As I wrote in a comment on yesterday's post, the Brandt repairman told is it would cost more to repair our nearly six-year-old stove than it would cost to buy a new one. I have one word to say: Merde ! Problem is, all I can do is moan. And buy a new stove.
It wasn't just the plaque électrique that had stopped working. The oven fan was making a squeaking noise. Over the last couple of years, the computer chip that controls the oven temperature and different cooking modes has been crashing more and more frequently, requiring a time-consuming reset each time. Both of those last two problems were just going to get worse over time, the Brandt man said.
Oh well, it was a great opportunity to get some deep cleaning done.
I've heard consumer advocates on French radio say that today's kitchen appliances are designed to last about 10 years — as Chrissoup said in her comment yesterday. That means we have a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a dishwasher that will soon need replacing. The freezer downstairs is 8 going on 9 years old. In the case of the stove, it has lasted only 6 years. I know we gave it heavy-duty use, but really... je répète : merde ! Vous trouvez ça normal, vous ?
"Vous trouvez ça normal, vous ?"
ReplyDeleteOui... c'est normal!!
In Leeds we had a De Longi "piano"...
much the same style and size as Simon and Susan's...
that developed an intermittent fault...
before conking out fully!!
It turned out that the controller was just over the oven and under the wok ring... with virtually no insulation between either!!
So it cooked!!
Here, we've gone for a separate hob [gas] and an oven ['lectric] and have the stand alone induction hob...
that Pauline mentioned yesterday...
as both stand-by and extension...
we also have a combi microwave...
this is fan oven, grill and, naturally, a tea/coffee re-heater.
We looked at a domino set up of hob sets... but decided against it on both cost and difficulty of installation.
The most difficult thing we found was finding a flat gas hob...
almost all gas hobs have their supports much too high for safety!
In the end Pauline found a wonderful...
FLAT...
Smeg hob unit...
but not to worry, I've found a badge that says "Falcon"...
and that covers the word "Smeg" perfectly!
That is terrible Ken! 6 years is not very long at all in an oven's life. I have a sub-zero. 2 years ago, it cost me $ 750 to fix it. Eventually, it might have to be replaced. Since it is built-in, I hope they will still make the same model by then. I commiserate with the "merde alors!".
ReplyDeleteNon, non, je trouve ça pas normal! At least, I don't WANT to trouve ça normal. I, too, bought all new appliances at once, when we moved into this house 2 years ago. I hate to think they'll all be going out at the same time :(
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your hunt. I hope you find something you like as well.
Well I have a feeling your stove got more use than normal....maybe you should buy a commercial oven.....just kidding!
ReplyDeleteI hope you can find a good replacement that will last longer. Merde is such a good word for this situation.
ReplyDeleteBummer. I hate it when that sort of thing happens.
ReplyDeleteIt's infuriating. We had to replace two burners on our newest appliance, a cooktop, when it was about 4 years old. Our oldest appliance is a frig that we bought in 1983. Supposedly we can save energy by buying a new one, but I'll be darned if I'm going to do that.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in finding a cooker that pleases you.
Even though we know these things are eventually going to need repair, it always seems to sneak up on us.
ReplyDelete