English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Hi I’ve just acquired an English Electric Rapide 66 cooker which I’m guessing is circa late 1960s

It’s in excellent cosmetic condition. Apparently the main oven has never been used so before I connect this I am going to remove the elements and use a blow torch to heat them to dispel any moisture.

My question - at the moment as I’m sure more will come - is whether any forum members know the name of the elements fitted to this model and pictured on the attached pictures. This would be useful in order to order some replacements if needed. Also any suggestion where to find some…

Many thanks

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Hi Luke, try e spares on the web, always worked for me.
To save dismantling you can always feed an isolated low voltage (say 110v) into the element for some hours to dry them out. Much less drastic than a blow torch. Then megger before and after to check results

Ed

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Hi Luke

I have a Rapide 57 as my everyday cooker, which looks slightly earlier than yours. I reckon mine dates from around 1966 at a guess.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=172996

Hope you get plenty of enjoyment out of using yours when it's up and running.


Steve

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Thanks Steve - an interesting read and a great save by you!

Are your main oven elements the same as mine ( I posted a picture in the first post) if so have you managed to find any replacements ?

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Some more pictures of the cooker

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

My family had a similar looking cooker, possibly a slightly later one as our house was built in 1973 & was probably installed then.

It was in use until 1985 when my parents bought an early Tricity Halogen cooker.

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Hi Luke

My oven elements are nothing like yours! They are normally hiden behind removable side panels with slotted runners for the chrome shelves. To be honest I've never used the main oven, as I find the top oven/grill is fine for most of my requirements.

Steve

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Interesting to see the pictures of your elements - mine are also hidden by side panels that support the metal trays - I removed them for the sake of taking the pictures .

I think mine has 1000w elements -I wonder f different element types can be used? This might help open up some more options !

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

You do like your cookers.. This model has received a flicker of memory recognition from the deep archive in my head, i never thought i'd see one again...certainly not in concours A1.
Dave

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

mineral insulated, formed, sheathed elements, the outer sheath being incoloy, copper, stainless, or mild steel.
If you can't find any NOS then they can be made, last ones I had were 1KW incoloy (for immersion) with welded threaded bushes at around £65 each. Generic oven elements which may need a small amount of bracket modification can be had for just a few quid from appliance spares suppliers.

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Managed to get all 4 hob rings working by running each ring on a very low heat for some time and gradually increasing the heat setting over the course of an hour or so.

Main oven causes the RCD to trip immediately so removal of the elements and heat treatment will have to be used at the weekend, but pleased with progress so far

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

I would cook them electrically, remove them, put in series and then in series with a big (proper tungsten) bulb and wait for a week or so. Obvious safety observed of course as the outer will be live until it is dried out.

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Just connect the cooker to a battery charger with the element you want to dry turned on and leave it to dry out for a day or two.
I made a boot warmer with an 80 ohm rice cooker element connected to a 24 volt wall wart.
Cooker elements are usually 20 to 50 ohms.

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Just connect the two elements in series so they receive half the voltage, 120 volts each. I never knew that the elements could be sensitive to moisture.
My range has a glass top and does not use the "Calrod" type of element.
In our wiring practice, we don't use a master RCD, instead an individual RCD device for the circuits, that require them.
Dave, USradcoll1 60+year radio collector and retired electrician. :wave:

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Indeed.
My board is up to an earlier "code" we call the 16th edition, it has a single GFCI which takes out everything if it trips , power, lighting, the lot!

Later 17th edition boards are split load with a pair of GFCI's

I think current 18th edition boards can still be wired like that, but a separate combined breaker+GFCI (called RCBO's), one for each circuit is the best way.

A cooker will typically be on an exclusive circuit.

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

My pre-war Jackson cooker is on an exclusive circuit, using fuses rather than breakers.

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Brilliant, I may add (in hindsight) power the whole thing off a power supply at it's limit for a few days.

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Well the battery charger trick worked!

One side of the oven is now working! Tomorrow I will install the other element.

Then only the clock to fix!

Re: English Electric Rapide 66 cooker
 

Pictures attached