Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[ls99]

For the past few months nothing has broken or needed repair. At least in our household.

[REWahoo]

Now you've done it!

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 For the past few months nothing has broken or needed repair. At least in our household.

Obviously not an engineer. That would not even slow us down.

[ls99]

I am long past disassembling stuff just to satisfy curiosity. I started with that on my brother's motorcycle when I was six years old. If it was not for my mother fending off the seriously pi$$ed brother, I'd be dead.

I am now in the If it aint broke don't mess with it mode. Luckily past few months that attitude was really not necessary to apply.

Sometimes I even push the envelope, w*rk around the the malfunction until it is good and dead. Then consider, why bother?

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 ......... I am now in the If it ain't broke don't mess with it mode. .........

Interesting concept. I've never considered this approach.

[Bamaman]

We just finished putting granite in the kitchen and bathrooms at our lake house.
I decided to add an outside faucet, and I drilled thru 4" of brick and 8" of concrete block with a hammer drill and 1" diamond bit.
My wife couldn't believe I got a plumber out to hook up the outside faucet and put all new under counter faucets to hook up all new sink faucets to.
Then, I got raised panel MDF cabinet doors made for the kitchen cabinets. Unfortunately, they've got to be primed and spray painted with oil base paint--32 panels front and back.
It's ended up being a pretty major job, but the kitchen and bath cabinets will be knocked out.

[jazz4cash]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset I had to look it up, its costing you: A 1986-era 18 c.f. fridge uses 1400 kWh a year, at 11 cents Kw is $154/yr. Yours is older so its worse: older than 1976 use about 2200 kWh is $242/yr.

I bought the unit in '83 and I don't think the usage is that high but even if it was $182/yr (@.13/kwh), I probably would not give it up even for $50 reward my utility pays. I wish I had asked Santa for a Kill-a-Watt.


Edit:
I looked my unit up on this database
http://www.homeenergy.org/show/artic...rators/id/1706


What I found was interesting in that this model was rated at 962kwh annual usage when new but the energy formula adjustment for aging increases it to 1250 kwh annual usage.

[grasshopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazz4cash The 40 year old Amana in our basement runs year round and stays empty mostly. I keep wondering how much $ we are wasting on it but currently it is in emergency mode as the main fridge, a fancy 16 yr old Kenmore is getting repaired. The defrost heater shorted out (2nd time in 18 months).

In my 18 YO GE defrost heaters crap out every 24 months, last time I bent the shield to try to keep the drips off the glass, seems to work better.

[Ian S]

Replaced a 16 yo Kenmore water softener this week. Considered going with a more expensive unit but with my limited space I like the compact size. Got a great deal at Lowe's on a Whirlpool unit that uses the same valving as the Kenmore so maintenance and repair is something I'm familiar with. Easy hookup although the Whirlpool is several inches shorter than the unit replaced.

[jazz4cash]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grasshopper In my 18 YO GE defrost heaters crap out every 24 months, last time I bent the shield to try to keep the drips off the glass, seems to work better.

I am pretty sure this Kenmore is made by GE.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian S Replaced a 16 yo Kenmore water softener this week. Considered going with a more expensive unit but with my limited space I like the compact size. Got a great deal at Lowe's on a Whirlpool unit that uses the same valving as the Kenmore so maintenance and repair is something I'm familiar with. Easy hookup although the Whirlpool is several inches shorter than the unit replaced.

For us DIY types, that is a factor - "the devil you know". My Water Softener is ~ 20 YO, still working fine, and I've made a few minor repairs. And I know exactly how that thing works. So I might look for one with the same valve system , though I like the idea of the new controllers that monitor water usage and recycle based on usage rather than X days. But I think those might still use the old, tried/true valves?

-ERD50

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover Quote: Originally Posted by ls99 View Post ......... I am now in the If it ain't broke don't mess with it mode. ......... Interesting concept. I've never considered this approach.

If it ain't broke, it needs to be taken apart to understand what makes it so reliable. These things are just asking to be taken apart!

I'll often take something apart before I recycle it. One reason, curiosity, to see how it was constructed, secondarily to strip it for any useful parts.

-ERD50

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 I am long past disassembling stuff just to satisfy curiosity. I started with that on my brother's motorcycle when I was six years old. If it was not for my mother fending off the seriously pi$$ed brother, I'd be dead. I am now in the If it aint broke don't mess with it mode. Luckily past few months that attitude was really not necessary to apply. Sometimes I even push the envelope, w*rk around the the malfunction until it is good and dead. Then consider, why bother?

According to DW, I am in the 'if it is broke don't fix it' category....


I just say I will get around to it.... eventually.... she is just wound too tight at times...

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki Yup, I'm a big believer in giving a fridge or freezer at least as much upright time before plugging in as it had time on it's side - compressors don't like trying to compress straight slugs of refrigerant oil. I've also seen a number of old frigs that died after being left to sit for extended times like a year - stratification takes place and you get a nice horizontal string of holes in the evaporator coils on the back of the unit - I was told it was acids that are created. That is old freon units.

Interesting to know as I've never heard of that.
If a person has a second fridge in the basement and doesn't want to run it empty all year for those few times when its needed like for parties/celebrations.

Would it be good to plug it in for 3 days every month, just to mix up the freon ?

[Ian S]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 For us DIY types, that is a factor - "the devil you know". My Water Softener is ~ 20 YO, still working fine, and I've made a few minor repairs. And I know exactly how that thing works. So I might look for one with the same valve system , though I like the idea of the new controllers that monitor water usage and recycle based on usage rather than X days. But I think those might still use the old, tried/true valves? -ERD50

Both new and old units had the demand type of controller which definitely saves on salt for the times you are not around. However, in the 16 year life of the old unit, I once had to replace the little turbine wheel that rotates in the water flow stream. It was an easy job but still a nuisance. At least one of the Fleck valve based systems I looked at had a display function that would show how long until regeneration which could be handy on occasion.

[calmloki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Interesting to know as I've never heard of that. If a person has a second fridge in the basement and doesn't want to run it empty all year for those few times when its needed like for parties/celebrations. Would it be good to plug it in for 3 days every month, just to mix up the freon ?

I am giving advice based on what I've been told and actually having used fridges die with a line of gas leaking holes across the evap coils - but - I'd say plugging in for a few minutes every 2-3 months would be plenty good. Would depend on how long it takes for the acid/freon/oil to all separate and form distinct layers.

[Keim]

Why not put it on a timer and have it turned off and on automatically?

[6miths]

Just signed on to have two chimneys rebuilt and some other brick work attended to. Time for a new dishwasher too. (Like a mechanical one I mean!)

[Slow But Steady]

It was last Wednesday night, after a very stressful day at work. Wednesday is also known as "Pickup Night." The housekeepers come on Thursday. That means Wednesday night is when we clear off all the horizontal surfaces so they can be properly cleaned the next day.

As I was straightening up, I noticed a little water leaking in one of the bathrooms. It appeared to be from between the toilet base and the tank.

So i got out my tools, then set out to block in the water going to the toilet. The valve leaked three or four drops a second while I was closing it, but I wasn't too worried. I know that those seals are really only made to hold when the valve is fully open or fully closed.

But when I got it fully closed, it was still leaking quite a bit. I tightened down a bit more, and it seemed to slow down a bit, so I put some more muscle on it.

Well, the doggone valve stem broke right off in my hand and a gushing jet of water exploded out, soaking me and the rest of the bathroom. While trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to hold back the surging torrent with my hands, I hollered at my wife, "Debbie, turn of the main water supply!"

Then I realized Debbie doesn't have any idea where the main water valve is, so I abandoned the bathroom Niagara and ran full speed to the back yard, my sneakers squishing with every step.

On the way back from the back yard, I picked up a handful of old towels. As I began mopping up, my wife found me, and I told her what had happened. She asks, “Now, the water is only off in this bathroom, right?”

When I explained that the water was off in the whole house, she said, “Well, we’ve got to get someone out here tonight, because I really need to take a shower and wash my hair before bible study tomorrow.” (Debbie retired about two years ago.)

I hate doing plumbing work, so I don’t mind hiring a plumber, but I don’t want to pay the after-hours charges, so I told her, “God and the bible study ladies will forgive you if you don’t get a shower tomorrow.” She didn’t seem convinced, so I pulled the water supply line loose from the valve. (By the way, in this case, it hardly mattered, but if you pull that line loose without first flushing, you’ll spill a gallon of water on the floor.)

Then I set out to remove the busted valve. On a compression fitting, of course, the threaded open end of the nut faces away from the wall, so that it can hold the valve body on to the tubing coming out of the wall. When you’re facing the wall, if you grab on to the valve body and turn it counter clockwise, it will turn and turn without ever breaking the threads loose. It had been 10 years or so since I had assembled a compression fitting, so I forgot. When I turned it the right direction, it came off easily, and I was off to Home Depot.

Once I had the part in hand, everything went together smoothly. The whole episode was probably less than an hour start to finish, including time spent chasing parts.

Still, I really don’t need this kind of excitement on a weeknight after a hard day at work. Especially on pickup night.

The moral of the story: I really need to retire.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow But Steady .... But when I got it fully closed, it was still leaking quite a bit. I tightened down a bit more, and it seemed to slow down a bit, so I put some more muscle on it. ....

Now what DIY'er didn't wince, knowing exactly what was coming...

Quote:

Well, the doggone valve stem broke right off in my hand and a gushing jet of water exploded out, soaking me and the rest of the bathroom.

And there it is! (well, it wasn't funny at the time, I'm sure!)

Quote:

Once I had the part in hand, everything went together smoothly. The whole episode was probably less than an hour start to finish, including time spent chasing parts.

I'm impressed, that's pretty fast work.

Only once in my life did a plumbing job go smoothly. So when I finished, I took a nap, and made sure to get up just before DW got home from grocery shopping, so I could be busy cleaning up the tools as she walked in ... "Went pretty well, just finishing up!".

-ERD50