Yep. The title is correct. I have a toaster I want to fix.
The model in question is a 900w Betty Crocker Wide Slot Cool Touch Toaster, model BC-1613. It's old enough that I found a manual on eBay marked as "vintage" -- although I definitely take that descriptor with a couple pounds of rock salt when it's on eBay!
The problem is that the heating wire in the middle of the toaster is producing warm bread where the outer wire (coils?) are producing proper toast. Uneven electrical flow is at work here. Mind you these are just wire wound around what appears to be a mica 'wall' keeping the heat from melting the plastic housing. They aren't spring shaped coils and they aren't thick ribbons -- just thin wire, about the diameter of that typically found attached to a PC floppy drive's power connector (I'm mentally removing the insulation from that wire as part of this estimation).
It's worth noting that I do have a spare toaster on hand... I don't trust it though, it's a $6 do-you-fucking-want-to-die-in-a-fire Wal*Fart Durabrand model, and it's an 800w model to boot (remember that the Betty is a 900w). I'm guessing that --even if I managed to do it correctly-- replacing element from the old toaster with stuff from the new would be a really bad idea... but I'd like someone to confirm that
What I *don't* want to do is just get rid of the old one. I really hate the new one, just on the basis of looks and obvious lack of quality -- I've never used it because I'm not that brave!
So what should I look for when I disassemble the old toaster, that might cause the issue I have?
One other thing -- the cord on the Betty toaster gets rather warm at the plug when it's running. It's not dangerous --we've had the thing for at least a damn decade-- but it makes me a little nervous. How would I go about sourcing a replacement? It's polarized but not grounded, looks like it came off a damn lamp.
The model in question is a 900w Betty Crocker Wide Slot Cool Touch Toaster, model BC-1613. It's old enough that I found a manual on eBay marked as "vintage" -- although I definitely take that descriptor with a couple pounds of rock salt when it's on eBay!
The problem is that the heating wire in the middle of the toaster is producing warm bread where the outer wire (coils?) are producing proper toast. Uneven electrical flow is at work here. Mind you these are just wire wound around what appears to be a mica 'wall' keeping the heat from melting the plastic housing. They aren't spring shaped coils and they aren't thick ribbons -- just thin wire, about the diameter of that typically found attached to a PC floppy drive's power connector (I'm mentally removing the insulation from that wire as part of this estimation).
It's worth noting that I do have a spare toaster on hand... I don't trust it though, it's a $6 do-you-fucking-want-to-die-in-a-fire Wal*Fart Durabrand model, and it's an 800w model to boot (remember that the Betty is a 900w). I'm guessing that --even if I managed to do it correctly-- replacing element from the old toaster with stuff from the new would be a really bad idea... but I'd like someone to confirm that
What I *don't* want to do is just get rid of the old one. I really hate the new one, just on the basis of looks and obvious lack of quality -- I've never used it because I'm not that brave!
So what should I look for when I disassemble the old toaster, that might cause the issue I have?
One other thing -- the cord on the Betty toaster gets rather warm at the plug when it's running. It's not dangerous --we've had the thing for at least a damn decade-- but it makes me a little nervous. How would I go about sourcing a replacement? It's polarized but not grounded, looks like it came off a damn lamp.