Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[euro]

Fixed a faucet with a broken handle. Parts free due to Kohler lifetime warranty. Easy Peasy job.

Also did some repair to the patio furniture thanks to spring like weather.

Replaced dripping powder room faucet (brass from the early 90-ies, no longer approved by DW, so simply fixing it was not an option ). This meant replacing all the other hardware (towel rack, toilet paper holder, wall plates, door knob, toilet seat, flusher handle, mirror) because they no longer matched to top it off, of course, both shutoff valves turned out to leak once they were turned off, so I had to replace THOSE as well.

Dripping valves turned into a $350 dollar repair, after re painting the whole room because the various mounting brackets of course did I not match anymore and many holes had to be patched, sanded and painted.

Looks pretty good though, now that it's finished...

 

[samclem]

Dripping valves turned into a $350 dollar repair, after re painting the whole room because the various mounting brackets of course did I not match anymore and many holes had to be patched, sanded and painted.

RE: replacement of towel racks, robe hooks, etc. This seems like another place that industry could standardize. If the actual mount that screws into the wall could be standardized (incl spacing), at least within brands but ideally between brands, it would sure give that/those mfgrs a competitive advantage. I'd pay a bit more if I was pretty sure it would really stay the same for a few decades.

 

[Walt34]

I'd pay a bit more if I was pretty sure it would really stay the same for a few decades.

I would too, but that's probably the exception. It seems most people can't plan past next week.

 

[Sunset]

RE: replacement of towel racks, robe hooks, etc. This seems like another place that industry could standardize. If the actual mount that screws into the wall could be standardized (incl spacing), at least within brands but ideally between brands, it would sure give that/those mfgrs a competitive advantage. I'd pay a bit more if I was pretty sure it would really stay the same for a few decades.

I don't see that they would standarize.
As all those things are bought based on how they look, and to limit the design of something due to the screw placement immediately prevents what could be the next "must have" look.

 

[aja8888]

I don't see that they would standarize.
As all those things are bought based on how they look, and to limit the design of something due to the screw placement immediately prevents what could be the next "must have" look.

Just like all cars should be the same design based one the most efficient tire or engine size.

 

[Sunset]

Just like all cars should be the same design based one the most efficient tire or engine size.

I had thought of that as well, but figured folks would then argue those points and miss the idea that if you want all possibilities in design, you cannot put in limits.

 

[splitwdw]

Fixed a weedeater trigger...then milled down some tree planks to make a table...then made an ottoman tray from some leftover walnut. Busy day.

Wow, don't know how I missed your post. That tray is beautiful...I can pm you my address. What is the wood for the table? How thick and what kind of base will you use? I don't live far from George Nakashima's studio and he made some wonderful pieces during his life time. I met him a long time ago. I think you can still go on tours of his studio. His daughter runs the business now. Take a look at the Peace Altars he made. My dad was at the studio for a visit when George made the second and I think last Peace Altar. Furniture

 

[samclem]

I don't see that they would standarize.
As all those things are bought based on how they look, and to limit the design of something due to the screw placement immediately prevents what could be the next "must have" look.

Maybe. But if there were a standard plate/flange that attached to the wall and the towel rack/robe hook etc just clipped over it with a small set screw someplace to lock it in, just about any size or style could be accommodated. Ceiling light fixtures have plenty of variety, but almost every one of them sold in the US has the standard screw spacing and cover plate to allow it to be attached to a standard octagon box.

 

[harley]

I don't see that they would standarize.
As all those things are bought based on how they look, and to limit the design of something due to the screw placement immediately prevents what could be the next "must have" look.

Plus, if any of y'all have ever sat on a multi-corporation standardization committee, you'd know there's no chance of it actually happening. Thus the old saying, "the nice thing about standards are there are so many to choose from."

 

[ProspectiveBum]

DW's Honda minivan was making an ominous gurgling sound inside the cabin. I was worried that it was the heater core, which has been a horrible, messy, expensive job on every vehicle I've ever owned. Happily, some online searching revealed that it was actually the air blender motor, which controls the ratio of hot/cold air coming from the drivers-side vents.

Even better, the smart folks on the van forums explained that the mechanism could be opened, cleaned and re-greased, saving me the cost of the $140 part. Spent 6 hours on the job, and got quite the workout while contorting my body in unnatural ways to get under the dash.

My hourly rate for this particular job wasn't great, but unlike many of my repair adventures, it required no trips to the store for additional parts or tools. Total spent, $0.

 

[FIREmenow]

Plus, if any of y'all have ever sat on a multi-corporation standardization committee, you'd know there's no chance of it actually happening. Thus the old saying, "the nice thing about standards are there are so many to choose from."

I have. You are 100% correct. Boy was that painful. We were defining the start of digital cellular standards back in late '90's early 2000.

I can remember [-]spending[/-] wasting an ENTIRE AFTERNOON debating whether 5 words of text should be bold-faced or italicized in the specification document.

Never mind the actual content and what might be best for the entire industry - its just a friggin' FONT for cripes sake!! Geez!!

Never again.

 

[scrinch]

In cleaning out my mother's garage a few weeks ago we came across an old Stickley Arts & Crafts armchair with a completely​ ripped out leather seat and a wood finish that was missing in some areas and black and gummy in others. My brother wanted to sell it, but I talked him out of it so I could try to repair it. I took it home, ordered some leather on eBay, and got out the sandpaper. Over 3 days I hand sanded off all the old finish down to bare wood (it had lots of runs where someone had previously added a second, or possibly third layer of finish). I then gave it a single coat of Watco Danish Oil (walnut) and then two thin coats of oil based polyurethane. The polyurethane detracts from the looks a bit but will protect the stained finish. I then finished the job by adding some padding and stretching new canvas and the new leather over it for a new seat. It turned out very nicely for a 100 year old chair. I looked on the Stickley website and found that the logo beneath the left armrest was only used between 1912 and 1917.

 

[ERD50]

In cleaning out my mother's garage a few weeks ago we came across an old Stickley Arts & Crafts armchair .... It turned out very nicely for a 100 year old chair. I looked on the Stickley website and found that the logo beneath the left armrest was only used between 1912 and 1917. ...

Nice, a real classic. I cringed just a little bit when I read "polyurethane", but I get it. It's a really durable, easy to apply finish. Just a little out of place on a classic like that, but it looks great, and you saved it from who-knows-what fate. That chair will be enjoyed for generations.

Fixed a weedeater trigger...then milled down some tree planks to make a table...then made an ottoman tray from some leftover walnut. Busy day.

Wow, I couldn't get that much done in a month! Nice work. I really, really like the tray, that walnut is beautiful.

Plus, if any of y'all have ever sat on a multi-corporation standardization committee, you'd know there's no chance of it actually happening. Thus the old saying, "the nice thing about standards are there are so many to choose from."

I have. You are 100% correct. Boy was that painful. We were defining the start of digital cellular standards back in late '90's early 2000.

I can remember [-]spending[/-] wasting an ENTIRE AFTERNOON debating whether 5 words of text should be bold-faced or italicized in the specification document.

Never mind the actual content and what might be best for the entire industry - its just a friggin' FONT for cripes sake!! Geez!!

Never again.

Hah, I feel your pain! I was lucky in that regard. I got to sit in on a couple meetings with the people from our MegaCorp who were on the USB standards board, and were looking for input. So this was the informal stage, they just wanted to make sure they were covering all the angles, I didn't have to deal with the minutia. AFAIK, nothing ever came of it anyway - this was about being able to switch the USB data +/- over to analog in/out, to support a direct analog connection to a mic/speaker or audio amp. I think Bluetooth and the digital audio protocol over USB just became the norm. Although, I recall some hoopla over Apple dropping the headphone jack, and this might have been a way to support that w/o a separate jack.

-ERD50

 

[sengsational]

I had been putting this off because I thought it wouldn't be any fun. But it was a really nice day and the guy at the auto parts store was helpful and funny. Then I topped off the tire pressures, including the compact spare, which was down to 20 from 60.

 

[REWahoo]

Yesterday I noticed water seeping out of our water well pump house. Looking inside I found water dripping from the bottom of my 10 year old pressure pump. It's dark in there but I saw no sign of any pipes or fittings leaking so I was prepared to fork over $800+ for a new pump.

The well service guys showed up today and found a pinhole leak in the small hose leading to the pressure gauge. The leak was behind the pump, spraying water on the rear of the housing then dripping from the bottom of the pump. They repaired the leak for "free" but charged me $95 for the service call. If I had taken the time (and a flashlight) to look more closely I could have done the repair myself.

At least it was $95, not $800...

 

[Cobra9777]

On Sunday our 10-year-old Maytag washing machine suddenly started filling with hot water... on it's own, while turned off, which we thought was a little weird. We also noticed some water leaking onto the floor. I turned off the water supply to stop the leaking. Then did some Google searching and quickly diagnosed the problem as a defective water inlet valve. The new part was $40 on Amazon and was available for 1-day shipping.

While waiting for delivery, I watched some YouTube videos on how to replace the valve, which seemed fairly straightforward. I disassembled the machine and removed the old part. The solenoid on the hot water side had completely broken off the valve housing, which is why it was leaking. Some of the water was going into the machine and some was coming out the hole left by the solenoid and leaking onto the floor.

On this model, to access the valve assembly, you have to remove the cabinet from the frame. Removing the cabinet and replacing the valve was quite simple. The only difficult part was getting the cabinet back onto the frame and aligned with some tabs. It was a bit heavy and I couldn't see where the tabs were. It took about 5 minutes of wrestling with the cabinet to get it back into place on the frame. Anyway, all is well again and the washer is working fine.

I've written before about my 36-year-old Kenmore dryer that I refuse to let die. But we usually replace washers about every 6-8 years. DW thought this one was dead, but hopefully we'll get several more years of use.

 

[misanman]

I've written before about my 36-year-old Kenmore dryer that I refuse to let die. But we usually replace washers about every 6-8 years. DW thought this one was dead, but hopefully we'll get several more years of use.

A repairman in our house on another matter told us to hang on to our 21 year old Maytag washer and dryer (which have never needed a repair). He said they don't make them like that any more

 

[jazz4cash]

Now I worry about leaving the house with the water turned on. I'm already paranoid about replacing hoses. I think they recommend every 7 yrs but they should really last much longer.

 

[meierlde]

Now I worry about leaving the house with the water turned on. I'm already paranoid about replacing hoses. I think they recommend every 7 yrs but they should really last much longer.

Actually an alternative is to turn the water off after you are finished with the machine. I did not in a house in Houston, and had to get a plumber to change the valve after it froze at 20 years old.

 

[Ronstar]

Your recent repair?

A couple of repairs today.

I'm selling my wood chipper because I don't use it. It had a vine wrapped around the shaft so it would not start. Cord would not pull. Took it apart, removed the vine, put in some gas and Seafoam, and it fired up on the first pull.

Our surround sound receiver volume went out. We took it to a repair shop, but DW wanted to continue to watch our main tv without a receiver. But our tv doesn't have speakers. I found some old speakers, hooked them up as external speakers to the tv, and connected the cable box directly to the tv. All is well.

 

[ERD50]

A repairman in our house on another matter told us to hang on to our 21 year old Maytag washer and dryer (which have never needed a repair). He said they don't make them like that any more

Approaching year 31 on ours I was told the same thing, and it is still ticking. The repair was a simple and cheap belt change. Here's the thread on it, with my annual [-]update[/-] bragging.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/crazy-to-try-to-fix-a-27-yo-wash-machine-67469.html

-ERD50

 

[Just_Steve]

A couple of repairs today.

I'm selling my wood chipper because I don't use it. It had a vine wrapped around the shaft so it would not start. Cord would not pull. Took it apart, removed the vine, put in some gas and Seafoam, and it fired up on the first pull.

Our surround sound receiver volume went out. We took it to a repair shop, but DW wanted to continue to watch our main tv without a receiver. But our tv doesn't have speakers. I found some old speakers, hooked them up as external speakers to the tv, and connected the cable box directly to the tv. All is well.

Seafoam, the nectar of the gods for gas engines.

 

[ArkTinkerer]

Two fun repairs--Redid the metal mesh around the attic ventilation fans on the roof. Seems at least one squirrel clawed his way thru to get into our attic. Still heard him up in the attic after the repair so have set a live trap in the attic to capture him.

Other one was a supply line to a hot water heater at a rental house. Bought one of the new stainless mesh over ?rubber? hoses for the inlet line within the last year. The crimped end detached yesterday night. Didn't break--just slipped out of the crimp. Will not buy another and so replaced it with old style corrugated copper hookup. Now to figure out how to deal with the company that supplied it and their warranty policy...

 

[John Galt III]

Other one was a supply line to a hot water heater at a rental house. Bought one of the new stainless mesh over ?rubber? hoses for the inlet line within the last year. The crimped end detached yesterday night. Didn't break--just slipped out of the crimp. Will not buy another and so replaced it with old style corrugated copper hookup. Now to figure out how to deal with the company that supplied it and their warranty policy...

Was that a "Sharkbite" hose that failed? I have recently used some Sharkbite connector hoses. Now you have me worried!

 

[Christine]

The leisure batteries in my RV were getting long in the tooth. So I replaced them with a up and coming lithium battery half the size (in Ah) a few days ago.

So far I'm very happy with the upgrade - they charge so much faster than the old ones. Just a little drive and I'm topped up. Ie 1-2 hours vs 6-8 hours of driving needed. And then there is the solar panels. I look forward to testing them out in the boondocks during the summer.