Desperately seeking 15yo GE range knob. Ideas?

[arbilab]

I moved to an apartment with 15yo GE appliances. The oven temp dial was missing and maintenance substituted a 'universal' knob but its scale does not match the original which all parts retailers list as NLA. I spent the whole afternoon searching and phoning.

A knob for a 15yo appliance should not be unobtainium but in the 'new appliance economy' it is.

Folks here are so good at finding impossible parts so I thought to ask, other than parts retailers from google, where else can one look with hope of success? The knob part number is WB3K5245 and the stove model is JSS16PW3WH.

 

[bluejay]

Have you tried eBay? You may be able to find the part itself or a close match. I agree though; a 15 year old stove should still have parts available. Everything these days is made to be disposable. Ugh.

 

[arbilab]

I went to ebay but it would not allow me to search without login. And it would not accept my universal login name/password, which I know it has because I bought something there once and it displays my search history WITHOUT login. So it knows perfectly well who I am. Did I mention I hate ebay? "Login to search" is a new 'feature'. Thanks for giving me another reason NOT to use ebay.

A hundred of these disposable stoves must go to landfills every day. The oven thermo retails for $325 and an apartment can buy a whole new stove for less than that. This building has scrapped several of them. They have the surface units and oven elements, but that's all.

SOMEbody must have thought to scavenge the knobs before sending the thing to the metal muncher. Just a matter of finding one.

 

[mtn1584]

Try ths

http://www.deyparts.net/product/general-electric-range-oven-stove-thermostat-knob-WB3K5245/473756
Mike

 

[mixfinder]

Habitat for Humanity

Our Habitat restore has a bin of pieces is parts and I often find things there. Most second hand appliance scrappers and resellers have the same if you search Craigslist and yellow pages.

 

[goatfarmer]

I have about 3 boxes full of range knobs, any idea what it looks like?

 

[qsd-dan]

It appears GE discontinued the part in 1/11.

 

Here's another potential outlet

http://www.monstermarketplace.com/appliance-parts-and-equipment/wb3k5245-thermos-knob

 

[arbilab]

Thanks Mike, Dey looked promising but I called to confirm they actually had them and they didn't.

I bought an oven thermometer and calibrated the universal knob to 350 where most of my ovening takes place. But the further from 350 I set it, the greater the error.

Below is the knob. I understand they also came in white and I don't care about the color.

 

[goatfarmer]

The way that picture looks, there is a problem. The OFF position is pointing at 375 degrees.

 

Let me see what I have, I'll be there this morning.

 

[goatfarmer]

I am truly amazed!

If you need the exact knob pictured, I found it! Send me a mailing address, I'll get it to ya.

 

[arbilab]

I'm amazed too! You sir are a champion among men.

To keep the bots from getting too chummy with me, let's just use my initials (what the Ar Bi stand for in my nick) and the rest is out in the open. I'd email it but Charter botched my install and it's not working.

R.B.
2800 Broadmoor Dr. 318
Ft Worth TX 76116

 

[goatfarmer]

I'll get it out!

 

[arbilab]

Thank you immeasurably!

 

[arbilab]

Solved thanks

Kenny's knob works perfectly. Hats off.

 

[goatfarmer]

You're more than welcome!

 

[danemodsandy]

I Just Hope....

....That Kenny doesn't decide to call in all the great favors he does for everyone - a whole lot of us are extremely indebted to him for parts that NO ONE else was able to supply!

 

[arbilab]

One vendor said they could special order it but considering EVERYone else said "no way, it's been out of production for 2 years" and even searched their network of parts archives, that vendor may have been overly optimistic. GE still sells the surface knobs and most other parts but not the oven knobs.

I'm most appreciative.

 

[sycho5280]

Same exact knob!

I recently moved into a new house and it has the same exact stove with the same exact knob (WB3K5245)...if anyone can help I would appreciate it!

 

[arbilab]

There is a generic aftermarket knob, "one size fits all", that takes a chunk of paper towel or some other shim to make it fit the shaft. The calibrations may not be correct. Mine weren't.

But neither was the exact replacement knob Kenny kindly supplied. The oven control has also been substituted with a non-linear aftermarket thermostat. I calibrated it to 350 but it runs high above that and low below.

This stove model is classic/chronic latter-day American appliance junk. Had I the misfortune to own it, I would set it on the sidewalk for the steel scavengers to snarf. Of course, then I'd be vexed trying to acquire a competent replacement from a field of incompetents.

Ironically, the apartment I moved FROM fed my 30yo GE that worked perfectly, to the steel scavengers and replaced it with one of these beercan products. In the name of "updating". [gasp] [barf]