Frigidaire RS-50 Electric Range

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chaik76

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Hi, I've been reading this forum for years, but today is the first day I've owned a vintage appliance and had the opportunity to share :). Today we picked up a Frigidaire RS-50 Electric Range with Radiantube element burners, the Thermizer where the deep well can also be used as a burner, a Wonder Oven, and the Master Cook(?) controls which allowed you to set a time to start and stop the oven. I'm trying to find out if anyone knows what year this particular oven was made...I've checked as many places as I can and I can find an RO-50 and an RV-50, but haven't seen the RS...I'm trying to find a manual, and I think knowing the year might help me out.
Thanks!
-chaik
p.s. I'm including the Craigslist photo. I haven't taken any of it in our kitchen yet, but I can if necessary.

chaik76-2015011321322707697_1.jpg
 
Sweet. Thanks so much.

Oh...and does anyone know if it's still possible to get a thermostat for these, or if I am up to the mercy of craigslist/ebay? The oven works, but runs cold. The thermostat will probably eventually go.
 
Glad to help.

Unless someone has one around here, finding parts for a 59 year old range can be quite difficult. Especially one that hasn't been used a lot. There is good news though. You can adjust the thermostat. Look through the archives to see how. I posted on a thread not too long ago about that. Good luck.
 
Here you go.

www.automaticwasher.org

Frigidaire RM-45 oven temp regulator

I adopted an RM-45 when I bought my house 5 years ago, and have been using it daily without even knowing that it's from 1949. I just found this website -- what a wealth of knowledge! My oven temp has started varying WILDLY. Is this something I can fix myself (no electrical experience, but...
www.automaticwasher.org www.automaticwasher.org
 
Also note it takes these a little longer than a modern range to get up to temperature. The manual says to turn it to broiler then turn it to the temperature you want. Even with that, remember patience is a virtue. I'd have it set on a temperature for at least 20 minutes before you adjust your thermostat. :)
 
That probably is a

Robertshaw thermostat, easily adjusted, as far as preheating goes, if you turn it to broil and back to bake, it preheats with both elements and will heat faster than just about any new range..this range is somewhere between 50 and 54,the 56 line was totally different with the controls on the back splash...these are wonderful ranges.
 
Thanks everyone. I was just reading a manual I found online, that showed how to preheat by turning the oven to broil, then to the correct temperature. I also noticed that around this time there were models labeled (I) for Imperial, (D) for Deluxe and (S) for Super and I'm thinking that's what the "S" on mine stands for. There is a 1953 ad for the RS-60 and -70. I'll keep looking. I tend to go overboard with the research...

We got an oven thermometer to check the actual temperature (I was going on the previous owner's word and our baking of cinnamon rolls for what it is running at) and I'll try preheating using the broil/correct temp. thing tomorrow as well as allowing adequate time for preheating. I know it's a process; I'd just like to have my ducks in a row in case adusting the thermostat or getting it rebuilt (thanks for the link, Dave).

My oldest son is already in love with the prep area (we're short on counter space), I love the looks, and as long as it works or can be made to work my husband will love it. We're willing to put in the time/money/etc. in order to do so.

-chaik
 
Beautiful range!

If you have not already, please invest in a stove protector mat or counter saver for the porcelain area you are going to use as a work surface. Today, it might be easier to find something made of Lucite, but whatever it is make sure it has little "rubber" tabs in the corners so that it won't move around and will be held up off the porcelain so that stuff like salt won't be trapped between it and the porcelain and cause scratches.

I have an RT70 which was the top of the line double oven for 1954. Your range is similar to mine except that it has white knobs and mine has black ones, and my clock face is red so it could be from 1953 with the "S" in the model number. Your range is far too deluxe to be a Super.
 
I Second Tom

A protector mat for the work surface is a must. Without one, the porcelain in that area will wear and become dull; some wear may have happened already.

A mat will prevent wear or will keep it from getting worse. Range Kleen still makes these mats; Amazon carries them. You may also have local retailers who have them; look in the area where replacement burner bowls, etc. are stocked.

 
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Tom, thanks for the info on the model and protector mat. I'm still having trouble placing it...it seems to have just about all of the features were available at the time, except the double oven. It has the single oven that can be turned into the wonder oven (though I think there is warping that won't allow mine to be turned into the double oven). 1953 seems the most reasonable date I've found so far; but I'd still like to find some confirmation.

I'll take a look at the protector mats; one of the reasons I chose this particular stove was because of the porcelain work area. Porcelain is easy to clean and easy to work on. I don't want to damage it, though, so I will look into whether I consider a mat feasible for us. Danemodsandy, thanks so much for the link; I'd neve even heard of these before.

Norgeway, I don't think I've properly thanked you for the heating instructions; thanks!

-chaik
 
I'm not sure, but had thought that the design of your stove was the design that Frigidaire used for a few years including through 1954, but replaced with its totally redesigned 1955 models (which, like GM cars, started getting more dramatic annual redesigns for a few years in the mid to late 1950s). My 1955 sales brochure uses the 'RV' designations for the ranges. But that doesn't mean that they didn't continue production, for example sometimes slightly different models sold in Canada, or sometimes continuing to sell an older design along side the new design for a couple of years. Which could also explain the skips in letter sequencing. So that all said, about 1953 seems logical to me. I recall in the Imperial forum, a project was underway to collect Frigidaire model and serial numbers to attempt to decode them, perhaps a more definite answer is there.
 
Thanks moparguy (I'm not sure what typical etiquette is on these threads...some forums I'm on prefer replies that try to mention responders and I do want people to know how thankful I am since this is my first thread here, ever). It sounds like it can be dated pretty well to the first half of the 1950s, and 1953 or '54 both seem pretty reasonable, based on the info I've found so far. I know that many others are far more knowledgable than I am about stoves; and I've never owned any type of Frigidaire appliance before. My knowledge about them is particularly lacking.

I really do appreicate all these answers. Oh, and I will pick a protection type for the work surface; I'm looking to see if I can find something that will sort of disappear visually on the work surface; I might be able to have an old enamel pan cut down and rubber stoppers put on the bottom, or something like that.
 
Well, the broiler is not working. Would fixing this be covered in one of the service manuals? Should I try to find a technician?
(I am checking threads and the archives to see if any threads have been posted on the topic previously.)
 
My mom's '49 Westinghouse range had a similar work area to the one on your Frigidaire.

 

Over a period of nearly 60 years in service, it never had any protective covering.  There were some visible scratches, but the one common sense rule was never to use that surface as a cutting board, or to place any super hot items on it. 

 

The stove survives today in another household and is in nice enough shape to draw comments from visitors.
 
RE Broiler

Unplug the broiler unit and check the open coil unit to see if it might be broken somewhere,also check the connectors..these are the metal prongs that plug in, sometimes they get corroded,sand and polish them if they are, the small outer coil operates with the bake units to make balanced heat...another problem could be the wires were prone to break off in the back of the range at the porcelain terminal block where the unit plugs in.
 
Thanks for the broiler info, Norgeway. I'll definitely check that out.

Thanks, rp2813. The range we have has some minor scratches on the prep area, but overall it's in really good condition.

And I think I've pinned down the model year. According to the Frigidaire Model Index and Identifier, my unit is from 1953.
 

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