Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[38Chevy454]

Not so much a repair that I made myself, since kind of hard to do at home, but last Fri I got new rear tires on my motorhome. It has dual rear axles and takes 8 tires, and they are big truck tires size 11R22.5. The big truck tires are much more cost than smaller regular car or light truck tires, and buying 8 does not help. So besides driving down to truck tire place, my main contribution was $3300 bill to pay.

This past week for partial day Sunday and a couple evenings after work, I installed a heater in my 52 GMC hot rod truck. Getting a bit colder now and the heater will let me keep driving it through winter. So while not a strict repair, it was work done by me. I used a small heater out of a 80's Nissan pickup that I removed out of a truck at the junkyard on one of my trips there. Next spring or summer I will get around to hooking up some A/C in it. This past summer was just getting it running and driving, now to add the luxuries like heat and A/C.

Just to make my post a bit more exciting, here is a pic of the motorhome, towing the GMC on one of my trips this past summer; a crappy pic from parked in a rest area:

 

[DFA]

Repaired dryer, it started to make a lot of noise, replaced rollers, belt, and pulley. Runs great now.

 

[MBAustin]

Kitchen faucet has a button to switch from stream to spray which hasn't worked well for awhile - stays on spray or half-and-half. DH wanted to replace the whole thing (only 5 years old). I was cleaning out a kitchen drawer and happened upon the original installation booklet which included the warranty. I was pleasantly shocked to read that Kohler gives a "limited lifetime warranty" on kitchen faucets so I called them. Very helpful person on phone offered immediately to send out a replacement nozzle which arrived a few days later. Unscrewed old nozzle, screwed on new nozzle, and it was better than new (they improved both the button and the spray pattern). Yippee!

 

[dadu007]

It did seem like a strange cause and effect to me also but it was easy to repeat the problem by installing the bad bulb. I assumed the bulb was maybe near end of life and maybe placing a load on the internal circuitry, but that's just a guess. It's only been a couple days but has been working good since. The opener is 18 years old, maybe more than the bulb is near it's end of life.

Mmmm...I think your photo-eyes are about to go. I had this problem too. It was intermittent at first, and then finally failed completely. The garage door would open but not shut; it would instantly retract it self on the down command. Replacing the two photo eyes cured my ills completely.

 

[H2ODude]

Well, it wasn't a typical appliance repair, but just finished what became a major structural challenge with the house. House is 20 yo and let's just say if I could find the builder I'd wring his sorry neck. This was third major issue, first two were improper flashing over garage door (had to install "flitch plate" as glu lam beam was compromised) and the the shower floor plan was not proper and caused wicking of water to drywall.

Anyway, this one was a real challenge. Second story over 1/2 the first. A lot of load, perhaps 10,000# comes down through studs between a door and a window. Problem is that the studs sat on the rim joist (well, over the subfloor) but just inside the rim joist was nothing to help take up what is a major point load. Complicated by some water that got in and softened things up a bit. The fix involved removing and replacing the door. Once old one out, used a 12 ton jack and a post to raise up the corner of the upstairs (where a glulam joins exterior) and beef up from foundation to under subfloor, and cut out bottom of studs that were softened and block, all with pressure treated.

The worst was jacking it all up. Used several things to spread load out, but with each pump of the jack (ever so slowly) I gritted my teeth. I have no idea what force I achieved, but was able to restore location to almost original. Including new door, trim, and some help from a carpenter to help set the door properly (I wanted someone who knew for sure about proper flashing and sealing) it was almost $2k. I'm guessing that if hired out, would have needed an engineer certified drawing and general contractor, and $10-15k. I actually wouldn't have minded paying someone if I trusted them to do it right, I've been sorely disappointed in hiring out work. This was a challenge I hope not to duplicate.

What gets me about all three of these problems is they would have been avoided if done right, and in all three cases doing it right would have taken at most one man-hour of labor on each issue. That, and if the building inspector had been paying attention it would have been caught.

I'll be 65 next year; that condo is looking better and better!

 

[zinger1457]

Mmmm...I think your photo-eyes are about to go. I had this problem too. It was intermittent at first, and then finally failed completely. The garage door would open but not shut; it would instantly retract it self on the down command. Replacing the two photo eyes cured my ills completely.

Don't believe the problem was with the sensors, the wired wall controller always worked, only had issues when using the remotes. Anyway, whatever the problem was it seems to be working fine now.

 

[rbmrtn]

The drivers side window on the car started acting up. It would go down then not up, sometimes partway then not at all etc.

Dealer wanted ~$350 for it. I ordered the motor for $60 online, took the door apart, replaced the motor, reassembled. Working fine now.

 

[Cobra9777]

We have an old 1970s Whirlpool ice machine. It's the kind that mounts under-counter in a space that probably had a trash compactor originally. It makes incredible crystal clear ice cubes that are always fresh and delicious. It's been my life's work to keep this thing producing.

The most common repair is when the wire cutter grid breaks every 2-3 years. This is due to white crusty mineral deposits around the edges which eventually make the wire brittle. The wire is a very specific gauge and alloy. I was able to find a supplier online and bought a large quantity.

Today's repair is different. The machine was producing ice as usual, but was making increasingly loud grinding sounds when the water-circulating pump was running. I assumed it was a bad bearing on the motor, so I researched what I needed and ordered a couple online for about $4.00. When they arrived I disassembled everything but when testing the motor, it ran fine... smooth and quiet. I started to reassemble the motor and pump and quickly discovered the problem.

Parts of the motor had been encrusted in the same crusty white mineral deposits and 2 of the 4 motor mounts had actually broken off. I found the bits of metal embedded in the crusty debris. This caused the motor to tilt very slightly to one side causing the shaft to rub against a plastic housing. Friction from the shaft had enlarged the hole in the plastic housing that the shaft passed through. I used a file to enlarge the hole a bit more so the shaft would rotate freely and not rub on the housing. Reassembled everything and it works perfectly.

Obviously, I'll need to replace the motor eventually. But until then, I think I'll just make a point to clean off the crusty white stuff more frequently. I usually only do that every 2-3 years when I repair the cutter grid and run a full cleaning cycle with phosphoric acid.

 

[Nunthewiser]

Replaced the front struts on my 91 Jetta. Wow..what a difference. Made more good use of a Moog strut compressor I bought already well used 5years ago. Found out that one of the outboard CV boots had ripped, so returned that axle to Carquest under lifetime warranty. The guy then told me the warranty would only be 3 years/36k on the reman part.

I got to wondering if this is legal, as I had a contract with Carwuest for a lifetime warranty, and now they are unilaterally changing the terms. So I looked up the Magnussen Moss Act, or whatever it was...and dozed off...

 

[travelover]

.........I got to wondering if this is legal, as I had a contract with Carwuest for a lifetime warranty, and now they are unilaterally changing the terms. So I looked up the Magnussen Moss Act, or whatever it was...and dozed off...

Sears did this on some of their tools years ago, too, and I'm still pi$$ed.

 

[Tom52]

My 2003 Silverado pick up has a 5 speed blower for the heater/AC. A couple of years ago I noticed the lowest speed (setting 1 on the dash switch) did not seem to work. Then about a year ago the second lowest blower setting also quit working. Not a really big problem but sort of inconvenient. Last week speed 3 gave out so I was left with only the really high settings of 4 and 5. That is not acceptable because you either have no circulation or you get blasted.

I did a web search on replacement of the blower motor resistor and saw a couple of YouTube videos. This was not a super difficult job to replace but the disconnecting the electrical plug from the blower is a bear. The connection is at the back of the blower, very close to the firewall. The other problem was finding the correct replacement part at the local O'Reilly's. It took about 45 minutes and several parts counterpersons to come up with the correct part. Total cost was just under $59.

The toughest thing is trying to get my nearly 63 year old body to contort down under the dash to get to this thing. But now all 5 blower speeds are working again. Probably took about two hours total to replace the part. I expect I saved at least $250 over what a dealer would have charged for labor, plus they would have charged a premium for the part as well.

 

[ERD50]

My 2003 Silverado pick up has a 5 speed blower for the heater/AC. ...

The toughest thing is trying to get my nearly 63 year old body to contort down under the dash to get to this thing. But now all 5 blower speeds are working again. Probably took about two hours total to replace the part. I expect I saved at least $250 over what a dealer would have charged for labor, plus they would have charged a premium for the part as well.

Good job.

I've been thinking about all these blower speeds in cars lately. It would seem that an electronic speed control would be cheaper these days than a switch and big bulky resistors. And for a repair, since your fan worked on the top speed, I wonder if a speed control could have been added to the "high" speed - that might have been an easier fix. Though it would require some research into the proper controls, but I bet they are out there.

eit/add: An example -

http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Controll..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=0TC963ZSW9C4A7NHT8WH



-ERD50

 

[travelover]

......Though it would require some research into the proper controls, but I bet they are out there.

-ERD50

This is what controls the fan speed on my tractor heater.

Universal DC10 60V PWM HHO RC Motor Speed Regulator Controller Switch 20A New | eBay

 

[John Galt III]

Currently planning how to level my heat pump which is outside on a concrete slab. The slab is leaning toward one corner. The lean is not as bad as other heat pumps I see around here, but it bugs me. Maybe it isn't even hurting anything. Need to find a long enough crowbar type of tool and a flat piece of wood to lever it on, to get the corner up, have someone hold it up while I shovel and pack lots of dirt under it. Then no more worries about parts wearing out early due to not being level. On the other hand, this Spring the frozen ground heaved so much that it was actually leaning toward the opposite corner, until it thawed out and went back to normal. Maybe I'll just leave it alone.

 

[ERD50]

This is what controls the fan speed on my tractor heater.

Universal DC10 60V PWM HHO RC Motor Speed Regulator Controller Switch 20A New | eBay

Looks good. Cheap, and I like that they remote the potentiometer on wires/connector. Makes mounting more flexible.

-ERD50

 

[twestern]

Son was complaining about gas smell in his 1998 Honda Civic. The local repair gas station quoted $700 to replace the gas tank. Sounded really high to me. Ordered the replacement gas tank after finding the pin hole leak in it. Took me 3 hours to do the job. Lots of rusted parts. Probably a good estimate by the local repair station. It surprised me that the gas tank was only held in place by two straps. $300 for the new gas tank plus 4 hours of my time.

I enjoyed doing it, but should have let the gas station do the work.

 

[papadad111]

Your recent repair?

My furnace went out. Went to turn it on for the winter and noticed the thermostat touch screen wasn't working. Replaced 2x 24v transformers and air handling unit control board and an electronic thermostats. Am out 100 bucks.

Still no love. Heater won't fire ... 24v Transformer overheats and burns/ blows up. The fan blows air continuously. Can not turn it off unless I power off the entire system.

The air handler and heater exchanger is a Carrier brand, date code says its is from 1988. The outside AC Air compressor is newish, maybe 10-12 years old.

After spending 100 bucks to try to repair it myself, getting basically no where, and since it's getting cold and the gas log can't hear the entire house , and heat is important and DW and DS are now complaining..... I think I'm to the point of calling in an expert and likely replacing it.

27 years is pretty good service life isn't it ?

What should I expect to pay for a new propane high efficiency heater /ventilation / electric air conditioner for a 2000 sf home, installed ? Ballpark ? Just don't want to get ripped off too bad.

 

[ERD50]

...Replaced 2x 24v transformers and air handling unit control board and an electronic thermostats. Am out 100 bucks.

Still no love. Heater won't fire ... 24v Transformer overheats and burns/ blows up. The fan blows air continuously. Can not turn it off unless I power off the entire system. ...

Sure sounds like a control board problem, overloading the transformer - but you replaced all that. Not something anyone can troubleshoot from a distance though. I think you'd really need to troubleshoot it step-wise. W/o thermostat calling for heat, fan disconnected - what is the load on the xfmr? Step by step through each component. Not trivial, even for an experienced tech in some cases.

Cost of a new system is dependent on so many variables, hard to even give a range.

-ERD50

 

[meierlde]

My furnace went out. Went to turn it on for the winter and noticed the thermostat touch screen wasn't working. Replaced 2x 24v transformers and air handling unit control board and an electronic thermostats. Am out 100 bucks.

Still no love. Heater won't fire ... 24v Transformer overheats and burns/ blows up. The fan blows air continuously. Can not turn it off unless I power off the entire system.

The air handler and heater exchanger is a Carrier brand, date code says its is from 1988. The outside AC Air compressor is newish, maybe 10-12 years old.

After spending 100 bucks to try to repair it myself, getting basically no where, and since it's getting cold and the gas log can't hear the entire house , and heat is important and DW and DS are now complaining..... I think I'm to the point of calling in an expert and likely replacing it.

27 years is pretty good service life isn't it ?

What should I expect to pay for a new propane high efficiency heater /ventilation / electric air conditioner for a 2000 sf home, installed ? Ballpark ? Just don't want to get ripped off too bad.

A more important metric is the btus of the unit. As you imply you would also be replacing the outdoor unit as it is likley an r22 unit and refrigerant is getting expensive for the older r22 units. Is it a heatpump/ backup gas furnace or just an a/c furnace. With the btu units you can get an idea of the base price of the components and add a significant percent for dealer overhead as well as installation labor.(60 to 100% depending on region etc)
If replacing call 3 dealers and see what system they quote and go from there. For the nonce electric space heaters are not to expensive since it may take time for the system to arrive and be installed. A few 1500 w heaters will keep the inside bearable if you use them in rooms folks are in.

 

[samclem]

As you imply you would also be replacing the outdoor unit as it is likley an r22 unit and refrigerant is getting expensive for the older r22 units.

I'm not sure the AC (inside evaporator or outside unit) would be affected or need replacing if this is just a problem with the propane-fired furnace. The AC unit might be good for many, many more years, though I'm sure the HVAC salesman will be happy to sell him a new one.

Regarding cost to replace the furnace: Very hard to say. Yep, 27 years is pretty good. I wouldn't automatically buy a very high-efficiency unit. The flues for one of the newer, high-efficiency "condensing furnaces" are entirely different from your present unit (they are PVC, and include an intake pipe as well as one for exhaust). Usually it's not a problem, but in some installations it can be troublesome/expensive to run the new flues and it might make sense to go with a lower-efficiency unit.

Here's a good site for seeing what HVAC equipment costs. If you are handy, you could buy the equipment and do it yourself (subject to any local laws, permit requirements, etc). Prices don't vary much for additional BTUs, the major increases come with higher efficiencies and multi-stage blowers, etc. You can spend from $600 to over $2000 on the furnace equipment, according to the prices at that site. If you need/want a fancier air filter, etc, that would be more expensive. As you'll see going to 97% efficient adds a lot of cost compared to slightly lower efficiency, so you'll want to price that out and see if it makes sense depending on what you expect to pay for propane. (e.g. 60K BTU single-stage 92% furnace = $728, 60K modulating burner, variable speed blower, 97% = $1,262. )

 

[meierlde]

The efficiency of the furnace needed depends on the location, and how much cold there is in MN for example the highest efficiency furnace makes sense while in Houston not nearly so much. Note that it is also possible to use a propane furnace as a backup to a heat pump also. (in particular in the southern us) Days at 40 make the heat pump more efficient than any furnace but a larger number of 20 degrees days needing backup heat, argue for the more efficient backup furnace.

 

[zinger1457]

Sink Repair

One of my bathroom sinks has a dime size paint chip, no rust showing up yet. Does anyone have any experience using one of the porcelain repair kits found in the big box stores? Any recommendation? I'm guessing the biggest issue would be getting a good color match but even if it was off a little it would still look better than it does now.

 

[Nodak]

When I moved back into my house one of the fawcets in the bathtub was dripping badly. I've replaced many fawcet washers over the years so thought it would be no problem. I discovered that it was an old washerless setup from 1954 when the house was built and parts were not available. With all the work I had to do unpacking I called a plumber. In an hour and a half he had it fixed and I got a bill for $500.

 

[papadad111]

I'm not sure the AC (inside evaporator or outside unit) would be affected or need replacing if this is just a problem with the propane-fired furnace. The AC unit might be good for many, many more years, though I'm sure the HVAC salesman will be happy to sell him a new one.

Here's a good site for seeing what HVAC equipment costs. If you are handy, you could buy the equipment and do it yourself (subject to any local laws, permit requirements, etc). Prices don't vary much for additional BTUs, the major increases come with higher efficiencies and multi-stage blowers, etc. You can spend from $600 to over $2000 on the furnace equipment, according to the prices at that site. If you need/want a fancier air filter, etc, that would be more expensive. As you'll see going to 97% efficient adds a lot of cost compared to slightly lower efficiency, so you'll want to price that out and see if it makes sense depending on what you expect to pay for propane. (e.g. 60K BTU single-stage 92% furnace = $728, 60K modulating burner, variable speed blower, 97% = $1,262. )

Thanks, Did I miss the site you referenced? That would be helpful. The furnace today sits in the garage, which was converted to a big game room....ideally if I go with a new one, id like to extend the duct work and get the furnace into the bigger, new garage -- safety wise I think it's better and they may have to move it anyway to be up to building codes.

Thanks ERD50 -- Yes, already been through a couple transformers and a new air handling control board. What is strange is that the 120V side is what is burning out, not the 24V side on the transformer. Both control boards (original and new) resulted in same burned transformer. So, something is causing the 120V side of the transformer to get hot and burn up. I can ohm out the 24V side and it shows 12 ohms... the 120V side is open circuit. Can also smell transformer burn smell.... same on all three transformers (original and 2 purchased transformers).

A service call is in order. Not really inclined to replace it. My old house had a 32 year old furnace and it was going strong. Not super high efficiency, but for what propane costs now days...it's not critical at this point to be super high efficient. Was hoping maybe for a big tax credit when changing systems....

I'll call around to see if I can get an HVAC guy in here. I do not trust many tradesmen... too many shady characters trying to make a quick buck off of uneducated home owners. I'll definitely do the 3 to 5 quotes to see where i land.

I hate being "defeated" with repairs - I really enjoy the DIY aspect and love to save money.

 

[samclem]

Thanks, Did I miss the site you referenced? That would be helpful.

The link is in the blue underlined part of my post. Here it is as a separate link.

https://www.alpinehomeair.com

I don't have any association with the company, except as a satisfied customer. The brands they sell (Goodman, etc) are good quality and well known among industrial/commercial specifiers. They lack the advertising and overhead of many of the common residential retail brands, but share many major components with them.