the right front burner. So far it sounds like a new switch.

 

You turn it on and it goes right to high automatically? You say sensor thing, do you mean the element, the infinite heat element, with the pop up sensor in the middle? Please explain. thanks

 

Tom Nichols

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 11:39:51 AM
Subject: [frigidaire-flair] Re: New thermostat for large oven RCI-645K

[priscilla bozarth]

Yes, I turn it on to any setting and it only goes to high. I turn it down, it stay on high. I don't have to fix it, but it would be nice if it worked properly.

 

Also, my ex has a Hotpoint Hallmark electric range/oven 1963. Do you have any parts for those?

[Thomas Nichols]

Priscilla

 

I will take your request as a compliment. I do not have parts for the Hotpoint Hallmark. I am not an appliance guy at all. My profession has to with the servicing of cars. The Frigidaire Flair is only a hobby.  My parents had installed a Flair in 1963 in our home, I was seven at the time. We cooked on it with no problems up to 2008 when we had to sell our family home. I had extra stoves for parts and brought them with me, and installed one where I am living now, and since then found and bought 4 more. So I have a total of 6 Flairs. 5 are 1963 and one is 1964, 5 custom imperials and one custom deluxe, all the dual oven 40 inch type.

 

What I have learned mostly, is from working on these stoves and from people on the website. This is only a hobby and not my profession, so I am still learning, but give advice to the best of my experience, and every once in a while, some one will come forward with additional information, which helps all of us.

 

At this point, with the heating problem, I would suggest the switch and the element to replace to get it working properly. Both the switch and the element, you can still get new from Repair Clinic on line, you can buy the parts and have them shipped to you.  I believe that they no longer carry the oven switch and thermostat. The oven switch and thermostat, you have to rely on people like us who have old used parts that you can buy and use, and in this case, you can actually send the thermost and switch and have them rebuilt.  A rebuilt thermostat and switch can be hard to find and become expensive, I know there was on ebay for a buy it now price of $99.00.

 

If you want to take some time and visit the Repair Clinic and see what your options are, and if you want to try and locate a rebuilt oven switch and thermostat, give it a whirl. All I have are used parts that I would pull from an old working stove and send to you. One more thing, remember, diagnosing anything, and based on what someone says that is happening, and with out seeing the unit first  hand does not always constitute a final diagnosis, there could be other factors involved, like wiring, grounding, short circuits, connections that could make operations fail. Just something to think about.

 

Do some homework on your own, and then let me know if you really want the parts, because I do have the used switch, thermostat, element and switch for the infinite heat, oh, and those same parts right now are on ebay too, so you might want to take a look there.

 

Good luck and keep me posted, Be in touch

 

Tom Nichols

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 12:03:50 PM

[priscilla bozarth]

Well, thank you for the info.

 

My parents built this house in 1967 and I grew up in it from the time I was 8 until I got married and moved out. Now my brother and I own it since our parents have passed away. It was a rental for the past several years but due to the economy and hard times for me, I am back living in it and trying to fix things as I can with basically no money to spend. It seems  more prudent to repair this oven than to try to replace it.

 

At this time I am only concerned with the large oven. I would like to get it working again. I can't function well with just the little one and a toaster oven.

 

So, I guess I'll go ahead and get the parts I need from you and hope they work.

 

Do you have a paypal account or do you want to send an invoice with them?

 

Thank you,

Priscilla

[Thomas Nichols]

Priscilla

 

I understand the economic situation, I had to sell our family home to pay for the medical bills for my parents before they passed. So now I am renting after 50 years-the home values had come down so much that I barely made out of it with my shirt.  And the car business the way it is, lost my job this last february, so I have been  selling everything I own to keep up with the bills.

 

Anyway, yes, I have a pay pal account, I believe you can use my email address, thos.n...@att.net and I think you can use my ebay name, which is tomjunk56, but I have had people use my email and seems to connect just fine, so give that a try, give me some time to get this pulled off the oven and packed and on its way to you, I will let you know when it is on its way. Thanks and good luck.

 

Once this gets installed make sure that cookmaster dial says "man" and not off, or the oven will not come on, believe me, I learned the hard way, big time.

 

Tom Nichols

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2009 12:01:52 PM

[priscilla bozarth]

Ok, let me know when it's on it's way.

 

thank you,

Priscilla

[Thomas Nichols]

no problem!

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From: priscilla bozarth <priscill...@gmail.com>
To: frigidai...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2009 12:47:35 PM

[priscilla bozarth]

Hi Tom,

 

My ex husband was here a few days ago, he is the one that will help me with putting the switch/thermostat whatever in the oven. He had some questions and we may be bugging you again in a few days.

 

When do you think you will be shipping it?

 

Thanks for your time,

Priscilla