Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[Music Lover]

I've heard of power surges destroying appliances..

A power surge from a lightning strike on a hydro pole close to their house fried the electronic control panel in my parent's furnace. Their computer which was on at the time was unaffected.

 

[travelover]

......... It may just be coincidence, but it seems odd so many things are failing around the same time.......

Have you checked voltage at various outlets on either side of the transformer? Could be a loose neutral wire in the service box or at the pole.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Good job! I don't envy you! I paid my dues working on rusty cars in an unheated detached garage, and outside before that. Moved to the land of no salt over 30 years ago, brought 2 cars with us. After I replaced those, no more salty cars for me! No more wondering if every bolt was going to snap, or its head rusted too badly. Or finding new holes in places they aren't supposed to be.

I worked with a guy about 1974, that on his way to work on 3 different days his old rusty 60s Pontiac dropped onto the pavement while driving, completely separating from the car: gas tank; side mirror; door! The window was down in the door, and survived. The door was roped back on, not to be opened again. The gas tank went back up again, a bit dented but still usable. The side mirror, glass broken, could not go on again, as there was no solid metal anywhere near where it used to attach. A couple years earlier, a girl was driving her boyfriend's 56 Chevy to work. Collector car? Ha! Except for the transmission tunnel, the front floor pan was gone, and two road signs were face-down with some sheet metal screws on the edges to hold them in place. We were a bit concerned for her about the remaining steel around the mounting points for the front bench seat...

My dad owned a 1995 Ford Taurus from new until he quit driving in 2005. It never saw a winter, but it spent the winter months in a carport in Lake Worth, Fla. I don't know if it was the ocean nearby, but that car had rust! Brake lines, oil pan, gas tank... I drove it as a winter beater for a couple seasons. It was exciting having the brake line pop when I was coming down a freeway off ramp.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

On my 2003 BMW 530 I recently experienced the "trifecta" of dashboard lights: ABS, Traction Control, and brake warning lights all illuminated.

I thought I might be in for an expensive repair but after some research I found I could remove the ABS module (ok, needed a TORX screwdriver that I did not have) and send it off to be rebuilt. Apparently some of the connections fail at about my car's mileage due to heat.

Well I sent my ABS module off to be rebuilt, reinstalled and the lights cleared. Cost $179.

Good thing since it was time for safety inspection, which it passed.

Hmm!
I have a similar but intermittent problem with my 2009 Vibe (=Toyota Matrix).
Figured it was a dirty or wet connector.

 

[JoeWras]

Hmm!
I have a similar but intermittent problem with my 2009 Vibe (=Toyota Matrix).
Figured it was a dirty or wet connector.

DW's got a 2009 Vibe. I need to mark this converstation.

Hey Ed_The_Gypsy: watch out for your power steering. DW's motor went kaput.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

While a balky ABS unit makes a lot of sense for a BMW, we had a Mazda that kicked on the traction control light because the runner flaps in the intake manifold were sticking. I know the engine intake is far removed from the wheels, but ... that said, ABS and other brake lights remained off in that case. And I got no OBD2 error codes. It was early in the OBD2 era, though.

 

[Momcpa]

Our repair......Yesterday afternoon the furnace quit. Glad it's not the middle of January. (The house stayed reasonably warm due to our somewhat mild midwest weather this week.) We bought a new thermostat and tried to install it last night. We got the wires on the wall thermostat re-attached as per the instructions. One wire had to be changed to a different position than where it was on the old thermostat. Then the instructions told us to change the wires in a similar pattern on the furnace. We opened the side panel on that and decided there were WAY too many wires to be comfortable moving one or two. Repair man came this morning. We were proceeding correctly, just needed that last step to make it work. While he was here, he cleaned the flame jet/port (whatever it's called), so it was time that we had it serviced anyway.

(additional info: If we had requested a repair man yet last night, it would have been an additional $200. No thanks.)

 

[sengsational]

Replaced the valve to tank hose on a toilet yesterday. I jostled the hose cleaning, and it began to leak between the hose and the metal fitting it was crimped onto. It started leaking at both ends! I installed that hose 20 years ago, I suppose, but replacing toilet tank hoses are not on my list of "preventive maintenance"... I thought they lasted "forever".

The HomeDepot was selling braided hoses, but not stainless braid...some kind of plastic braid. Lots of different lengths, but the hoses in-stock were all the same "technology". Talk about not lasting forever...plastic braid instead of stainless. If it weren't for wanting to get this out of the way before Thanksgiving, I might have walked out empty handed and ordered something online that would stand a better chance of outlasting me.

 

[Koolau]

Good job! I don't envy you! I paid my dues working on rusty cars in an unheated detached garage, and outside before that. Moved to the land of no salt over 30 years ago, brought 2 cars with us. After I replaced those, no more salty cars for me! No more wondering if every bolt was going to snap, or its head rusted too badly. Or finding new holes in places they aren't supposed to be.

I worked with a guy about 1974, that on his way to work on 3 different days his old rusty 60s Pontiac dropped onto the pavement while driving, completely separating from the car: gas tank; side mirror; door! The window was down in the door, and survived. The door was roped back on, not to be opened again. The gas tank went back up again, a bit dented but still usable. The side mirror, glass broken, could not go on again, as there was no solid metal anywhere near where it used to attach. A couple years earlier, a girl was driving her boyfriend's 56 Chevy to work. Collector car? Ha! Except for the transmission tunnel, the front floor pan was gone, and two road signs were face-down with some sheet metal screws on the edges to hold them in place. We were a bit concerned for her about the remaining steel around the mounting points for the front bench seat...

ca. 1965, riding with best HS bud in his 1951 Plymouth. It wasn't even all that rusty. We hit a bump in the road and the car collapsed in the middle (frame simply gave way). Everything locked up although it was possible to haul the thing to the dump where we retrieved the more-or-less useable tires. I think he got $25 or so salvage for his $75 car after 10K miles. Such a deal, though YMMV.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

ca. 1965, riding with best HS bud in his 1951 Plymouth. It wasn't even all that rusty. We hit a bump in the road and the car collapsed in the middle (frame simply gave way). Everything locked up although it was possible to haul the thing to the dump where we retrieved the more-or-less useable tires. I think he got $25 or so salvage for his $75 car after 10K miles. Such a deal, though YMMV.

I bet the frame made some sparks when it hit the pavement!

 

[Koolau]

I bet the frame made some sparks when it hit the pavement!

Oddly enough, the frame buckled but did not break and it didn't quite hit the pavement. I think the drive train may have stopped the total collapse. It was amazing how quickly an engine-3 speed-drive shaft can lock up. Lots of locked wheel tire noise - but no sparks. Something we like to joke about now - not so funny when it happened. YMMV.

 

[sengsational]

Anti-Scald for Kitchen Sink

Wow, nothing in the repair thread in almost a month! Your abodes must be just falling apart by now, hehehe!

I did this little anti-scald project the other day: made it so the hot water in the kitchen sink didn't burn our hands. Other places in the house, it's easy to adjust the temperature, but the single lever kitchen faucet is hard to keep the flow high while mixing in enough cold to keep from hurting the hands. The water heater is up pretty high so after two or three showers in a row, we won't leave the last guy in the cold. Besides, I bought the value to analyze how it worked. It's really interesting how it works...there's a wax substance that, when heated, expands pushes a pin out something like 1/2 inch or so...enough to reposition a cylinder which unblocks the flow of the cold and/or blocks the flow of the hot. So I had the valve already...just needed to buy a few adapters and the hoses. Of course I bought the wrong adapter , but I was able to drill it out and grind it smooth and make it work. Very surprised it actually that it isn't leaking! Feel free to ignore the video...it's 2 minute of your life you'll never get back

 

[Boho]

This dresser handle repair isn't recent but I'm thinking about an upgrade. I have an old jewelry making kiln that, if I replace the broken cord, I could use to soften the handle so I can safely twist it and increase the size of the gap. Then I could drill holes and insert a peg, soften it again, and un-twist it and insert the other end of the peg. Then I have to fix the scratch in the wood.

 

[finnski1]

Well I didn't repair anything today but I broke something so I guess I'll now repair it.
Ran the driver side mirror into the garage door opening and smashed it.
Just ordered a new one which will be here Saturday.
Couldn't see as my windows were fogged up while we were in a near whiteout. First big NH storm in almost 2 years.
Also went to the dentist yesterday to fix a tooth decay under a bridge and ended up with a tooth extraction and had a bone graft done.
8-10 sutures in there. Ouch. Literally.
Now have to let it heal for 6 months and either do 2 separate tooth implants and a crown($9-10 grand) or a partial denture(unknown cost.
Not my idea of a great way to "blow that dough."

 

[KarlH]

I just replaced a pin spring on DD's Bari Sax, which is a loaner from her high school. Since I had to sign for a 10k replacement cost, I got permission to perform the repair. Using a spring pliers, I removed the old broken one and was lucky to find a replacement in my kit. Her Octave key is now working properly... if only band weren't remote.

 

[NW-Bound]

Wow, nothing in the repair thread in almost a month! Your abodes must be just falling apart by now, hehehe!

I did this little anti-scald project the other day: made it so the hot water in the kitchen sink didn't burn our hands. Other places in the house, it's easy to adjust the temperature, but the single lever kitchen faucet is hard to keep the flow high while mixing in enough cold to keep from hurting the hands. The water heater is up pretty high so after two or three showers in a row, we won't leave the last guy in the cold. Besides, I bought the value to analyze how it worked. It's really interesting how it works...there's a wax substance that, when heated, expands pushes a pin out something like 1/2 inch or so...enough to reposition a cylinder which unblocks the flow of the cold and/or blocks the flow of the hot. So I had the valve already...just needed to buy a few adapters and the hoses. Of course I bought the wrong adapter , but I was able to drill it out and grind it smooth and make it work. Very surprised it actually that it isn't leaking! Feel free to ignore the video...it's 2 minute of your life you'll never get back

Yes, the action of the little wax cartridge is the same as that used in thermostats for engine coolant recirculation in car engines.

My solar water heater system had the same type of mixing valve right at the tank, because I want to set the pump cut-off temperature to near boiling to get the max hot water possible for storage. It would cause serious burns if the water was used straight from the tank.

The darn valves always corroded and leaked, and needed to be replaced after a few years. Perhaps it was the salt from the water softener that hastened their demise.

 

[rk911]

our 2003 Jeep Wrangler , after 17-years and 100,000+ miles, needed the original rear brakes replaced...pads, cylinders and shoes. replaced the original shocks last year.

 

[Time2]

I did this little anti-scald project the other day: made it so the hot water in the kitchen sink didn't burn our hands. Other places in the house, it's easy to adjust the temperature, but the single lever kitchen faucet is hard to keep the flow high while mixing in enough cold to keep from hurting the hands.

Hi sengsational, Is that the same faucet that was on sale at Home Depot and discussed on E-R earlier. I bought one of those, can't remember what it looks like, I haven't installed it yet. OK I went to Home Depot to check, it sure looks the same.
Anyway, I have really come to dislike the Delta single handle I have nowbecause it is very difficult to fine tune the temperature. We also run our water heater a little high. And then today, my wife is complaining it needs to be off in just the right position or it drips. A few months after we first got it, I complained to Delta, the sent new internal parts, they fixed nothing. So, I bought the new non-Delta faucet.
It sounds like you are telling me, this one is no easier to adjust the water outlet temperature. How do you like it otherwise?

 

[jazz4cash]

I decided to do some PM on our 8 yr old LG top load washer. I’m not a big fan of these water saver models but this worked well since new except the metal around the bleach dispenser is quite rusty. I guess they just couldn’t bother with any type of rustproofing even though chlorine is highly corrosive. When I checked online for complaints I found there is a class action for this problem. Other comments indicate it is a common issue for many brands that use a bleach dispenser built into the rim above the drum. One guy had replaced the entire top sheet metal housing. Anyway I just scraped wire brushed and sanded down to good metal and brushed some Rustoleum rusty metal primer on. I got some auto quality touch up spray paint but I totally mis matched the proper shade of gray. A tip I found online is to use silicone caulk between the plastic bleach cup and the metal housing to keep bleach from running into that seam. I’m gonna challenge DW to find a better match shade of spray paint. I’ll be happy if it lasts 4 more years even if the rust returns.

 

[JoeWras]

I've spent the last few weeks doing all kinds of little stuff, from fixing and cleaning birdhouses to stopping my steps from creaking.

I've been pleased that I've been able to use a lot of material I saved through the years. I had a few treated 2x4 remains that were just long enough for one project. I had old hardware cloth that I could use on my chipmunk deteral project. And so on. I didn't need to go to the store, I had a bunch of stuff. Every day seemed like a lucky day!

So finally, all that crap I've been saving, even that 6" piece of PVC pipe, has come in handy. I feel exonerated for my pack rat behavior, for once!

 

[Jerry1]

I did this little anti-scald project the other day: made it so the hot water in the kitchen sink didn't burn our hands. Other places in the house, it's easy to adjust the temperature, but the single lever kitchen faucet is hard to keep the flow high while mixing in enough cold to keep from hurting the hands.

Hi sengsational, Is that the same faucet that was on sale at Home Depot and discussed on E-R earlier. I bought one of those, can't remember what it looks like, I haven't installed it yet. OK I went to Home Depot to check, it sure looks the same.
Anyway, I have really come to dislike the Delta single handle I have nowbecause it is very difficult to fine tune the temperature. We also run our water heater a little high. And then today, my wife is complaining it needs to be off in just the right position or it drips. A few months after we first got it, I complained to Delta, the sent new internal parts, they fixed nothing. So, I bought the new non-Delta faucet.
It sounds like you are telling me, this one is no easier to adjust the water outlet temperature. How do you like it otherwise?

Interesting. I have a similar Delta faucet and I have the same issue. There just doesn’t seem to be a way to get warm water easily. Mostly, it’s way too hot but moving it colder results in a very small area where the water is warm. I thought it was because our water heater is set too hot. I guess that might not be the main cause. Not sure whether to pursue the temp regulator or get a new faucet. One thing we really like with the Delta is the touch to turn on/off feature.

 

[freedomatlast]

We have an Amana with the same problem. There was a problem with the drain tube design and it had to be replaced. I had a service technician do it.

Correct. The factory drain tube design looks like a duck bill on the bottom. The duck bill gets clogged with gunk and the condensate doesn't drain properly and backs up into the freezer. The new design which all of the replacements have, looks like the trap on a sink drain which is completely open on the bottom.

 

[mountainsoft]

I had to clear the drain on our Whirlpool refrigerator again yesterday. It froze over for the second time in a month. I made absolutely sure it was clear this time.

So far I've replaced the defrost timer, defrost thermostat, and temperature controller. I also cleaned all the dust bunnies from the coils under the fridge. The defrost system IS working, and it maintains the proper temperature in the fridge and freezer compartments, but the fridge still seems to run all the time.

The condenser fan runs, but it seems kind of slow to me, so I have a new fan on order. Hopefully that will fix the continual run situation.

Oh, and I somehow broke the ice maker and had to get a new one. Oops.

We thought about just getting a new fridge but they're $1000 and back ordered everywhere. The new fridges are deeper than our current one, which would stick out further into our walkway. I would have to replace the water supply valve for the ice maker with a new inset valve so the fridge could be pushed back further. That's plumbing and sheetrock work I would prefer to avoid right now. So, I'll keep this fridge going as long as I can.

 

[sengsational]

Interesting. I have a similar Delta faucet and I have the same issue. There just doesn’t seem to be a way to get warm water easily. Mostly, it’s way too hot but moving it colder results in a very small area where the water is warm.

Yes, sounds like we all discovered the same usability issue with the Delta single lever design. I never thought about tossing it and going with an alternative, but that's a pretty good option if the replacement doesn't have the same issue. That solution didn't occur to me because we found a work around to get that temperature sweet spot...a grease pencil mark on the lever hub. The comfortable temp is attainable, but a tiny range. Aligning with the mark worked OK, but kept wearing off.

Hopefully the temp control valve will keep working, long term. We have untreated soft water here, so no big mineral problem to gum up the works.

 

[freedomatlast]

I had to clear the drain on our Whirlpool refrigerator again yesterday. It froze over for the second time in a month. I made absolutely sure it was clear this time.

So far I've replaced the defrost timer, defrost thermostat, and temperature controller. I also cleaned all the dust bunnies from the coils under the fridge. The defrost system IS working, and it maintains the proper temperature in the fridge and freezer compartments, but the fridge still seems to run all the time.

The condenser fan runs, but it seems kind of slow to me, so I have a new fan on order. Hopefully that will fix the continual run situation.

Oh, and I somehow broke the ice maker and had to get a new one. Oops.

We thought about just getting a new fridge but they're $1000 and back ordered everywhere. The new fridges are deeper than our current one, which would stick out further into our walkway. I would have to replace the water supply valve for the ice maker with a new inset valve so the fridge could be pushed back further. That's plumbing and sheetrock work I would prefer to avoid right now. So, I'll keep this fridge going as long as I can.

Which style of drain tube do you have?