Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[John Galt III]

I was sitting in the living room yesterday when I heard the sound of rapidly running water. Initially I was happy because I'm not sure that the water softener is regenerating automatically. Then I decided that the noise sounded a little louder than the water softener in the garage. By the time I walked to the guest bathroom, the water was into the hallway and pouring into the bedrooms and roughly 1/2" deep in the bathroom. Happily, the shut off valve to the toilet was in good working condition and I own a lot of towels, but no carpet. A new supply hose did the trick. I'm going to shuffle off to the hardware store again today to buy new hoses for the elderly washing machine. I'm glad that I was home.

AllDone, was it one of those metal braided hoses? Where did it break?

JG3

 

[John Galt III]

At parents' house. They mentioned crank-out window wasn't closing, and told me not to touch it. The arm that cranks the window had come out of it's sleeve and they couldn't get it back in. They were going to pay a handyman to fix it. It was stuck partially open.
I could not resist, so when they weren't looking I messed with it. Couldn't figure it out either at first, but after I gave up and used the Zen method (stare at it and don't think) I saw some instructional printing on a brass sleeve and an arrow pointing to a hard-to-see opening that the crank arm was supposed to go into.
Problem solved. Window fixed.

 

[travelover]

I assume you did this the safe way - unhitch the door and muscle it up to the full open position, then support with clamps/vice-grips before re-attaching the cable. If you had to de-tension, then re-tension with the rods, yes that is a scary job.

Naw, I don't have the muscle to open the door fully, plus with my luck it would fall on me once I got it almost lifted. I just used a couple of 3/8" steel rods to turn the torsion shaft enough to get some slack in the cables so that I could do my repair.

 

[AllDone]

AllDone, was it one of those metal braided hoses? Where did it break?

JG3

One of those plastic ones. It broke where the end fitting attached to the tubing. We have great water pressure! My DH returned home just as I carried the last wet towel to the laundry. He asked me if I had just taken a shower ("yeah, dude, I took a shower while fully dressed")

 

[aja8888]

Naw, I don't have the muscle to open the door fully, plus with my luck it would fall on me once I got it almost lifted. I just used a couple of 3/8" steel rods to turn the torsion shaft enough to get some slack in the cables so that I could do my repair.

One of the latest versions of Handyman magazine has a several page write up on garage door servicing. Well written with lots of safety tips and tool suggestions. It's one I am saving for "the day"..

 

[Sunset]

One of the latest versions of Handyman magazine has a several page write up on garage door servicing. Well written with lots of safety tips and tool suggestions. It's one I am saving for "the day"..

There are also great videos on youtube.com for repairing things. I watched a few on garage door replacement of the tension springs. Then ordered the parts online with the rods (tool) for about $80 delivered. Installed the 2 new springs in a couple of hours.
If you are careful, its not as deadly as I first thought it would be.
Afterwards Handyman mag came out with the article. I save all their mags!

 

[travelover]

One of the latest versions of Handyman magazine has a several page write up on garage door servicing. Well written with lots of safety tips and tool suggestions. It's one I am saving for "the day"..

Looks like old articles are still on line. http://www.familyhandyman.com/doors...dvanced-garage-overhead-door-repairs/view-all

 

[ls99]

Working on my radio. Replacing old capacitors.

Radio looks like this:

Cool, Long time since I've seen honeycomb wound tuning coils. And laced wiring.

 

[sengsational]

We had a 4 to 5 year old GE built in microwave that needed its 1st repair......we called GE service and the replacement computer board was $750.....the microwave had only cost around $400 when new. ........GE, as we were told by the service man, has NEVER sold this part.....wonder why? So, we went to Home Depot and found another GE microwave....looked like our old one but has a simpler computer board and cost $290. So, we replaced it. GE still sells the same microwave "Profile" and you wonder how they can do it. We've had GE for years, never needed service, never bought a service contract and they even repaired a 10 year old frig a few years ago under warranty since they had been having problems with it. ......Maybe I shouldn't have been loyal to GE but we know the product, its features and it was cheap! I'm still in shock over this expense.

I think GE puts inferior parts into their machines so that they can prop-up the repair business. They have shady practices when it comes to warrantees. For instance, my magnetron went out and it was under warranty, but when I called, they said it would be $85 just to drive out, but wouldn't tell me how much it would cost for labor (the part was supposed to be covered by warrantee). It's a defined process to replace the magnetron, why couldn't they tell me how much it would cost? Because they figure you'd just buy a new microwave when they told you the $300 or $400 for labor! I argued for them to send me the part, claiming "My Dad has been repairing microwaves for years, it's his job", and put the part in myself.

 

[aja8888]

I think GE puts inferior parts into their machines so that they can prop-up the repair business.

Wow, I hope they are not doing that with their jet engines, too.

 

[Keim]

Cool, Long time since I've seen honeycomb wound tuning coils. And laced wiring.

Console IS from 1958... I imagine it is chock full of stuff most people haven't seen in a while:
Tubes
Hand wiring
Turntable

It is a kick, and a bit of a time machine.

 

[jjquantz]

New clutch slave and master cylinders installed in my 12 year old Hyundai yesterday. Total cost - $55 for parts and 2 hours of my time, AAMCO quote - $543. Would have been quicker but I made a couple of rookie mistakes.

 

[meierlde]

Console IS from 1958... I imagine it is chock full of stuff most people haven't seen in a while:
Tubes
Hand wiring
Turntable

It is a kick, and a bit of a time machine.

Turntables are still available. In fact you can get USB equipped turntables (not full changers however). Very useful if you want to digitize the vinyl records for future use. (plus with a USB jack on the car, it effectively allows me to do what could not be done in the past, play vinyl in a moving car, it was tried in the 1960s but did not pan out).

 

[sengsational]

Got the Aprilaire whole-house humidifier installed. Not really a 'repair', but since it required 3 trips to the hardware store, I'd say it qualified.

Besides carving into the supply and return plenums (with the angle grinder/cutting blade), this job required making bypass ducting, and then a bunch of electrical stuff (more of that than I expected). There were five things in five separate places that had to be wired: The main control (on the side of the return plenum), a 24VAC transformer, the water solonoid, the furnace interface (thermostat controls), the outdoor temperature sensor. And then tapping into a water line and running that to the unit, plus running a drain line. Lots of work to install that buggar!

Ordered a whole house humidifier from eBay based on this old thread http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/whole-house-humidifier-70561-3.html#post1422308
Usually I start turning into a lizard in January, when the heater is running at full tilt. But getting up in the attic now, while it's not blazing hot, and not cold seems like a good plan.

 

[ls99]

Our 6 year old Hot tub, outdoors, used year around had a slow leak. Noticed about a month ago. Used the cheap method to figure the likely location of leak, let it go down until the leak stops. The leak stopped just below the lower edge of the skimmer.

Yesterday lowered water level a few more inches. Removed decorative trim, removed screws holding the edges of the skimmer intake. Upon removing lowest three screws, noticed water seeping out of screw holes.

Cleaned the edges, ran a bead of gutter seal all the way around. Could not lift out skimmer box sine it is foamed in place at the factory. Pushed gutter seal in each hole, then coated each screw with gutter seal and reinserted. After ten minutes or so applied some rubberized spray seal all the way around.



Aobut an hour ago refilled tub and re-started. Hoping it is a good fix, will know in a few days.

Follow up:

That was a partial fix. Turns out there were pressure line leaks.

Ordered up stuff called Fix a Leak. Past Monday put in 8 oz. and let the pump push it around, with occasianal stirring, Two days. Turned off pump let sit for 2 more days. Restart pump. No more leaks.

Stuff seems to work. Today changed water, scrubbed tub, refill. SHould be good this time.

 

[REWahoo]

Plumber spent 3 hours repairing two bathtub drains (one won't open, one won't close). One required removing and replacing the entire drain assembly/guts from behind the bathroom wall down into the slab. He's writing up the invoice now and I'm clutching my wallet expecting the worst....

 

[ls99]

Oh, multiple drainage.

 

[REWahoo]

Oh, multiple drainage.

Yes, of my credit card. $577 in drainage damage...

 

[Walt34]

Ouch!

 

[NW-Bound]

While I was on the RV trek, my son called to let me know that the pool pump quit. When I got home yesterday, it was the 1st thing I looked at. Nope, need a new pump. Just paid close to $1,500 (part+labor) to have a new one installed, as I would only save $100 to do it myself.

It bothers me that these expensive pumps should be rebuildable back at the factory for some credits. My original old-style AC motor pump ran for 20 years before it quit. The new electronic ones save energy, but do not seem to last. This electronic one lasted 18 months.

PS. Actually, the original pump induction motor did not quit, but the impeller was so worn out it failed to move water.

 

[ls99]

For some pumps,can buy what is called "wet end" Housing and impeller some are around $100.-

 

[NW-Bound]

I actually changed out the motor or the "dry end" of the original pump when it was about 5 years old due to water damage caused by a leak - the home is close to 30 years old. So, while the "dry end" was 20+ years old, the "wet end" was 25+ years old and original, when the pump was worn out and I replaced it with the electronic one that just failed after 18 months. How about that?

They do not carry these old-style pumps anymore, not at the local pool supply stores, as I learned that there's state law mandating these new high-efficiency electronically controlled pumps. I actually like these new pumps as they are quiet and save on the electric bill, but doggone it, they have to build them better to last longer. The one that just failed had only a 1-year warranty, but the new one now comes with 3 years.

 

[ls99]

I see, save electricity, keep mfg factory humming. No savings to end user, just change where the money goes. Gee, maybe ERD50 can figure out the where the pollution is transferred to. It is too much work for my puny brain.

 

[samclem]

I actually like these new pumps as they are quiet and save on the electric bill

And they apparently eventually get really quiet.

but doggone it, they have to build them better to last longer.

Maybe they don't The government tells you you can't buy the old style that lasts, and if they can sell you a new one every 18 months that's a real moneymaker.

 

[NW-Bound]

These new-fangled motors have permanent magnets in the rotor, and use electronic commutation on the stator windings. They are very light and powerful, and somewhat similar to modern motors used in electric cars. Properly designed and built, there's no reason they cannot last a long time.

The local pool store does not carry that model anymore. And they offer 3 different makes, so I hope competition will eventually weed out the poor performing ones. But meanwhile, man oh man, it really hurts in the pocket book.

PS. I will keep the failed pump, and will do a post-mortem analysis and report on my finding.