Antique Gas stove.. Here we go again? Need all the info I can get!

[lorainfurniture]

That looks like a wedgewood stove

It looks a little too beat to put in to service anytime soon. Just by photos, only the chrome knob is the correct one. It looks like its been outside for more than a couple weeks.

If the seller states unknown's about it working or not, it definitely is in non working condition.

If you are in a hurry, buy a cheap modern stove to get by for a while and look for a better stove. They are out there.

 

[dustin92]

I've also used gas appliances with and without pilot lights, and after the fiasco with the last modern stove, would prefer to stay away from electronic ignition. Have a lit match or lighter on hand, then carefully turn on the gas. I'm assuming it wouldn't be a common occurrence for the burner to go out once it's been lit.

The place the stove would be used is far from a "rental" it's the lower half of our house, and I'm generally down there at least a couple times per day. I feel like my friends/tenants (however that fits here) have as much common sense as I do, and with quick instructions I'm not concerned about the safety "in use".

I'm not in any particular hurry, but I need to have a working stove in a reasonable amount of time.. How likely am I to have to replace obscure, no longer available parts? Or more of just maintenance and service? I want to make this work, but not if it's got a 99% chance of being a lawn ornament in the end. I will check out YouTube tonight and see if I can find any info.

 

[rp2813]

I think the stove top system has restoration potential since the burners are cast iron, and any tubing and fittings could be replaced if necessary.  The valves for the burner adjustments could probably be cleaned and re-packed.  The tiny pilot light emitters could be cleaned out with thin wire.

 

The thing that looks to me like a challenge is the oven thermostat.  Usually replacements have big bulky white knobs that wouldn't match, and there might be mounting issues as well.

 

If you're determined, you can certainly see this project through, but I think you need to budget plenty of time for disassembly, diagnoses and renewing of all components that require it.  You've seen the stove in person and all we have to go on is pictures, which suggest the stove hasn't been operational for a very long time.

 

I was thinking it looked like a Wedgewood, but what is that A/B logo on the left front?

 

Louis, the burners appear to be Harper "Speed and Simmer" types, which have outlets in the center that provide a low flame.  If you look closely, you can see them on the right front burner.  I had a mid 1930s "trash and gas" Wedgewood that had those same burners and it was a joy to cook on.  As for items falling through the burner openings, they should be retrievable by lifting the flat cast iron surface that the burner grates sit on, and nothing would fall into the oven, which is to the right of the stove top.  There's a flat surface below that anything that fell through would land on.  Below that are two storage drawers.

 

[dustin92]

Oh if only I had a truck!

 

[dustin92]

Ok, as far as the oven thermostat- it turns freely, and the knob below (I'm assuming the on/off for the oven?) Could be pushed in and turned. How likely is it to function to some degree? Neither I or my friends are gourmet cooks, so if it could be accurate to within a hundred degrees it would be workable..

Repacking the valves- is that something I could do if needed (and how to tell if it's needed?) I was able to lay eyes on much of the gas tubing and connections inside and it looked seemingly fine, no excessive rust that I could see, maybe minor corrosion at some fittings but I doubt it would affect functionality. Burners and their related tubing had surface rust but I imagine a good scrubbing with some steel wool or a wire brush would clear it up.

I've cleaned pilot light orifices/emitters before (on a modern stove, but I assume the procedure would be the same?) I have a set of torch tip cleaners which would do nicely.

There is the A-B logo on the front, and another tag inside a drawer that said something like A-B Robertshaw or A-B Robertshaw stove company?

My main concern would be the potential for leaks- I would rather leak check outside, but obviously we don't have a gas supply outside- could I do something with compressed air at a reduced pressure and check with soap bubbles? Then I could also check function of the gas valves with pressure before relying on them to hold back flammable gas.. Once I know I only have gas flowing to the pilot lights and not out every crack, crevice and orifice, I'd be more than comfortable installing it in the house.

 

[mattl]

I know I'll catch hell for saying this...

But I'd look for obvious issues and if all looks good I'd hook it up to gas and open the valve 1/4 to 1/2 way. Do a quick sniff test for any obvious gas leaks, if no smell I'd go over all the fittings with soapy water or a lit butane match. Yes, a lit match - any small leaks will generate a small flame, hard to miss. I've run a lot of gas lines over the years and once or twice the match test caught a small leak that was out of visual range. After the low pressure test I'd repeat it with the valve full open.

There are all kinds of things in our homes that could kill us, but with a modicum of care they don't.

 

[dermacie]

I always consider before buying a project piece. that is there a source for parts and there cost.

 

[rp2813]

I would be careful with the compressed air.  Gas line pressure is only a few pounds, so you could end up creating leaks if the pressure is too high.

 

[rickr]

I own a rental property, and when I purchased the house in 2008, it only had a hook up for a gas range. We remodeled the house, and installed a 220 electric outlet for an electric range. I furnish all the appliances for the home. I would NEVER install a gas range in a rental. I do love gas cooking, and have an antique 1937 Roberts and Mander gas range in my own home, as my only range. However, to install a gas range in a rental situation, is asking for trouble. Let alone an antique gas range, with pilot lights, and a match light oven? If you want to restore this for your own personal use, and include a shut off valve in the gas line, is fine. But for someone else to use, on a daily basis? No way! Much too dangerous.

 

[rp2813]

Dustin has made it sound as though the situation is more like a single household with two kitchens and not so much a separate rental unit where the stove would be located.  He's on site and would be in the vicinity of the stove fairly regularly during the course of a given day.

 

While I agree that any gas stove has the potential to present dangers that an electric one wouldn't, this isn't the average rental situation and is more like a co-mingling of households.  If there were any concerns, they could be quickly addressed.

 

I'm not suggesting that this stove isn't a gamble or that there aren't some serious risks involved.  It is and there are.  Dustin feels the stove's primary users are responsible enough to see or smell when something isn't right.  Still, if the stove doesn't have basic safety features to prevent gas from flowing say, if a pilot light goes out, or one of those red reset buttons that I don't even know what they do, but they're there for a reason, then yeah, if anything happens while people are asleep, things could end badly for everybody.

 

These are factors that must be considered.  I personally wouldn't trust the subject stove unless it had those safety features and had been carefully refurbished by an expert.  If it was going to be located outdoors or on a well ventilated back porch and used on hot days or for canning, I might feel more comfortable about it.

 

The decision is Dustin's to make, and common sense is mandatory.

 

[dustin92]

Project has been abandoned.. When I said it may take time to get into working condition, attitude changed and we need a stove yesterday. Looking for another cheapy on Craigslist and we'll go from there. Pretty disappointed but it is what it is.

 

[rp2813]

It was the right decision.  The right vintage stove will come along.

 

[chachp]

Options

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dustin, not sure how far you are willing to drive.  And not sure how I ended up on this page but look at all these vintage stoves and many look pretty good.  Check these out if you're still looking and don't mind a few hours drive.</span>

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[mattl]

Wow. that is a lot of vintage ranges.

 

[rp2813]

Wow, that is a lot of nice stoves at reasonable prices! 

 

I would hold out for an O'Keefe and Merritt Hi-Vue if you can find one.

 

[dustin92]

I can't see anything in the link unfortunately, just takes me to a blank search for FB marketplace. I did find a sweet deal on a set of appliances- I got a Whirlpool Gold (looks top of the line) Gas stove, Whirlpool Quiet Partner I powerclean dishwasher, and GE over the range Microwave.. All in light? Almond for $65. All look to be early to mid 2000's and are said to function perfectly. Came from a very ritzy looking neighborhood. Picked them up yesterday and have to install the stove today.. Microwave and dishwasher to come later because the kitchen is currently not set up for either.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Great for you! Have fun with them and use them in good health.

 

[gusherb]

I had an irrational fear of gas as a child and reading this thread being reminded that gas appliances didn't used to even have a pilot light let alone any other safeties has made me realize maybe that irrational fear wasn't so irrational if I were living 50-60 years earlier.
When my grandmother was a child she was home watching her little brother and she heard a loud voice in her head that said to put herself and her brother behind a dresser in a bedroom and shortly after, the kitchen blew up. Later on learned that my great uncle (who was probably 4-5 at the time) had turned the gas on. This was in the 1930s in their apartment in Chicago.

As to a range like the one shown here, I wouldn't trust anything like that unless I'd gone through it meticulously myself and probably rebuilt every valve and cleaned it up good. The fact it was sitting outside would've probably turned me off right away though. These things may be built like tanks compared to modern stuff but crucial points still wear out and can render the whole thing unreliable/unsafe to use. I wouldn't mess around with gas in that sense.

 

[rickr]

Fear of natural gas.

I used to hear stories of people having accidents with the old gas stoves. My grandfather (born in 1905) told me a story of an old maid aunt of his, turning on the oven, and not lighting it right away. She bent down and struck the match, and ended up singeing her eyebrows and lashes right off of her face. And people knew better back then, because all gas stove ovens were match light then! Today however, most people are not familiar with how to light an antique stove, or oven. And that is what makes these wonderful old gas ranges potentially dangerous, today. I LOVE my old gas stove with the burner pilot lights, and match light oven. It has been well maintained, and in constant use in my home, since 1937. But I know how to use it, how it operates, and to respect it for what it is.

 

[wayupnorth]

Most states, including Maine have outlawed any match light device as no gas company can legally hook it up. I grew up with match light burners and ovens. Many homes had a half gas half kerosene heater that is outlawed now too. It is so much better now just to hear the click click and the burner is on now.