1960s Belling cooker- element issues!

[Colourstar]

Hi folks

I have the opportunity to acquire a rather splendid Belling cooker from the early 60s for my period kitchen. Unfortunately one of the rings and also possibly the grill are non-functioning, presumably due to the elements giving up the ghost. The question therefore is whether anything can be done for a cooker of this vintage or am I on to a loser?


Steve

[broadgage]

Hotplate elements should be readily available, even if not an exact match close enough to work safely.
The elements fitted at present are probably not original in any case.

The grill element might be a bit more challenging, but there might be similar modern one available.

[usradcoll1]

In the US, we always referred to those as "ranges". The one shown was referred to as an "Apartment Size", 20 inches wide. They still make them!
I always noticed that the control panels on your ranges were a lot higher to accommodate larger cookware.
Always interested, Dave, US radcoll1.

[crackle]

Those rings are very good, unless they have been physically damaged. You may find the problem is more likely to be the energy regulator.

Mike

[Paul_RK]

Ah, the very same Belling model that we had, and for that matter still have, in our house near Durham. I've always thought of it as among the best looking cookers ever, and we're in two minds over whether to try to find it a new owner just before selling the property or to arrange its last minute shipment to us here in Norfolk (there are a few things still that should be making that journey).

There was once rather a fragile striplight above the hob, which your cooker appears to be missing just as ours is. We had some 25 years' constant service from ours, after I initially had to replace one or two boiling rings: those I used were salvaged from another old cooker of a different make which was being scrapped by a second-hand shop. Standardisation wasn't complete, but quite a proportion of aged rings would probably be compatible with yours, and there must be some NOS ones still hanging around. The grill was more of a problem, usually tripping the RCD after it had been on a little while. I never did get to the bottom of that, but then I didn't try very hard, we weren't much disposed to grilling anything so just managed without it.

Paul

[PaulR]

As Mike says the elements look good. They tend to get distorted and have a distinctive burnt patch on one area when they burn out. The thermostats that control them do fail though. You could test for a voltage at the element terminals or swap the thermostats between two of the rings and see whether the fault remains on the same ring or moves to a previously working ring.

We had a slightly later Belling cooker, dating from the mid '60s and within a couple of years the heat resistant insulation on the leads that led to one of the rings cracked and shorted to the case blowing the thermostat.

I doubt that oven or grill elements named specifically for that model will be available but if you take measurements of them you may find that they were fitted to later models or completely different cookers. Regular searches of ebay may turn something up.

[FRANK.C]

There were/are businesses that will manufacture single bespoke elements. They just needed the old element or accurate measurements and also the voltage and power of the element. I got one made many many years ago and at that time the cost was reasonable.

I think I remember a link to such a business posted in these forums not that long ago but cant find it now.

Frank

[stevehertz]

Lovely looking cooker!

[Mr Moose]

Hello,
Putting "radiant cooker ring" into ebay search produces quite a few 6", 7" and even dual rings.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...rings&_sacat=0
Yours Richard

[G6Tanuki]

The RCD-tripping you sometimes get with these - even when fitted with new elements - is because moisture gets absorbed in at the ends of the element (where the connections are) and this renders the insulation between the heating-wire and the outer sheath of the element slightly-conductive.

"NOS" elements that have been sitting around for a few years can therefore appear faulty. The answer is to bake them in the oven (assuming that's still working!) for a few hours before installation, to drive out the moisture.

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by Mr Moose

Hello,
Putting "radiant cooker ring" into ebay search produces quite a few 6", 7" and even dual rings.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...rings&_sacat=0
Yours Richard

Get the ones with the most turns for a given diameter. They are more powerful.

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

we're in two minds over whether to try to find it a new owner just before selling the property or to arrange its last minute shipment to us here in Norfolk (there are a few things still that should be making that journey).

Paul

My advice would be to keep it. Paul. The Creda Cavalier we bought when we got married in 1980 is still in daily use. We have looked round at new cookers over the years and never found one that has the same build quality, and I bet that your Belling is a step above that in quality

[Reelman]

Our daily use Belling Cooker is from 1981, it was a wedding present. Over the years it has only required a couple of elements. We get most of them from Sismans Electrical on The Wicker in Sheffield, usually from stock. It appears that these firms have books with pictures of all the elements so a similar one should be easy to find.

The small oven door was sprung loaded to keep it shut. The NOS springs started to fail at ever shorter intervals, presumably the steel had “hardened” over the years and become brittle. Eventually Sismans ran out of springs so now the door is held shut by the very small but powerful magnets now available glued on with high temperature epoxy. Much to my surprise they are still successfully holding the door shut after a year!

Hope you find what you need, they are worth preserving and using.

Peter

[Brigham]

Originally Posted by Colourstar

Hi folks

I have the opportunity to acquire a rather splendid Belling cooker from the early 60s for my period kitchen. Unfortunately one of the rings and also possibly the grill are non-functioning, presumably due to the elements giving up the ghost. The question therefore is whether anything can be done for a cooker of this vintage or am I on to a loser?


Steve

That looks to be the Belling 'Classic 60', same as the 59T, but with radiant rings and double grill.

If you want to roast a 32lb. turkey, and toast twelve slices of bread at once, this is the cooker for you!

At £69.10s it wasn't cheap, but this quality never is.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by PaulR

My advice would be to keep it. Paul...

Trouble is, we've moved to a flat with a recently fitted kitchen including oven and induction hob: how long either of those will last is of course anyone's guess, but the Belling couldn't easily be substituted for them. Didin't stop us bringing along the mid-'30s Revo cooker that's followed us around since the first house we rented together back in 1980.

I take back what I said about the missing striplight on this one: looking again at the photos its tubular mounting is there, so most probably the whole fitment is there too, just slightly out of the frame. Even more desirable, then...

[Refugee]

With elements the lowest energy solution to drying them out is to connect them to a 12 or 24 volt transformer that is rated at a couple of amps for about a day.
Just check the DC resistance and if it is above 25 ohms you can use a 24 volt and 1 amp transformer. Just allow it to heat for a while and check how hot it is before leaving it over night.

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

Trouble is, we've moved to a flat with a recently fitted kitchen including oven and induction hob: how long either of those will last is of course anyone's guess, but the Belling couldn't easily be substituted for them.

Ah that makes it more difficult. To be honest my wife's attachment to the Creda is the main reason that we have never had the kitchen re-fitted. There was a gas hob and electric fan oven fitted when we moved in but she could never get on with the oven. Fortunately the Creda just fitted into the space when the more modern items were removed.

[Colourstar]

Thanks for all the replies folks. I had noticed that radiant rings in various sizes were freely available, so there is hope. Similarly for the grill, once I can establish the size and shape of the element. If I can acquire the cooker for a reasonable sum, I shall start a thread on it here.

Originally Posted by Brigham

If you want to roast a 32lb. turkey, and toast twelve slices of bread at once, this is the cooker for you!.

My signature dish! How did you know?

Steve

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Gents, e-spares and similar sites have new elements for these cookers,
No connection, only a satisfied customer.

Ed

[Colourstar]

Thanks Ed, that's excellent. Thank you for letting me- and others - know.

Steve