Advice for a friend

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I have a friend who emailed me yesterday with this quandary. It's sort of funny, but I sure do sympathize. I told her I'd slide it over here because there's always somebody who knows something about anything. And if not, at least she'd get some witty comments to keep her from going nutty 'til she gets the dang thing outta there!

She wrote back this morning that she's vainly tried everything she can think of to make it stop and has retreated to her closed bedroom and is playing the TV as loud as she can to drown it out. The service man says it will cost her $90 for the service call even if she doesn't want it fixed. I vote for the sledge hammer solution.

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"Ever since I woke up yesterday morning, my oven has been making a strange and very annoying incessant noise. It sounds like a motor running. I can hear it from my bedroom if my door is slightly open. It never stops and just came out of nowhere. At first, I thought that the noise was coming from the burners or from the oven itself. However, upon inspection and close listening, the noise seems to be coming from the oven clock which, unfortunately, cannot be gotten to from the outside. I can't find anyplace where I could get to where it is located. I'd just like to unplug the clock or pull it out, whatever it takes to stop this awful noise. The clock doesn't work. Nor does the self-cleaning feature work which is part of the clock operation. Both the oven and burners do work although they're in awful shape since they are 24 years old! I do want to replace the oven but can't do it just yet, maybe this summer.

Do any of you know of anyone who might look at the oven without charging what REAL repairmen charge? I don't want a repair done; I just want to have someone look to see if there's any way that I or he could get to the place where the clock is and have it dismantled so that this noise will STOP. Kirkwood residents, do you think that it's worthwhile for me to ask Bo if he knows anyone who could do that for me? I just don't want to pay $60- $90 for some service guy to come out.

I play the radio, my music, or put on the tv and run those extra, extra loud to cover up the noise, but when I want to sleep, I need it quiet. I have great hearing, unfortunately, and when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can hear the motoring noise. I swear that it could drive someone crazy or crazier in my case!

Any suggestions? I've thought of getting a hammer and just hammering the darn oven/range to death but I'm holding back so far!

Dorothy"

Bless her heart. Love, Ima

[OZZIE4DUKE]

That is somewhat humorous, although I can understand the annoyance factor. Can she "unscrew" the clock from the front of the stove? She might need to use a pair of pliers or wrench to get enough leverage around the bezel to start it turning (counter-clockwise) to get it out. If she lifts to cook top, she might find where the wires to the clock are plugged into it's power source, which would also stop it without removing the clock. Baring that, the hammer approach would most certainly work...

[CathyCA]

I would go to the panel out in the utility room and flip the breaker. I would turn it off until I got ready to cook.

I hardly ever use my oven, though, and maybe someone else here has a better idea.

[colchar]

I used to have an old stove that did this once in a while. It was sort of like the alarm going off to alert you that the timer had expired. The easiest way to deal with it is to grab the knobs used to set the clock/alarm (I'm assuming she has the long thin knobs like I used to have). Jiggle and turn them for a minute or two and that should stop it. If, like mine did, hers has a hand within the clock to show when the alarm was set to go off (usually a different colour than the minute and hour hands) just turn the knob for that alarm hand until it is nowhere near the minute or hour hands. Failing that, push the knob for the alarm in (or maybe it was pull it out?) to deactivate the alarm function. If I remember correctly, she will likely hear a bit of a 'clunk' type sound when the alarm deactivates. If/when she hears that all will be good.

Basically, she just has to mess around with the knobs for the clock as it is the timer alarm that is screwed up.

[captmojo]

Either of the three previous choices are good. You might should tape over connecting wire ends if unplugging can be done. Don't want to risk short-circuiting. At that point, the breaker is automatically the option, by it's own choice.

Plan A) Cut the breaker. Find a way into clock panel, either from the front or the rear. Pull the power supplying wires. Tape off the ends. Buy new range. Have it delivered. Make sure homeowner's insurance is paid up. Have an adult beverage. Thank your good friend for searching for advice for you. Share an adult beverage with her. Invite her to dinner, prepared on your new range. Keep your $90 diagnostic/trip out fee. Use money for future adult beverages.

Plan B) Coctails at sunset. Sport a fine pair of work-safety glasses. Tape over clock dial panel. Another cocktail. Five pound hammer lick, well placed into center of clock dial. Breathe a relaxing and satisfying sigh at your successful accomplishment. Enjoy another cocktail of choice. Buy new range at will.

[captmojo]

Call for pyschological help if you've been listening to this racket since this thread was started.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Thanks guys. You always come up with sumthin'!!!! Love ya.
Ima

[colchar]

Let us know if any of them work.

[DukieInKansas]

I used to have an old stove that did this once in a while. It was sort of like the alarm going off to alert you that the timer had expired. The easiest way to deal with it is to grab the knobs used to set the clock/alarm (I'm assuming she has the long thin knobs like I used to have). Jiggle and turn them for a minute or two and that should stop it. If, like mine did, hers has a hand within the clock to show when the alarm was set to go off (usually a different colour than the minute and hour hands) just turn the knob for that alarm hand until it is nowhere near the minute or hour hands. Failing that, push the knob for the alarm in (or maybe it was pull it out?) to deactivate the alarm function. If I remember correctly, she will likely hear a bit of a 'clunk' type sound when the alarm deactivates. If/when she hears that all will be good.

Basically, she just has to mess around with the knobs for the clock as it is the timer alarm that is screwed up.

This was my diagnosis/treatment also. My old range didn't have a functioning clock/timer and did the same thing. When the alarm was reset, it stopped the noise. Every once in a while, it would work enough to start buzzing again.

[colchar]

I used to have an old stove that did this once in a while. It was sort of like the alarm going off to alert you that the timer had expired. The easiest way to deal with it is to grab the knobs used to set the clock/alarm (I'm assuming she has the long thin knobs like I used to have). Jiggle and turn them for a minute or two and that should stop it. If, like mine did, hers has a hand within the clock to show when the alarm was set to go off (usually a different colour than the minute and hour hands) just turn the knob for that alarm hand until it is nowhere near the minute or hour hands. Failing that, push the knob for the alarm in (or maybe it was pull it out?) to deactivate the alarm function. If I remember correctly, she will likely hear a bit of a 'clunk' type sound when the alarm deactivates. If/when she hears that all will be good.

Basically, she just has to mess around with the knobs for the clock as it is the timer alarm that is screwed up.

This was my diagnosis/treatment also. My old range didn't have a functioning clock/timer and did the same thing. When the alarm was reset, it stopped the noise. Every once in a while, it would work enough to start buzzing again.

Sounds like this might just be it then. I'd be interested to hear if this was the problem.