Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[Boho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Or did I just add to your "things I'm afraid of" list?

The stranger being a serial killer thing was already on the list. I rarely have to add things anymore. The last big one was when my joint compound made the low voltage box 1/8" deeper than code.

[Texas Proud]

This is a plumbing problem... which became 2 of them..


First, one shower faucet was getting hard to pull and close... DW wanted me to call a plumber but it is not used that much so put it off...


Then the sink faucet started to leak... only 2 1/2 years old. DW would not wait so called the plumber... he fixed it for $150... SO, asked him to fix the shower also... he got up there and could not pull out the brass cartridge... said you had to replace the whole faucet...


Well, a few weeks later I decided to tackle the job... I had a cartridge puller (which the plumber did not for some reason)... it took some effort but the cartridge finally came out... now I am putting in the new cartridge and it does NOT want to go it... well, I used a little persuader and hammered it in... put all the stuff back together and..... crap, the new one LEAKS...


So, start the process over again... use the puller to remove the cartridge and guess what? It breaks and only the center part comes out!! Now I have the brass part in with nothing to pull it out with... lucky for me I had sprayed it with oil and with needle nose pliers and a lot of twisting and tugging it finally comes out... so, the rubber gaskets were all shot and not in the channels.... so much for generic parts...



Off to Home Depot to get a refund and a new cartridge... took 40 minutes to get my refund... when I went to get a cartridge they only had 2 and BOTH had been opened and taped back together... talked to the help and he said to tell the checkout person to take $5 or $10 off (guess which one I asked for ).... paid $12 for the Moen one..


Back home and put cartridge in pretty easily, put pin in and test it out... now nice and easy to turn on and off...


Total time was almost 3 hours due to the bad part...

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Then hire an electrician, and be done with it. I estimate the chances of the electrician being a serial killer, and deciding you are his next victim, are higher than the chances of harming yourself from the charge (if any) in that capacitor if you just take the most basic of precautions. Or did I just add to your "things I'm afraid of" list? -ERD50

I got a "charge" out of this, so had to look....

Dean Corll the serial killer electrician that killed 27 people.

WARNING : don't read the link if you are bothered by horrible people doing horrible things to others.

https://www.thoughtco.com/dean-corll...murders-973163

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud This is a plumbing problem... ..... Off to Home Depot to get a refund and a new cartridge... took 40 minutes to get my refund... when I went to get a cartridge they only had 2 and BOTH had been opened and taped back together... talked to the help and he said to tell the checkout person to take $5 or $10 off (guess which one I asked for ).... paid $12 for the Moen one.. ....

Moen cartridges are guaranteed for life. They will send you a new one free.

Same with some other faucet brands.

It helps to take and save a few photos of the receipt and box for years later, but they have never asked me for them.

Nice thing is, the official parts fit well.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Stop it. That's not how this works, that's not how any of this works. Your A/C draws 7 amps, because that is what it is designed to do when connected to 230 V. That has nothing to do with that capacitor, and your body, while the AC is unplugged. That's like saying you should not go into your building, because the building is thousands of times heavier than the weight that would crush you. It's just not relevant, it is a misapplication of information that you do not understand. -ERD50

I don't have an emoji for banging your head against the wall or I would place it here.

[Mr._Graybeard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Nice work! I assume you ran a vac pump on it to get the air/moisture out before charging. Sometime the receiver/drier needs to be changed if the system is open for a while. I just replaced my Mustang's compressor and drier. Now it's nice and cold here in very humid Houston.

It was a pretty recent failure, so I figured the system was still fairly tight. I ran the vac pump for about 90 minutes to ensure any residual moisture was boiled off.

I've been slow to tackle AC because I didn't have a total grasp of how the system works. But I've topped off a system repeatedly and didn't kill it, so I figured I should test my mettle with this condenser job. In the end it was probably easier than I made it out to be.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr._Graybeard It was a pretty recent failure, so I figured the system was still fairly tight. I ran the vac pump for about 90 minutes to ensure any residual moisture was boiled off. I've been slow to tackle AC because I didn't have a total grasp of how the system works. But I've topped off a system repeatedly and didn't kill it, so I figured I should test my mettle with this condenser job. In the end it was probably easier than I made it out to be.

Yes, auto A/C is not that difficult but you need to have a set of gauges and access to a vacuum unit. I rent a vacuum pump from a local auto parts store and they refund the "rent" when I bring it back.

The hardest job on an auto A/C is if the evaporator fails as that is usually behind the dash. I replaced one on granddaughter's 2010 Focus and it was an all day job. Had to pull the dash, drop the steering column, break a bunch of plastic clips, cut my hands, swear a few times and drink a few beers.

[euro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 I don't have an emoji for banging your head against the wall or I would place it here.

This?

[Boho]

Starting at 1 min 17 sec, this pro gets a surprise from accidently starting up the AC while it's plugged in. So I guess that could have been the deadly amperage I was afraid of and not the capacitor's charge?

Then he unplugs the AC, discharges the capacitor, and uses my technique to unplug it -- with an insulated handle screwdriver (except I'd use pliers).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggOuV7KACrs

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset I got a "charge" out of this, so had to look.... Dean Corll the serial killer electrician that killed 27 people. WARNING : don't read the link if you are bothered by horrible people doing horrible things to others. https://www.thoughtco.com/dean-corll...murders-973163

That was bad, similar to our local infamous John Wayne Gacy.

If I were Boho, I'd take my chances with the (possibly) charged capacitor

-ERD50.

[Boho]

I noticed there was no drain hole in the AC then I read that in modern ACs water collects in the pan and gets splashed on the coil to cool it off and only excess will overflow out of the pan. To prevent rust there should be a valve that releases the water when you turn off the AC. I don't care if it's manual or automatic. It should stay open when the unit is off to prevent rain from accumulating. And I don't know how often there's not enough water to cool off the evaporator but maybe there should be a compartment for pouring in extra water.

[jollystomper]

Over the weekend our microwave oven began arcing with bright flashes after running for a few seconds. There was no metal in anything we were heating, so we thought, being a 10 year old item, it was on its way out and time to look for a new one.

However, the power of the internet in a way I like came through. I searched for similar problems, and the research pointed to the mica sheet that covers the magnetron. I check and ours was dirty. I cleaned it but it seemed so thin I decided it made more sense to replace it.

Although parts are not available for my microwave, mica sheets are readily available and very inexpensive. I ordered a 4 pack of mica sheets from Amazon for $5. I used the old mica sheet as a template, and in 5 minutes cut out a new one in the same shape from one of the sheets and replaced it in the microwave. No more arcing! The microwave is working fine now.

The microwave costs us $74 ten years ago, so "blowing that dough" to replace it would not have been not a big deal. But I was glad we can get more usage out of it. DW gets confused by all the whiz-bang features provided. All she wants to do is to set the desired power level and time to run. I am fine with these basic functions as well. We figure the $100 or so plus/minus we would have spent to replace it we can spend on a date night instead.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollystomper Over the weekend our microwave oven began arcing with bright flashes after running for a few seconds. There was no metal in anything we were heating, so we thought, being a 10 year old item, it was on its way out and time to look for a new one. However, the power of the internet in a way I like came through. I searched for similar problems, and the research pointed to the mica sheet that covers the magnetron. I check and ours was dirty. I cleaned it but it seemed so thin I decided it made more sense to replace it. Although parts are not available for my microwave, mica sheets are readily available and very inexpensive. I ordered a 4 pack of mica sheets from Amazon for $5. I used the old mica sheet as a template, and in 5 minutes cut out a new one in the same shape from one of the sheets and replaced it in the microwave. No more arcing! The microwave is working fine now. The microwave costs us $74 ten years ago, so "blowing that dough" to replace it would not have been not a big deal. But I was glad we can get more usage out of it. DW gets confused by all the whiz-bang features provided. All she wants to do is to set the desired power level and time to run. I am fine with these basic functions as well. We figure the $100 or so plus/minus we would have spent to replace it we can spend on a date night instead.

Excellent! Nice detective work for the mica sheet problem!

[grasshopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollystomper Over the weekend our microwave oven began arcing with bright flashes after running for a few seconds. There was no metal in anything we were heating, so we thought, being a 10 year old item, it was on its way out and time to look for a new one. However, the power of the internet in a way I like came through. I searched for similar problems, and the research pointed to the mica sheet that covers the magnetron. I check and ours was dirty. I cleaned it but it seemed so thin I decided it made more sense to replace it. Although parts are not available for my microwave, mica sheets are readily available and very inexpensive. I ordered a 4 pack of mica sheets from Amazon for $5. I used the old mica sheet as a template, and in 5 minutes cut out a new one in the same shape from one of the sheets and replaced it in the microwave. No more arcing! The microwave is working fine now. The microwave costs us $74 ten years ago, so "blowing that dough" to replace it would not have been not a big deal. But I was glad we can get more usage out of it. DW gets confused by all the whiz-bang features provided. All she wants to do is to set the desired power level and time to run. I am fine with these basic functions as well. We figure the $100 or so plus/minus we would have spent to replace it we can spend on a date night instead.

Problem with things 10 yo or more is that today a new product may cost half as much. My digital thermometer said it was time for a new battery. Battery cost $6.50, new thermometer same brand and everything $2.50. Break the 4 cup coffee carafe replacement $10, new 4 cup coffee maker $15.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grasshopper Problem with things 10 yo or more is that today a new product may cost half as much.

That's what happened with my electric drill recently. I could repair it by buying a $90 switch, or buy a new equivalent drill for $80.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister That's what happened with my electric drill recently. I could repair it by buying a $90 switch, or buy a new equivalent drill for $80.

A lot of people bemoan the "throwaway society" but I believe the issue isn't laziness, it's that manufacturing has become so efficient that the cost of an entirely new drill has become so automated that practically the only time a human being touches it is to put the finished product in a box. And maybe even that step is done by a robot. That's how they're sold so inexpensively.

But tracking, inventorying, and shipping individual parts requires a lot of expensive individual handling by people. That's my take on it anyway.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge/expertise in manufacturing will correct me if I'm mistaken.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 I'm sure someone with more knowledge/expertise in manufacturing will correct me if I'm mistaken.

Oh, I'm sure you're exactly right. And I don't bemoan the situation, I celebrate it (while shaking my head).

The first hard drive I ever bought cost me over $800 and had a capacity of a whopping 10 megabytes. The most recent SD card I bought for my camera cost less than $12 and had a capacity of 64 gigabytes. Hard not to appreciate that kind of progress!

[Time2]

Not as much a repair as construction, but, I have had our grill setting on 4 patio stones for years I finally got around to putting in forms and pouring a 6'x 6' concrete slab. My son is visiting, he did all the heaving lifting, about 1400 lbs, 80 lbs at a time. It's complete, we pulled the forms and rolled the grill back in place. I do want to install a light above the grill.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 A lot of people bemoan the "throwaway society" but I believe the issue isn't laziness, it's that manufacturing has become so efficient that the cost of an entirely new drill has become so automated that practically the only time a human being touches it is to put the finished product in a box. And maybe even that step is done by a robot. That's how they're sold so inexpensively. But tracking, inventorying, and shipping individual parts requires a lot of expensive individual handling by people. That's my take on it anyway. I'm sure someone with more knowledge/expertise in manufacturing will correct me if I'm mistaken.

My entire career was in/supporting manufacturing, and this is right on. Especially in electronics. Even repairing defects on the manufacturing line often took very specialized equipment that might cost $10,000 or more to replace a part, with special time/temperature profile settings for specific parts to provide just the right amount of heat to de-solder them, w/o overheating the rest of the board. And that wasn't even 100%. And another product might require a different tool. It just isn't feasible to have repair shops stocked with all this specialized equipment, or DIY.

I've mentioned before, I do think it has gone overboard. We could have more modularization, so that common modules could be stocked and replaced. Not for all cases, but certainly more than we have today. Just look at all the different switch panels and displays for something as common as a microwave oven, dishwasher, or clothes washer/dryer. They all do pretty much the same thing. This could be a few dozen generic/common units, with a different overlay to provide a different look to a product/brand.

One success story was when the EU pushed for USB charging for cell phones, to eliminate the waste/expense of replacing your charger every time you got a new phone. Now we have generic USB chargers that are cheap, get re-purposed to power any other USB device, and thrown out far less often, and fewer are built/bought as you just re-use your old one.

-ERD50

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 My entire career was in/supporting manufacturing, and this is right on. Especially in electronics. Even repairing defects on the manufacturing line often took very specialized equipment that might cost $10,000 or more to replace a part, with special time/temperature profile settings for specific parts to provide just the right amount of heat to de-solder them, w/o overheating the rest of the board. And that wasn't even 100%. And another product might require a different tool. It just isn't feasible to have repair shops stocked with all this specialized equipment, or DIY. I've mentioned before, I do think it has gone overboard. We could have more modularization, so that common modules could be stocked and replaced. Not for all cases, but certainly more than we have today. Just look at all the different switch panels and displays for something as common as a microwave oven, dishwasher, or clothes washer/dryer. They all do pretty much the same thing. This could be a few dozen generic/common units, with a different overlay to provide a different look to a product/brand. One success story was when the EU pushed for USB charging for cell phones, to eliminate the waste/expense of replacing your charger every time you got a new phone. Now we have generic USB chargers that are cheap, get re-purposed to power any other USB device, and thrown out far less often, and fewer are built/bought as you just re-use your old one. -ERD50

I see the problem as making something electronic when mechanical is fine. Just let me turn the dial to 3 minutes on my microwave, don't put in a board that costs $9 and them when it goes bad charge me $89 to buy it.
Same on a washer, good old mechanical timers worker great. They only time I think I got a good price on an elctronic board was for an excercise bike that my wife picked up because someone used the display as a handle and broke the PCB, I got a new one for $26 and it wasn't just a simple PCB. I have a treadmill ( another freebe the wife picked up) it would not start. I troubleshot it a part level and found a bad part, I replaced it and now it runs... FULL SPEED! So, more troubleshooting. I can buy the board, but it's $130.