Restoring classic stoves can pay off

QUESTION: I had clipped an article a while back on refurbishing old stoves. I have an O’Keefe & Merritt that needs some work but I cannot locate the clipping. Could you provide me with a listing of repair or refurbishing businesses?

CAROLINE MARTINEZ

Los Angeles

ANSWER: The article you read might have been the profile on Ventura-based old-stove expert, Jack Santoro and his refurbishing business, JES Enterprises, that appeared in The Times on April 12, 1999. He has been restoring -- and helping people restore their own -- classic O’Keefe & Merritt, Wedgewood, Magic Chef and other midcentury stoves and appliances since 1971.

Repairing your classic stove built in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s may be easier -- and cheaper -- than you think. “These stoves were put together with hand tools and you can take them apart with hand tools,” Santoro said in a recent interview, noting that “labor accounts for about 75% of the cost of refurbishing.” Manuals, available for about $19 at Santoro’s website (www.theoldapplianceclub.net), describe the simple inner workings of these stoves and explain how to fix most problems yourself.

If you need a new part, including replacement thermostats and safety valves, you can buy it through the website. If porcelain is chipped or chrome rusted, Santoro recommends removing the panels and sending them to a restorer. (He can recommend several.)

But if the idea of picking up a wrench isn’t appealing, you can call Winsor Williams, owner of Antique Stove Heaven ([323] 298-5581 or www.antiquestoveheaven.com). Based in Los Angeles, his 24-year-old company sells old stoves from its showrooms (it has 200 refurbished stoves in stock). Williams repairs, restores and cleans them; he also does chrome and porcelain work.

Whether you put elbow grease or money into your classic stove, the payoff can be huge. A classic four-burner-plus-griddle O’Keefe & Merritt stove in typical used condition could get about $400 or $500 on EBay. The same stove in tip-top condition, Santoro says, could bring between $1,600 and $3,600. Add some bells and whistles (brass plating, say, or a custom color) and it could be worth up to $5,000.

-- Christy Hobart