Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[Sunset]

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.

Of course you already cleaned the coils on the fridge.

Maybe try squirting some warm, diluted bleach solution down the drain tube, perhaps there is growth in there that only takes a little freezing to blow it.

 

[Time2]

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.

I think it is a design issue, I didn't have that problem with the 20 year old single handle unit I replaced!

 

[doneat54]

Well not a recent repair, but a recent use. Bought this in 2019, "Used twice, then stored indoors for 4 years, won't start $150" Offered $125 and they took the deal. Probably less than 30 mins to drain the tank of stinky gas, pulled the carb, blew out the passages with carb cleaner and then compressed air.

Now it starts on the first pull every time.


15 inch snow fall yesterday. Fortunately we were on the cold side of the storm (16 degrees at noon) and the snow was very light and easy to move.

 

[Koogie]

Well not a recent repair, but a recent use. Bought this in 2019, "Used twice, then stored indoors for 4 years, won't start $150" Offered $125 and they took the deal. Probably less than 30 mins to drain the tank of stinky gas, pulled the carb, blew out the passages with carb cleaner and then compressed air.

Now it starts on the first pull every time.


15 inch snow fall yesterday. Fortunately we were on the cold side of the storm (16 degrees at noon) and the snow was very light and easy to move.

Mustie1, is that you ?

 

[Telly]

Mustie1, is that you ?

Ha Ha Ha! Lately, I've been speeding through his inevitable carb cleanouts. He does a great job, but I've seen enough carbs... I'm now on a youtube Low-Carb diet

 

[atmsmshr]

Replaced the AC compressor and condenser on my son's SUV. Refurbed Power Steering system just because it was removed for the job. Three days and all is well again.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Ha Ha Ha! Lately, I've been speeding through his inevitable carb cleanouts. He does a great job, but I've seen enough carbs... I'm now on a youtube Low-Carb diet

My latest project has me watching videos on manual tire changing techniques, I guess that makes me no carb, high flat.

 

[mountainsoft]

Which style of drain tube do you have?

Straight down to the drain pan I think. There may be a slight backward bend at the top, but otherwise it's straight down.

No problems for the last 16 years, now it's frozen over twice in a month.

 

[JoeWras]

Straight down to the drain pan I think. There may be a slight backward bend at the top, but otherwise it's straight down.

No problems for the last 16 years, now it's frozen over twice in a month.

16 years may be a clue. I'm thinking you could be seeing the start of a refrigerant issue. When your refrigerant gets low, the compressor will have to run more, which paradoxically causes more freezing, especially in areas that "need a break" from the constant freeze. And you said it runs all the time.

I'm just guessing here... Unfortunately, if true, your best bet may be a new fridge. But as you say, these things are hard to find right now. I think your replacing the fan is a good last try. That could be the problem instead of low refrigerant and could lead to the same always-running issue.

BTW, I had a Whirlpool with the duck bill drain and had to deal with it every 2 years or so. A tiny bit of cat hair would blow up in there, and then that started the cascade of clogging it. But this issue started from the outset, and not 16 years later.

 

[Surewhitey]

One of our kitchen drawer glides stopped wanting to self close... Replaced & working perfectly again. One worked, one didn't. Just too much for the 1 working one to make the closure.

Not a repair, but I gave our coffee table set to a needy friend and had to replace it. Having some leftover walnut, I made DW a custom "zoom" table.

 

[mountainsoft]

16 years may be a clue. I'm thinking you could be seeing the start of a refrigerant issue. When your refrigerant gets low, the compressor will have to run more, which paradoxically causes more freezing, especially in areas that "need a break" from the constant freeze. And you said it runs all the time.

I'm just guessing here... Unfortunately, if true, your best bet may be a new fridge. But as you say, these things are hard to find right now. I think your replacing the fan is a good last try. That could be the problem instead of low refrigerant and could lead to the same always-running issue.

The condenser fan is my last try. If it still doesn't work right we'll start shopping for a new fridge. There's not much left other than refrigerant issues.

We don't have any pets and the drain comes out clean once it is thawed out. I've even run string trimmer line down the tube a few times to make sure something wasn't stuck in there.

At least the fridge is broke in a working condition (i.e. keeps things cold). It's probably using more energy running all the time, but there's no immediate urgency if we have to wait for a new fridge.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I have not attempted my repair yet since I have no clue how to fix a sagging shower door. Looking for your expert help..
Lots of videos on the internet but none look exactly like my old door. Most show an L shaped bracket inside each corner of the door, mine just has a long screw. I did start to loosen the screw on each corner but it looked like the door might come apart so I chickened out and re tightened it. I attached some photos, can anyone talk me through this, I'm sure it's a simple fix. I have not used this shower in 5 years due to this problem. It's easy to kind of lift open door from outside but once inside it's really hard to get back out again, it's scary tight. The screws on the wall hinge side just spin, I can't tighten them down

 

[JoeWras]

Retiredandlovingit: it may be time for a new door. I had that style too. It is obsolete. And since there's age on it, that's part of the problem.

Despite that, I have a few ideas for your fix. First, the screws in the door itself are just to hold the door frame together. If the door is square, then there's not much to do. Check the square by carefully measuring each diagonal. If the same, stop. Otherwise, you could mess with them a bit, but as you found out, you shouldn't take it apart. Rather, tighten a turn or loosen a turn on the diagonals.

You mentioned something key. The screws into the wall just spin. Uh oh. So, those are holding the hinge. That's not good because it means the hinge is pulling away from the wall. Even a 1/16" at the top can translate into a messy door closing because the hinge probably pulls more than that. Those pretty much have to be secure. [-]And your only solution there is to get a proper anchor in the wall. And from your pictures, that's difficult to do unless you can take off the frame.[/-]

Wait, looked at the pictures again. The hinge isn't against the wall, but rather a spacer. Now you got to find what's behind there. Maybe the sheet metal screw stripped. You could try a #10 instead of a #8, for example, or whatever the next size up is. It is a $1 try and worth a shot.

This is hard to diagnose from a distance.

 

[Boho]

It's not clear what screws he means by "The screws on the wall hinge side just spin." And I don't know whether the heads of the screws that go into the wall are visible. He may just need a larger diameter screw.

 

[JoeWras]

It's not clear what screws he means by "The screws on the wall hinge side just spin." And I don't know whether the screws that go into the wall are visible. He may just need a larger diameter screw.

Yeah, I agree. I was updating my reply probably when you wrote this, so we are thinking the same idea.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

HA HA, I'm a "SHE" that's why my terminology is wrong, sorry about that. I am always game to try any repair needed and usually can fix anything but this one has me stumped.
If I lift the door up I can see that hinge moving back to the left and I can close the door easily and when I let go it sags right again so I think we are on the right track. I could pull out a couple of these sheet metal screws and take them to the hardware store to get 1 size up. I'l buy 10 and then just replace the top one and see if helps. Most but not all of the screws from top to bottom are spinning or stripped, they won't tighten. I did look in the very top frame of the stall and it does have that L shaped adjustable corner bracket that I see in some videos but unsure if that would have anything to do with the adjustment of the door or just the shower stall frame. Will post back probably tomorrow, thanks

 

[Boho]

If I lift the door up I can see that hinge moving back to the left and I can close the door easily and when I let go it sags right again so I think we are on the right track. I could pull out a couple of these sheet metal screws and take them to the hardware store to get 1 size up.

A washer under the loose screws may be enough to fix it. Then different threads will engage the sheet metal. You can test this by making a washer out of cardboard or something before you buy anything.

 

[Buckeye]

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."

I had to have a tooth pulled because of a 20-year old failed root canal that became infected. My endodentist saved another infected root canal tooth but he basically refused to work on this one because he said I would just be mad when it failed and I had to pay to get an implant after paying for a redo. How's that for an honest guy!

The implant is being done by my (new) dentist. It will cost $3480 and my portion is $2,102. That's the extraction, graft, $515 index device used to perfectly position the implant (that is not covered at all), and the implant. This dentist has ALL the latest and greatest tech. He does a 3-d scan for free because it helps him do his job correctly. I'm using my VADIP Delta Dental insurance I purchase from the VA for $44 per month because I am a (non-retiree) veteran.

 

[Buckeye]

One of our kitchen drawer glides stopped wanting to self close... Replaced & working perfectly again. One worked, one didn't. Just too much for the 1 working one to make the closure.

Not a repair, but I gave our coffee table set to a needy friend and had to replace it. Having some leftover walnut, I made DW a custom "zoom" table.

Very nice!

 

[NateW]

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.

Did you verify that the resitance of the defrost coil is correct, or at least not infinite (indicating it has a break). If it's heating it should be ok.

 

[mountainsoft]

Did you verify that the resitance of the defrost coil is correct, or at least not infinite (indicating it has a break). If it's heating it should be ok.

I was going to check the resistance, but managed to catch it in a defrost cycle. It is heating up so all good there, and we never have ice buildup inside the freezer (other than that drain).

At this point, we're just going to live with it for a while and see what happens. The freezer and fridge both maintain proper temperatures. Except for the fact that it runs all the time, everything works normally. If we still have issues in a month or two, or the drain freezes over again, then we'll look into replacing the fridge.

On another topic, we went to take our Christmas photos and discovered the flash on our camera stopped working. I even tried a factory reset and set the flash to always fire and it still doesn't work. Thankfully we have another camera we used for Christmas photos, but I'm shopping for a new camera today.