The baking element in our GE stove decided to burn up after 12+ years of faithful service and a week after I had major shoulder surgery/reconstruction. Of course it did…. When else would a major appliance decide to fail?
I did a little Web research (5 minutes tops), found the part number for the element (also downloaded the stove manual and parts list) and looked around for the best deal. GE no longer manufactures our stove and the replacement part is not available from them or at any of the big box stores, but I found it readily available at the websites of Parts Select, Appliance Parts Pros, and Amazon. It was actually cheaper from Uncle Jeff at Amazon and the shipping was free. Total cost with sales tax was $26.39, which was about $180 less than an appliance repairman would have cost and $500 cheaper than the current model of our stove.
The part took 3 days to arrive and my wife (Mrs. Many Trades) was able to swap it out in a total of 30 minutes as I looked on and filmed. The stove is up and running again and hopefully will keep baking for years to come.