Many Newells built in the 1980’s or early 1990’s included a Nutone Food Center. A broken switch forced me to replace it. Nutone has discontinued the 1079A switch that was used in the Model 251 power supply on September 11. 2008. Ebay still has power units for sale.
If you are familiar with the Nutone Food Center procedure, it is easy to replace the Unit
1) Remove the stainless steel cover by placing a thin knife (e.g. a putty blade) under the edge and lifting.
2) Once the cover is about three inches high, the springs can be pulled together to remove it completely.
3) To access the plug, the inside of the Nutone power unit cabinet must be removed. This will likely take place under or behind the sink.
4) Unplug your unit before you proceed.
5) The screw head is located in the middle of the unit, between the motor/switch. This can be seen from the top without the stainless Nutone Food Center cover. You can rotate this screw head counterclockwise for dozens of turns. The tabs underneath Nutone Food Center the counter will start to retract into the sides of the unit.
6) Once the tabs extend just barely past the sides of the unit you can lift it from the top and take it out.
The solution is If you know the secret, it is simple to remove the unit from the wall. This one was a puzzle to me for around 30 minutes. The power unit is held in place by tabs under the counter. They could be bent or broken off, but I didn’t want to do that.
In reverse, replacement is the exact same
1) Place the power cord into the hole. Make sure that the tabs are fully extended. You can insert the new one with the tabs farther out than the one that you have removed. The sides of corian push the tabs inward during installation and will cause the unit to jam when you remove it.
2) Turn the screw counterclockwise until the tabs are securely pressed against the bottom.
3) Insert the springs for stainless steel Nutone Food Center covers into the slot by pressing them together, then press down gently.
4) Connect the unit to your computer and check it’s operation.
5) Remove any interior cabinet pieces that were necessary to reach the plug.
Now I have a fully functional Nutone food center. It may not be worth the cost of replacing or repairing a coach if you don’t cook much in it. It is worth getting the right accessories if you cook in your coach often.
