Stove Woes

We figure that our stove must be 18 years old, as that is how old the house is.  I suppose that one might not expect many more years than that out of an appliance.   This one has been troublesome for a while, at least the oven has been.  We had an oven issue that came from a short in the back of the stove, which Gerry fixed.  We had another oven issue when one of the elements had to be replaced.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend in particular, with 13 people to feed, the oven kept cutting in and out.   But after that weekend, it worked just fine.

Gerry had already determined that the part we needed to replace, the motherboard, is no longer manufactured, and no longer available to order.  That being the case, we decided that we would just use the oven until it died completely.   I was cooking for guests in early December, and once again, the oven was finicky.

On Saturday evening,  out of the front section, where all the electronic parts are, the motherboard, came fizzling noises, which is the best way I can describe the sound.  That was followed by black smoke, and the smell of electrical burning.   We shut the stove off completely in the fuse box.   With Christmas less than ten days away, we needed an immediate replacement.  Meanwhile, we could still cook on the stove top.  That brought on two other of the same kind of fizzles and mini-black-smoke-explosions.

My daughter Brenda has the same kind of stove, and she and I have both observed that if you are boiling something on the top, and it overflows,  getting water into the electronic parts can cause the strange stove behavior.

Sunday, we went to Lowe's. Gerry noted that we need the slide-in kind of stove so that there are no cracks on both sides between the stove and the counter.  They had none in stock, so it had to be ordered.  The one we need could be delivered by December 29th, which was completely unacceptable to me.  I need to produce a Christmas meal!

We then went to Sears and there also,  the kind we need was only available by ordering it.  The date of delivery is scheduled for December 24th!   I am just hoping and praying for the best!  Good weather, early in the day delivery.  So stressful,  but we determined that that was the best we could do by Christmas!

As I have been cooking on the top, I have discovered that the oven is once again working just fine.  Of course, it is completely unreliable, potentially dangerous,  and has to be replaced, but as it soon goes to the stove burial place for its final rest, in its eulogy,  I would say that it should be honored for its perseverance and recovery!

Thank you stove for the service you have rendered.  Rest in peace!

And may your replacement arrive on time!