7 replies to this topic

[Fran D]

I have an old Tappan Electric Double Oven and Range, Model 73-3751-00/04. The lower oven has not gotten hot since a cleaning cycle. The circuit breaker is fine and the upper oven and range top works. The oven elements are ohming out around 30-35, but I get no voltage at the terminals when I switch the thermostat on.

I searched through a couple of posts on this forum with other Tappan electrics and there was a reference to a thermal fuse, which sounds like a very good candidate. My question is, where the hell is it? The diagrams for the parts on the usual websites just show a fuse magically appearing and floating by the oven area, but not its specific location. Can anyone guide me as to where to look for this fuse? I thought it would be readily available inside the oven, but there's nothing but the elements, the thermostat probe and the bulb. Any help is appreciated.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Need to see the wiring diagram. Scan and post a nice photo of it or you can fax it to me at 866-315-4504 and I'll post it here as a PDF.

[Fran D]

I don't have the wiring diagram, which would be a great help in finding the beast. I haven't been able to find one readily available on the internet. It looks like the last publish date was 1994. Hopefully, someone on this forum has a copy they can share? It looks like all range models 73-3751-00-XX share the same diagram.

[Chat_in_FL]

The diagrams for the parts on the usual websites just show a fuse magically appearing and floating by the oven area, but not its specific location. Can anyone guide me as to where to look for this fuse? I thought it would be readily available inside the oven, but there's nothing but the elements, the thermostat probe and the bulb. Any help is appreciated.

Thermal fuses are typically mounted on the rear of the oven, under the back cover panel. And, yes, it is the most likely candidate...

[Fran D]

Thermal fuses are typically mounted on the rear of the oven, under the back cover panel. And, yes, it is the most likely candidate...

I was afraid of that. the previous owner "walled-in" the oven with an inch of reinforced cement and a tile floor, so I can't easily slide the oven out to get at the back. I'm going to have to find a way to it by disassembling through the front.

[Comstock_Services]

Not accessable from the fron the range needs to be pulled out from the wall to access the theremal fuse and do voltage checks.

[Fran D]

Not accessable from the fron the range needs to be pulled out from the wall to access the theremal fuse and do voltage checks.

Unfortunately, this isn't an option for me. I'm not prepared to break up the floor at this time. I'm still a couple of years away from that project.

Looking at optional approaches, I think that I may be able to partially disassemble the upper oven and the cooktop to gain access to the rear. I'm hoping that the fuse is somewhere close to that region. If it's closer to the lower half of the cavity, then I may have to go after it from the broiler section. Wish me luck.

[Fran D]

Just an update, I was able to get at the fuse from the top of the range. Removing the cooktop and drip pan exposed a wiring access panel (with the screw facing the wall of course!) that, once removed, allowed me to reach down behind the range and get at the fuse. It was painful, as with all white goods, the metal edges are sharp and unfinished. But, by "oil-canning" the middle of the back panel, I removed the fuse (which was bad), replaced it, buttoned it up and the oven is back in service!

It's certainly not the recommended way to go, but if your situation was like mine, you CAN get there from here.