My Toaster – May It Rest In Pieces

Toaster View, of a Hamilton Beach Model : 24781 4 Slot Toaster with Self Adjusting Slots (wide to narrow bread slices). Controls for Each 2 Sections allow different Toasting Settings for different items without adjusting (by using the correct slots for that setting).

It’s 12+ Years Old, it performed admirably, and we are replacing it with another Hamilton Beach Product.

Observations:

Why aren’t the Plastic Parts Made From Recyclable Material and Marked with Recycle Codes, if we want to Reduce Carbon Footprints and the consumption of Oil to make plastic.

The Hot Wire on the Power Cord was kept from touching the underneath of the Toaster Assembly, i.e. the Metal Inner Assembly that houses the Bread being Toasted, by Clips that Retained the Wire in the Base. But the Neutral wasn’t. Although the Neutral “should” be at Ground Potential, many homes have wiring that is not correctly connected, i.e. a Reversed Hot and Neutral, and the Toaster would still work, but if the wire insulation melted, it would make the shell of the Toaster Electrically Hot (Energized). Fortunately, if you have a working GFCI Receptacle, even with Hot and Neutral Reversed, the Receptacle will still Trip if “someone Touches it and Ground” in this Hypothetical Scenario. Be sure to Test those GFCI Receptacles Periodically, I have seen them fail.

Trivia:

An External GFCI Tester won’t work without the Receptacle having a Ground, but a Ground is not necessary to allow a GFCI Receptacle to work. OSHA States that when a GFCI Receptacle has a Test Button, that should be used as the Primary Test Method, and the Internal Test Button will work even if the GFCI Receptacle does not have a Ground. In Fact, in areas in American Homes where Grounded Outlets are Required, Replacing the Ungrounded Receptacle (2 Prong) with a GFCI Receptacle that has a Ground Connection (3 Prong Plugs) but isn’t connected to Ground is often the solution.

Ungrounded Outlets and the GFCI Solution

Portable Fans with Metal Frames, Portable Heaters with Metal Frames, and this Toaster, with a Metal Frame, and plenty of opportunity for a Wire or Connection to come Undone and touch the Metal Shell is a Real Possibility, I can’t figure out why 3 Prong Plugs (Hot, Neutral, and Ground) are not more commonplace. They Need a Plug Design that Defaults to a 3 Prong Style, but can be converted to 2 Prongs with little difficulty to allow it’s Default Use to be Grounded, but still converted to a 2 Prong Application if Needed.

This Toaster was stripped of all the Electronics, that we will add to a pile of Electronic Boards to be recycled. The Metal will be put out for community recycling, with the exception of the Screws and Washers, they will all be saved. The Plastic, alas, will be thrown away, except for the Knobs and Stand-offs, I save them for use on other equipment as needed.

Please Note that the Internal Metal Parts were quite sharp, they are not intended for Consumer Repair Work, and if the Manufacturer was to Repair these Units, they know about the Sharp Edges. If you Disassemble something Similar, be sure it’s Unplugged, and watch for these Sharp Edges. Recycling is fine, but if you end up in the Emergency Room, your efforts will not seem worth it.

Above (Click on Image for Full Size View).

Left Image: Crumb Trays, Power Cord, Handles for the External Handles for the Toaster Mechanism, Bottom of the Toaster, Electrical Components, Knobs, Buttons, Trim for Knobs and Buttons, Trim for Crumb Trays, and Screws used in Toaster (4 are missing in this series of images, we put them aside by accident), Wire Ties, and Silicon Removed (used to keep the wire in Wire Guides in the Plastic Bottom) that are used to manufacture this Toaster.

Right Image: Bottom of the Toaster.

Above, the Self Adjusting Slots for Various Size of Bread, the View that Bead Sees from inside the Toaster. Click-on the Images for the Full Size View.

Above: Close-up of Parts, Click on Images as Desired for Full Size View.

Above: Close-up of Electrical/Electronic Parts, Click on Images as Desired for Full Size View.

Compare my Toaster with one from the 1960s, this one uses a Timer, and I forgot all about that. I thought they used a Bi-Metallic Tripping Mechanism, and it appears that at least 3 Types of Trip Mechanisms were employed. See the Link Below the video.

1960s Nelson Toaster Restoration