The oven stopped working on my O'Keefe & Merritt stove, and I couldn't figure out why. I emailed Henry at HENRU99@yahoo.com on a Monday afternoon. He called me back a day later saying he was in the neighborhood and could come by right then. Henry is a sweet guy who has been repairing stoves for a long time. He took the time to teach me about my stove while he was fixing it, and he's very reasonably priced. As others have said, he's wonderful as long as you're patient and don't expect an immediate callback. I hope to not have to get my stove repaired again any time soon, but if I do then I won't hesitate to reach out to Henry. read more

Too expensive without letting me know how much it would cost. Zero estimate, Charges by the hour, time & materials, but it cost me more than I paid for the old used Wedgewood stove. I was shocked by what he charged. Definitely has expert knowledge but a senior that moves very slowly then charges for his slow time and conversations. read more

Like all the other reviewers, with only one exception, I highly recommend Henry. I agree that he clearly is an expert on vintage stove repair and has many years of experience fixing them. His price is reasonable. When asked, he patiently explains everything he is doing for the repair. Henry is personable, friendly and just a likeable quirky guy. He was very patient and persistent in fixing our 1925 Magic Chef stove, which was a more complex job than it first appeared to be. He was able to dislodge or cut out frozen fasteners and found a way to effectively replace them. He got our 99 year old thermostat working again! You need to first contact him via e-mail henru99@yahoo.com and wait for his reply. Be patient if you do not hear back right away . . . He is worth waiting for. It can take a couple days for him to get back to you. Note that the phone number on his website is not correct. He likes to try to group appointments by location if possible, so it might take a while to get a visit or you might get a last-minute phone call from Henry saying he has time to look at your stove right away. read more

Doesn't follow through. No show twice so I gave up. Maybe he's too busy. Seems friendly over the phone.

Henry has come over the years to fix our circa 1938 Wedgewood stove at various times. He is unfailingly polite and gets the job done. The other night, he came over sort of "out of the blue" as I called a number and he happened to answer the number. In the past it has been harder to schedule, but the stars aligned for us the other night. HE DOES A GREAT JOB AND THE PRICE IS REASONABLE. Also he loves to chat and talk philosophy and linguistics and such. We love our old stove, even though we are aware that there is a valid argument to make that these gas stoves are worse for air quality than electric stoves. Our stove is reliable and we are happy to have it. And, we are happy to have the assistance, when needed, of folks like Henry Rutgers to keep it working. Such an amazing difference from new appliances, that break on purpose, that are crappy, that come new with problems, that cost the earth to repair, and where the folks who come to make the repairs are the unhappy employees of sub-contractors of sub-contractors and are themselves, quite cynical about the machines that they are repairing. So as long as we can, we will keep our approximately 85 year old stove working and keep cooking on it and baking in its oven. (Our stove has a "kindler" which has warped walls, so we can't use it... what is a "kindler," you may ask? the idea was that in addition to gas, if you hooked up the kindler part to a flue, you could burn small pieces of wood or trash paper or what have you; a thrifty choice in the midst of the Depression, and meant to appeal to those who remembered when a stove could produce heat and cook food without reliance on piped-in gas or electricity.) read more

Henry is the best! Smart, ethical, and knowledgable. He knows what he's doing, and the price is right. If you have an old stove, Henry is definitely your guy! read more

Henry Rutgers is our hero! We have a 1950's vintage O'Keefe & Merritt. Henry had worked on it periodically over the years, always coaxing it back to work. However, we had lost track of Henry until yesterday. Both ovens have been on the blink and we were on the verge of giving up and purchasing a new stove. Through a more persistent search (while standing in an appliance store considering various unsatisfactory alternatives), I found Henry's contact info. (He prefers contact via email henru99@yahoo.com. See also http://oldstoverepair.com) Henry got back to us while we were in transit home, and was in our kitchen doing his magic two hours later! Henry is nothing short of a miracle worker. Now, instead of a last minute change of venue, we'll be hosting Christmas Eve at home. read more

Henry Rutgers is a true Old Stove "whisperer!" He saved our Christmas this year by coming at the right time to fix the oven (the main problem) in my 70 year old O'Keefe and Merritt gas range. He also fixed 2 old problems that were not as crucial, the broiler and a burner. You just have to contact him via e-mail and wait for his reply! Be patient if you have an old stove. He is worth waiting, as another group who sent someone quickly was not able to help, and another never replied at all about repairing an old stove. Thank you, Henry! read more

Old Stove Repairs & Refurbs - Appliances & Repair Near Me

I have a 1958 O'Keefe and Merritt oven that stopped working on Friday. I emailed Henry on Saturday morning and he called me right away. Luckily for me he was already on his way to San Francisco to work on another stove and I was on his route. I'm embarrassed to say that it was a simple pilot light issue that he relit (It's my first gas oven!) and he then calibrated my oven and ordered new tempered glass for the inside of the door. I didn't even know it was missing! I promise I will get better about understanding my old oven, but in the meantime, THANK YOU HENRY!!!! You are a wealth of knowledge and interesting stories. read more

Lucky enough to have a classic stove? Issues? Did you press in and release the big safety valve button? Located at the back of the stove up top - easy to get to. Just lift off the top plates the burners stick thru. One for the broiler and one for the oven. Check the pilot light is good and strong? No luck? Henry Rutgers is your man. Wedgewood circa 1950. Had an unusual one - there was a pilot light but the oven was a no go. Henry had it down in seconds. Not enough of a flame and we're at max gas for the pilot. Popped the pilot light assembly. Well ... it took some skill and expertise on Henry's part cause it was not cooperating with the disassembly. Sure enough it was partially clogged. Ream it out. Fixed. You don't want to try this one yourself cause if you mess up the pilot assembly trying to force it apart - well - you just dug a deeper hole. Henry - super honest, great service, reasonable price and - best of all - I learned a lot. Can't say enough - specially with the rep appliance repair people have. You may want to work that safety button every few years so it doesn't get sticky with old grease. When they age like that they become hard to push in and sometimes won't pop back out. Gotta use pliers. If working right and not seized up - they just slide in and spring back out easy. Generally your two main oven expense items are the thermostat (the knob and the gizmo behind it) and the safety valve (sometimes called a pickle valve cause it can be kinda shaped like one). Henry has replacements for those at fair and honest prices. In short - whatever the issue - he'll have you up and running pronto. Highly recommended. read more

I had my water heater replaced, when we restarted the gas all the pilots lit fine on my Okeefe and Merritt stove but I couldn't get the oven to work. I sent Henry an email and he called me back and walked me through how to reset the safety button that I couldn't find on my own, just talking on the phone! He's wonderful and I'm super grateful to have my oven back working read more

Thank you, Henry for coming out to fix my mother's old Wedgewood stove from the 1950's. When a gas leak was discovered, PG&E promptly turned off the gas to the stove. My mom was very worried she would be told it was time to purchase a new range. She loves her Wedgewood and wasn't ready to part with it. I began the search for someone who knew enough about these old stoves to come to the house. It seems there are three main guys in the Bay Area that repair old Wedgewood and O'Keefe & Merritt stoves. They all know one another and seem to be kept quite busy as each one of them was booked-out in advance. Fortunately, we didn't have an immediate need and could afford to wait. In the meantime, thank goodness for microwaves! I'm glad we waited, because Henry knew his stuff and was DEFINITELY the most reasonably priced of the three repairmen. We were not prepared for a last-minute phone call from Henry saying he had time to look at the stove today, because he was just across the bay. Luckily, the timing worked in our favor and we were available for him to stop by. Now I realize that he likes to try to group appointments by location if possible, so be aware that he might try to fit you in based upon where he is for the day. Besides repairing the line with the leak, he also performed a "tune up" on the stove, which we requested since a couple of burners hadn't been working right. It took Henry a few hours of repairing, greasing, adjusting and reassembling, but I have a very happy mother now, and we were very pleased with the final bill, which we were expecting to be much higher based on the quotes from the other repairmen. read more

Henry really helped me out when my aging Wedgewood needed some work. It did take a lot of tries to reach him thru email and then get a phone number, but once we made contact, he came right out. I think the work took conservatively 4-5 hours, a few misc parts and the bill was about $450, which, for the time, was money well spent. I hope to get another 10-15 years out of this stove/oven, so I'm happy he came to service it. Also, Henry really teaches you how to understand what is right or wrong with your stove/oven, and how to investigate for future reference. I feel that I got a complete education from Henry about my Wedgewood which I didn't even know had a "heater" side compartment, not a warmer as the seller had indicated to me. I really recommend Henry, but please note, the phone numbers on his website are incorrect, you MUST email him to reach him. ~Ms. Ali read more

Old Stove Repairs & Refurbs - My 99% fully restored Wedgewood stove. - Appliances & Repair Near Me

I have two Wedgewood stoves from 1929 in my building. They don't make 'em like this anymore. The precise adjustments of the burner are spectacular, and I love them aesthetically. Finding an old stove repairman is hard, but once you've found Henry you can stop looking. He machined some parts for my thermostat in 2008, and that stove is still going strong. This year, he replaced the pilot light on the other after I foolishly tried to fix it myself and broke it. But best of all, he found me an elusive spider grate for the burner. I'd looked for one at every junk shop up and down the coast and on eBay and everywhere in between. I was considering taking a metal fabrication class at Laney College so I could replace my broken one, but he spared me the effort. Henry is personable and quirky and reasonable. I am so happy I found him! read more

I recently got an old Wedgewood stove on Craigslist and had Henry come take a look at it. It had a bunch of issues but he was able to tune it up so that it was working like new! He clearly knows a lot about this tiny niche of appliance repair (even for a very old model like mine, from the 30's.) I was happy with the work and the price was fair. It even came with a guarantee in case there were any problems. Also, just a heads up he prefers email to phone inquiries, and it can take a couple days for him to get back to you. The service is worth the wait. read more

I have an old 1940's Wedgewood that had a broken oven door. It wouldn't stay closed. When I got it the door was slightly ajar but it just completely broke over time and use. It had been broken for 6 months and we had tried to look at it ourselves before I reached out as I found not many people fix these. This is not his full time gig so expect to wait and be flexible with scheduling. I sent him an email letting him know I was extra flexible with time over the next couple weeks and a few days later he called to say he could come by same day! I ran home and am not disappointed! He fixed it better than it was before and for a very reasonable cost. He was friendly and efficient! Overall it was a great experience! I will reach out should I ever need help with my Wedgewood again! read more

I can't say enough about how excellent Henry is! He fixed the major issue with my oven and every other little issue I brought up. And made it look easy. He's the nicest guy in the world and patiently explained everything he was doing when I asked. I know more about my old o'keefe and merritt than I ever thought I would. read more

Extremely knowledgeable about old Wedgewood stoves and really reasonable prices. Henry makes home visits and did a great job.

Henry recently gave our old Rheem Wedgwood stove a tune up. The amount of knowledge and experience this gentleman brings is incredible. I really appreciated his patience, his willingness to explain his work, and his friendly nature. The repairs were affordable and I learned just about everything there is to know in order to maintain about our stove. AND he was nice to our cat. Highly recommended! read more

We're extremely grateful to Henry - the maestro of gas ranges - for his recent visit and work on our stove. While of a newer vintage and a make outside his normal 'range', Henry quickly figured out the issues and design of our 1960's 6 burner, 2 oven Crown. After an interesting afternoon of his careful work, it's now a pleasure to light the stove . . . reasonable charges are part of the story as well. If ever you need a craftsman, knowledgeable, and at one with older stoves, you should contact Henry. A great experience for us! read more

HENRY IS AMAZING!! Never has service of quality like this. Henry went above and beyond. Love his job and appreciates old appliance. Most knowledgeable ever!! So happy Henry came to my home. I felt safe with him there. Super respectful. Price is really worth it!! Thank you Henry, for driving to Half Moon Bay for me!! read more

What a great find to repair our vintage O'Keefe & Merritt Stove! Henry was extremely knowledgeable, personable, and had fair pricing. He drove to Redwood City to repair our stove, had everything he needed on hand, and even had evening hours - could not ask for more. Thanks so much Henry, our stove is now working perfectly!! read more

My 1950 Wedgewood stove's oven wouldn't light, and I suspected the safety valve. I emailed Henry Rutgers, who got back to me within a day and suggested a time for an appointment. When the time came, he was prompt and prepared. In slightly more than an hour he traced the problem to the solenoid and pilot light and had it running again. He also took the time to make an adjustment to the door so it would close tightly and cleaned a burner that has never lit from the pilot light. He was pleasant, courteous and very obviously knows his way around an antique stove, and his price was extremely reasonable! I feel like I should frame his invoice and keep a candle lit in front of it - he is now my patron saint of Wedgewood stoves! read more

A rare joy to find the right person for a job. Henry fit the bill for our Wedgewood stove repair. Oven door springs broke on Sunday evening. Searched for help on Monday morning, no one locally able/willing to take this on. Emailed Henry asking if he knew someone near me who might be able to help ( Henry lives nearly 200 miles away). Received a call Monday night from Henry who said fortunately for me he could help me out the next day, Tuesday. He came by Tuesday evening and fixed my door in short order. The man knows his stuff! So happy I found Henry! Thanks! read more

The oven of our c 1950 stove had stopped working. Henry Rutgers responded to our email within a day, came out the next day, fixed it, also adjusted the thermostat and made one other minor adjustment, all for less than $150. I would recommend his work without reservation. read more

I have had my O'Keefe & Merritt stove for over 2 years. The burners and broiler worked and the oven did not. The oven now works perfectly thanks to Henry Rutgers!!! I am so happy as I thought this issue could not be fixed and I would have to get rid of my cute vintage stove. Henry came and replaced the faulty safety valve and adjusted the burners. He is an expert on vintage stove repair and he worked a miracle as far as I am concerned! His prices are fair and he is reliable. If you want to get a hold of him, email. The phone number is incorrect on his current website and he is working on updating this site to reflect his new phone number. read more

it was hard to find someone who knew vintage appliances. My Okeefe and Merritt stove and oven worked, but there were numerous small issues that made it function less efficiently. Henry Rutgers fixed them all with facility. He was patient, thorough and professional and really knew all the details about the mechanics of my funky, beloved Okeefe and Merritt. I recommend his services. read more

We have a '50s Wedgewood stove and the oven door was not shutting properly anymore. I contacted Henry and he replied the next day and came the day after that. He stayed for 1h20 minutes: he completely dismantled the door, changed 2 springs and boum my door is like new now. $152 for that, I think it's reasonable. He even forgot to charge me for the springs but did not want me to pay because he stayed longer than anticipated. But the best part about Henry is that you will probably have an interesting conversation about philosophy, politics or the economy (and he relates very well to young boys fascinated by his numerous tools!). read more