Finding bake elements for Hotpoint range

[mom11]

I haven't been on in awhile as life has been crazy busy but I need help finding a replacement lower bake element for my 1956 Hotpoint double oven range. This old gal has been cooking up a storm and a half here for almost a year just perfectly. But a few weeks ago, between 2 batches of cupcakes, the lower element in the right side range quit. No brakes or blisters in the element. The upper element, both upper and lower elements in the left side oven, and all 4 surface elements still all work.

I pulled out the offending element and found that the contact points are the 3 broad flat horizontal prongs that push into a ceramic block. The prongs were quite rusty and corroded so I took some sandpaper to them, being very careful, and sanded off most crud but they are deeply pitted. It still didn't work. To make sure that it was the element and not the receptacle block in the oven, I pulled the left lower element and put it into the right ceramic block and it worked. Then I put the right one in the left oven and it didn't work. Soooo, it's not the ceramic receptacle, I concluded.

I set about trying to find a replacement element and have not been able to find one online at all. Local appliance places won't even look. I've been corresponding with a couple parts suppliers on ebay and one told me the part I need is WB44x142 and is no longer made.

The parts supply houses online are telling me that WB44x5043 is the replacement part but that doesn't have the 3 flat push in contacts but the 2 thin screw in kind. One guy on ebay said it would work if I removed the ceramic block receptacle and "direct wire" the new one in. Does that make any sense to anyone here? Is it a repair someone with very little electrical experience like me could do?

Also, I see a very few other elements in the length and width I need WITH the 3 prongs. One guy said he didn;t know if it would work with my range. The other guy thought it would. One is a Thermador wall oven element WO-16. Looks like same prong slightly different size and shape.

The other one is CH44x132, again, slightly different shape but same contact points.

Sorry for the long story but I LOOOOOOOOOVE this range and was planning many many years to come with her. I've always found the greatest help here so I knew if anyone could answer my question, you all could.

Thanks for reading to the end.

 

[mom11]

picture

My camera is really awful but here is what the contact points looked like before I sanded off the crud. At least it shows the kind of set up I need, anyway.

 

[norgeway]

You need to find

A OLD Hotpoint or GE dealer, this is a common part and shouldn't be hard to find, I have seen many old stores with tons of all kinds of replacement units hanging on the wall, don't let some dummy convince you parts are not available, because they are!!Try all the old furniture stores in your area, if worse comes to worse, try Antiqueappliances.com, I know John Jowers has plenty of parts.

 

[turquoisedude]

Modern Parts in Ohio is still in the game, too.  Last time I spoke to a person named Michelle and she found exactly what I was looking for.  When I visited there in 2013 there were LOTS of NOS oven and broiler elements so you may just find one there.  Phone number is 216 661 6966 and think the link below is to the current web site.

 

If you have no luck there,  I do have a kinda rough-looking GE bake element that would probably fit.  Let me know!

http://modernpartshouse.com

 

[firedome]

So glad you are having fun with Beulah!

It was a pleasure to meet you and Hubby in person when you got her!

Guess what, I was organizing in the basement in preparation for our move next Spring, and I found what I think is part of the rack for the rotisserie that I didn't realize I hadn't given you when you picked up the stove last year. Contact me by eMail and we can figure out how to get it to you - I tried to send eMail to you at momof11 but it wouldn't go through. Roger A.

 

[rp2813]

Those people you've talked to thus far are 100% full of B.S., and I concur with the statement made above that many parts retailers have elements similar to yours hanging on the wall for on-the-spot purchase.

 

I had no problem getting a replacement baking element for my mom's '49 Westinghouse as recently as ten years ago, and am betting I could get another one just as easily today.  I took the bad one to a local independent appliance parts dealer and he recognized it as a Westinghouse as soon as I walked through the door.

 

Due to its relative obscurity, he didn't have one hanging on the wall so sent it out to have an identical new one manufactured, and two days later I had a new element for relatively little money compared to what Modern may charge for an OEM replacement.

 

 

 

[mom11]

Wow, what would I do...

without you fellas? So relieved to find out i can find parts for her. So, when you all say "independant parts dealer" or original GE and Hotpoint dealer how would I go about finding those? So not Sears, Best Buy, or Home Depot I know. I am in between the Detroit, MI and Toledo, Ohio area. Does anybody here know one of these types of places in S.East. MI/N.west, Ohio area? When I google it I just get the big online supply houses. I'm willing to drive to get this thing.

Oh, also, I was reading through threads about replacing elements here and saw someone say that when you have vintage appliances it's a good idea to stock pile parts like heating elements, burners, and thermostats. If I find one of these independent guys are there other parts I should save up for? Like maybe those ceramic block receptacles? I plan on keeping old Beulah going for as long as I can.

Thanks to you, Roger, for this beauty. It was fun to do our little cross-state- lines old appliance trafficking. How are those double chocolate brownie beauties doing? Beulah is not planning on retiring any time soon. The poor old gal really gets a workout here. She's a doll about it though. I have both of her ovens going almost everyday here. Often using Fanny, my '53 Frigidaire Thrifty 30, for backup. My all time favorite feature is the "thrifty cooker." Everyone is so amazed by that when they come by and can't believe they don't put those in modern ranges. I tell them it's so they can sell you a crockpot and stewing pots and deep fryers all separately.

Thanks again for all the advice. I'm off to try and find a good ol' parts guy.

Oh, here's a pic of my ladies in my retro renovation in progress. That's Harriet, my '53 Hotpoint combo and Miss Kay my KDS 16 filling out the line-up.

 

[rp2813]

Let Your Fingers Do the Walking -- Not the Typing

Try the good, literally old-fashioned Yellow Pages.  Independent retailers are less likely to have much of an on-line presence and more likely to have none at all.

 

If you no longer receive a telephone directory each year, the Yellow Pages are a dot com now so you can cruise through them digitally as well, so to speak.

 

[wiskybill]

Try this...

on EBAY

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CH44X142-El...0s-Hotpoint-/151804683967?hash=item235843a6bf

 

[mom11]

Welp...hope they fit

Thank you, all, for your help. I really wanted to find someplace local to round up the parts but the husband is out of town for over a week which leaves me with 8 kids at home to tend to and drive around. I went with wiskeybill's recommendation on Ebay. They look about right so I ordered 2. I figure that if the original elements lasted 60 years I should be just fine with 2 new elements for awhile to come. AW to the rescue once again.

Now, does anyone know what surface burners I need as backup? From poking around they look like they have 4 wires and a ceramic block. I've seen these on ebay but they are really expensive. Like $35-50 each? None of mine are bad yet but I want to be ready if they do go. Do I need to get the special "Calrod" burners.

Thanks so much, again, for all the help.

 

[turquoisedude]

You'll definitely need four-wire burners - try to find an original GE/Hotpoint Calrod if you can to preserve the correct heat settings of the 5-button switch, but there are 'universal' replacement burner units that should also work.   

 

As time is on your side, try looking at your local thrift stores (ReStore, Salvation Army, etc) - even around here, they often have old range elements taken from all kinds of older ranges and you might just luck out.  If you go to flea markets, too, there are sometimes sellers with piles of old surface units, but I tend to trust them less!

 

[chachp]

Nice Kitchen.

<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Love your kitchen MOM11!!</span>