applience replacement

[sliqvic]

I have a stove that is seriously from the 1950's. (no kidding) It needs a match to light both the oven and top burners. the oven has no thermometer and the temp cannot be graduated. it is either @600-800 degrees or none at all. is the land lord required to replace this stove?

[queensborough]

This sounds dangerous. Call Con Edison and tell them you smell gas and would like them to check it.

Check your lease and see what it says about appliances.

[10ants]

It is legal.

Lots of stoves from the 50s had this, and please don't call con-ed unless you ACTUALLY smell gas. Con-ed is supposed to visit every single apartment if that happens, and it is tremendously inconsiderate to other tenants and an expensive waste of con-eds time-- it also causes them to ignore valid complaints.

Having said that, I just bought an almost new stove for less than $300 to replace a 50s-era monster, and my LL installed it for me.

You may want to:

a) check the pilot lights on your stove and oven
b) check the bimetallic strip on the oven
c) get a long butane grill lighter (about $5)
d) ask your ll to replace the stove.

[queensborough]

10ants, I disagree with what you said about Con Ed. They came and checked my stove only, no other tenants. They don't check every single apartment.

Ask the LL to repair it. You should not have to light a stove/oven with matches.

[TenantNet]

The stoves that I remember from the 50's (which I do remember) had a pilot light, but didn't require lighting it each and every time. These days an electrical spark does the job.

Stoves should also have variable temp. settings unless it was designed to be 600 degrees or nothing. I think the post implied it was designed to have variable temperature settings except that it's not working properly.

LL's must maintain appliance in working order. If it's not working the way it was intended to work, then it's the LL's obligation to make repairs at no cost to the tenant.

[10ants]

Early gas ranges didn't have pilots or electric ignitions -- you used a match. This is (sadly) what I grew up with -- to light the oven, there was a little hole were you dropped the match.

The LL should fix the oven thermostat though.

[queensborough]

I also grew up with the stove and oven you needed a match to light. They even made match box holders that you would hang on the wall next to the stove for this purpose. That didn't mean it was safe, but that was all there was at the time.

Of course the LL should replace this appliance, but first ask to have it repaired so you can at least regulate the oven temperature. It will probably not be repairable, and he will probably have to replace the appliance.

[Cranky Tenant]

I had an old stove from the 60s with tin wrapped around the edge as was fashionable at the time. Over the years the lines had become dirty, so each burner and the oven had to be lit with a match. One or two circular grills that normally hold pots and pans above the burner had also gone missing.

I included it as part of a decreased services complaint (DHCR) and a counter claim when my landlord took me to court. I don't remember which but either DHCR or the City decided the landlord had to give me something more modern with all burners fully functional. My landlord wound up replacing it with a brand new stove that goes for around $300.

The 'new' stove has three pilot lights and the two that service the burners sometimes go out when I open the kitchen window. I still keep a match holder next to the stove.

[Emeraldstar]

Hi All
I agree with Queensborough. My stove was the height of modern -w-pilot when first installed in 1961. In the 1990's it failed. The repair person could not get the part. Though my LL could have replaced with a used stove I got a new one. So now I wait for another dead appliance & pray for self cleaning LOL