Cooker's drop-down door drops to floor

[matahari]

Hi, it's me again! You have helped me with my loo, and my washing machine - now I am wondering if anyone can help me fix my cooker.

I have a Parkinson Cowan 1900 De Luxe gas cooker, which is pretty old but works well. My problem is the oven's drop-down door seems to have come off something and when I use the oven I have to prop it on my knee or it would fall down nearly to the floor. As you can imagine, this is quite a dangerous procedure, with the heat and the gas.

I don't want the expense of buying a new cooker, so I'm hoping it's something quite simple I can put right for myself. Can anyone suggest anything?

Thanks.

 

[breezer]

new hinges?

 

[TicklyT]

There may be a couple of 'hairpin' springs (like the ones on clothes pegs, only bigger) inside the door bearing on the hinge pins to counterbalance the weight of the door. If one has failed, the other won't support the weight of the door.

They can be changed, but the one I worked on was a bit of a swine, as it had already been dismantled by the owner.

I was re-assembling it by trial and error, trying to get the pre-load right to counterbalance the weight of the door.
I considered growing another three arms and four thumbs to hold everything together and tension up the springs at the same time.

 

[breezer]

I considered growing another three arms and four thumbs to hold everything together and tension up the springs at the same time.

sorry to hear you plight, but that was funny (well today it is)

 

[JohnD]

my oven door is detachable, you can fiddle with the hinges to make it move more than usual and then lift off. But you would need the instructiosn to see.

Have you considered getting a repairer in?

 

[big-all]

find a wooden or metal box to rest the door frame or handle on [not the glass]

 

[JohnD]

bit of string?

 

[matahari]

Thanks, people. As this cooker is probably about twenty years old and I am not a huge enthusiast of cooker-cleaning, you can imagine what a savoury job it might be to dismantle the door. Especially bearing in mind Tickly's cautionary tale! I might never get the door together again.

I think I shall just continue to put up with propping it on my knee.

As for getting someone in, I'd rather spend that sort of money on a newer cooker. (I'd also have to pay someone to install it.)

No, I'll just muddle on. Thanks again.

 

[sandwell]

Probably the door springs have become detached, and just want hooking on again. You can find out,by just removing one of the side panels.