Your recent repair? - 2021 to ?

[finnski1]

Neighbor out of town for medical care for a couple of months. My job was to drive cars. My better half made soup and I delivered prior to their arrival late that day.

Entering house odd musky smell ... yeah, refrigerator compressor had stopped working. Got OK from neighbor to take a look. All else was working so pulled power for a few minutes. Restarted but still no compressor (or condenser fan). Powered off and pulled covers off main control board. Powered back on and wiggled each connector. When wiggling power connector on the board that I think goes to the compressor and fan (lower right), got twitches from the fan motor - lower right. Powered off, disconnected connectors, pulled board and examined back side - nothing obvious. Flexed board back and forth - sometimes this will move pins into better contact with bad solder connections. All back together and works.

Neighbor likely to get a new refrig, but we will try to reflow the solder on the pin connectors and use as backup garage frig. Will also carefully examine the connector itself.

Nice job. I've had some luck in reflowing solder joints on boards.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Nice job. I've had some luck in reflowing solder joints on boards.

I will second that--nice job stephenson. Cold solder joints one of, if not the hardest, things to troubleshoot. There is a feeling of accomplishment after you finally find the culprit.

 

[stephenson]

Thanks - don't want to sound conspiratorial, because there is a price point to even things like PCBs, but there are likely tens of thousands of boards replaced each year due to bad solder joints - most could be avoided by better quality control, and by techs who might quickly reflow the joints on site ...

 

[stephenson]

Well ... as expected ... fix worked for a few hours, then compressor and condenser fan stopped working.

Went over this morning, pulled the board and tried to re solder (without removing the existing solder) ... just a bit of flux on each with a bit of solder added. Plugged back in and is still working after six hours ... we'll see.

I don't have high magnification tool, but the joints all looked ok with no movement. Examined the plug on board ... it did appear to have three pins of eight that were a bit angled from the others - ham fisted installer? Didnt think about it yesterday, but it was harder than it should have been plugging it back in ... dark behind the frig. Wire plug was ok.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Well ... as expected ... fix worked for a few hours, then compressor and condenser fan stopped working.

Went over this morning, pulled the board and tried to re solder (without removing the existing solder) ... just a bit of flux on each with a bit of solder added. Plugged back in and is still working after six hours ... we'll see.

Yup. You never know for sure if it's a permanent fix.

I had a top of the line Sony AVR stereo which was 10 years old when I bought on Craig's List about 8-9 years ago for $100. Everything was great for a couple of years until the audio output on the left channel would occasionally drop out. With some experimentation I found the correct spot on the side of the cabinet to lightly tap it and get it operational again. After about 6 months of this "fix", it wouldn't work anymore.

Pulled it apart, found the likely spot based on internet searching (the A/B speaker switch circuit board), and touched up a bunch of suspect solder joints. Basically did the same thing you just did with the soldering iron.

Stereo receiver worked great for about a year and a half, then same symptoms. Did a rerun of my previous repair, and worked fine again but I figured I better get something else.

I listed a bunch of old stereo gear on Craig's list (but not this receiver) and a guy came out for my subwoofer and Sony dual cassette deck. While he was here I showed him my receiver, explaining the problems and my fixes thus far. It was still working fine at that time. He asked me what I wanted for it. I said $100; he countered at $90 and I said OK.

 

[stephenson]

Shoot ... not a permanent fix ... made it about 20 hours, then stopped. Pretty sure it is still the board (since everything else seems to work) ... it isn't one of the more common issues with the defrost cycle.

Gonna give up on this, mainly because it is not mine, and also such a large piece of equipment, I don't want to take up badly needed garage space.

Couple of other extenuating factors, one I didn't know about ... the ice maker doesn't work. I did know that getting the rotted food smell out would be difficult, but not impossible.

Neighbors have ordered a replacement.

 

[CardsFan]

This morning I was reacquainted with everyone's favorite old friend, the wax ring. The repair actually went much easier than I anticipated.

And in my book, plumbing is still preferable over painting any day.

Along this line, DW recently decided she wanted new toilets in both bathrooms. These are what we got: https://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-...Elongated-Toilet-in-White-K-31674-0/312838678

Chair height and easier to clean the outside (smooth surface). Fairly easy install. Only issue was needing both of us to set the toilet, as it is heavier than a normal one. I could lift it alone, but was afraid dropping it and breaking it.

 

[njhowie]

Had a coolant leak under my car. Feared it was the water pump needing to be replaced. Determined it was a $9 O-ring on the coolant pipe going in to the water pump. Took a bit of work over a few days, but I got it done - no more leak! Since I realized I was going to be removing a bunch of stuff to get to the pipe, I also replaced some other items I couldn't normally get to and recommended at 100,000 miles - temp sensor, thermostat, gasket in thermostat housing, mass airflow sensor, oxygen sensors and a couple of heater hoses going to the thermostat housing. The hoses probably didn't need to be replaced, but they weren't coming off and it was just easier to cut them off and replace with new ones.

I'll likely attempt to replace the water pump anyhow when the weather gets nicer in the spring. Car has 140,000 miles and water pump could go any time and it wouldn't be a surprise. I told DW I intend to keep the car another 5+ years, so I have no difficulty putting some preventive maintenance money in it if it puts off having to buy a replacement car and keeps it out of the shop.

 

[stephenson]

Refrigerator Update - "Only Appliances in the Neighborhood"

Relocated the dead refrig - neighbors replaced theirs and guys dropped it here.

Messed with this thing for a day, resoldering every spot. Could only get consistency in the inconsistency of tapping on the relays - finally localized it to the power relay for the compressor/condenser fan. Resoldered, again.

Having nothing to lose, removed the top of the relay and found burned contacts - looks like it had been arcing for quite awhile. Sanded the contacts (could not find my points file used for car points). Still no workee. Sanded a LOT more, then rebent the inner frame a bit.

Working for now!

$10 part (including shipping) - may try to replace just the relay.

 

[euro]

Refrigerator Update - "Only Appliances in the Neighborhood"

Relocated the dead refrig - neighbors replaced theirs and guys dropped it here.

Messed with this thing for a day, resoldering every spot. Could only get consistency in the inconsistency of tapping on the relays - finally localized it to the power relay for the compressor/condenser fan. Resoldered, again.

Having nothing to lose, removed the top of the relay and found burned contacts - looks like it had been arcing for quite awhile. Sanded the contacts (could not find my points file used for car points). Still no workee. Sanded a LOT more, then rebent the inner frame a bit.

Working for now!

$10 part (including shipping) - may try to replace just the relay.

Well, you are certianly persistent! You have earned the "win"!

 

[ERD50]

....
Having nothing to lose, removed the top of the relay and found burned contacts - looks like it had been arcing for quite awhile. Sanded the contacts (could not find my points file used for car points). Still no workee. Sanded a LOT more, then rebent the inner frame a bit.

Working for now! ...

Wow! I guess we could call that fixing it down to the component's component level!

Yea, I'd want to replace that relay, hard to say how reliable those filed contacts and bent frame will be. Or at least buy the spare to have on hand, and just monitor it.

-ERD50

 

[Souschef]

I have a Sporty's SP200 Air band transceiver. Unfortunately, the alkaline batteries leaked and trashed the battery compartment. The company no longer has replacement battery containers.
In rumbling through the internet, I found a company that makes a NiCd packaged battery pack. All I have to do is solder the two wires to the battery pack and I will be good to go,

 

[skyking1]

The old office and shop building at work is over 50 and on a very short timeline, they will be demolished in March to make way for a new shop and tenant spaces.
The shop is still being used, and the flat roof is leaking all over the west end of it. A few months back I did this internal rechanneling of some of the leaks. I fastened up the plastic and formed it into troughs with slope on them, and then trimmed it into a 2" piece of pipe that I ripped on the saw to make a gutter. I cut a hole in the plywood siding and sent the water back outside.

The leaks have gotten worse, and the boss found the breaker panel was getting wet. I figured out a solution for that and also put up a new system for the high ceiling section.
This part was 16' up so I worked it from the scissor lift.
I picked up about 10 buckets of leaks with this installation.

I had to go over and through that door mechanism so space was tight. I used 1/2 PVC pipes in the channels to help move the water down, and then I lanced all the "boils" of water bulging in the insulation above. That was gratifying. It all goes back out the side of the building and that whole area is dried up.

 

[Sunset]

I have a Sporty's SP200 Air band transceiver. Unfortunately, the alkaline batteries leaked and trashed the battery compartment. The company no longer has replacement battery containers.
In rumbling through the internet, I found a company that makes a NiCd packaged battery pack. All I have to do is solder the two wires to the battery pack and I will be good to go,

Did you try vinegar and Q-tips to clean it up ?

I've saved many a flashlight in the past couple of years having learned this tip.

 

[JoeWras]

Refrigerator Update - "Only Appliances in the Neighborhood"

Relocated the dead refrig - neighbors replaced theirs and guys dropped it here.

Messed with this thing for a day, resoldering every spot. Could only get consistency in the inconsistency of tapping on the relays - finally localized it to the power relay for the compressor/condenser fan. Resoldered, again.

Having nothing to lose, removed the top of the relay and found burned contacts - looks like it had been arcing for quite awhile. Sanded the contacts (could not find my points file used for car points). Still no workee. Sanded a LOT more, then rebent the inner frame a bit.

Working for now!

$10 part (including shipping) - may try to replace just the relay.

Brilliant!

 

[Qs Laptop]

Refrigerator Update - "Only Appliances in the Neighborhood"

Relocated the dead refrig - neighbors replaced theirs and guys dropped it here.

Messed with this thing for a day, resoldering every spot. Could only get consistency in the inconsistency of tapping on the relays - finally localized it to the power relay for the compressor/condenser fan. Resoldered, again.

Having nothing to lose, removed the top of the relay and found burned contacts - looks like it had been arcing for quite awhile. Sanded the contacts (could not find my points file used for car points). Still no workee. Sanded a LOT more, then rebent the inner frame a bit.

Working for now!

$10 part (including shipping) - may try to replace just the relay.

Nicely done!

 

[Walt34]

An annoying defect has finally been repaired. The bedside alarm clock has a battery backup to keep time and set off the alarm (if set) when the power goes off. Several years ago one of the 9V battery "snaps" on the connector broke off when changing the battery and for a while I was able to work around that by shoving a piece of folded paper in the battery compartment to press the 9V battery up against the connector. Eventually that "repair" stopped working. So I just left it since I was retired and didn't use the alarm function anymore anyway. But every time there was even a momentary power outage for more than a second or so I'd have to reset the clock.

Finally, after about ten years of this abuse I decided to fix it. No way was I going to buy a whole new alarm clock because a ten cent connector failed. Well, a bag of five of them was almost $5.00 on Amazon so I guess that's inflation for you. So I opened up the clock, snipped the wires to the bad connector, and soldered a splice for the new one. I guess I could have taken the whole circuit board out and resoldered the connector to that but that would have been more work than it was worth. So that and some heat shrink tubing to insulate the splices would do.

So now the about 40-year-old alarm clock, that I probably didn't pay $5 for, will continue to work during a power outage. I saw new ones on Amazon for anywhere from $12 to $36. Outrageous!

 

[Time2]

Thanks - don't want to sound conspiratorial, because there is a price point to even things like PCBs, but there are likely tens of thousands of boards replaced each year due to bad solder joints - most could be avoided by better quality control, and by techs who might quickly reflow the joints on site ...

The lights and some indicators in the dash of my neighbors truck were intermittent sometimes on and sometimes not. He did some research and there was one fix mentioned. He brought it to me because I did do electronic repairs for years. The internet fix wasn't the problem and I could not find any poor solder joints on the pcb. So, I just started resoldering all the joints that I could. 5 months later and there have not been any more problems. I fixed it, but I don't know what I did to fix it!

 

[John Galt III]

An annoying defect has finally been repaired. The bedside alarm clock has a battery backup to keep time and set off the alarm (if set) when the power goes off. Several years ago one of the 9V battery "snaps" on the connector broke off when changing the battery and for a while I was able to work around that by shoving a piece of folded paper in the battery compartment to press the 9V battery up against the connector. Eventually that "repair" stopped working. So I just left it since I was retired and didn't use the alarm function anymore anyway. But every time there was even a momentary power outage for more than a second or so I'd have to reset the clock.

Finally, after about ten years of this abuse I decided to fix it. No way was I going to buy a whole new alarm clock because a ten cent connector failed. Well, a bag of five of them was almost $5.00 on Amazon so I guess that's inflation for you. So I opened up the clock, snipped the wires to the bad connector, and soldered a splice for the new one. I guess I could have taken the whole circuit board out and resoldered the connector to that but that would have been more work than it was worth. So that and some heat shrink tubing to insulate the splices would do.

So now the about 40-year-old alarm clock, that I probably didn't pay $5 for, will continue to work during a power outage. I saw new ones on Amazon for anywhere from $12 to $36. Outrageous!

Awesome fix, Walt! I have several old electric clocks and radios around the house, and several spares waiting in the wings. They just keep working, though!

 

[Sunset]

I don't have a repair yet as haven't solved the problem.

We had a living room floor light that is plugged into the wall go out. So at first I thought it was the bulb, but no.
I plugged a radio into the outlet and no sound.
I used my non-contact tester and it was dead.
I went to the breakers and none looked like it had tripped.
I turned a bunch off and on again to be sure they were on, still no power.
I turned off a bunch of breakers , then replaced the outlet figuring it had gone bad, and turned on all the breakers, but still no juice.

This is the only dead outlet in the house and all the lights work.

I was thinking maybe a GFCI-protected outlet has tripped but wouldn't this affect all things on the same circuit and not just one ?
We have 2 GFCI-protected outlets outside that I haven't looked at, but if it would affect all outlets then that's not the issue.

Any ideas ?

 

[freedomatlast]

I was thinking maybe a GFCI-protected outlet has tripped but wouldn't this affect all things on the same circuit and not just one ?

Any ideas ?

It wouldn't affect all the outlets on the same circuit, but it would affect all the outlets "downstream" from the GFCI protected outlet.

If you pull the GFCI receptacle out of the box, you will see locations on the receptacle marked "line" and "load". Every receptacle on the "load" side will be affected. If there is no wire on the "load" side, then no other receptacles will be affected.

 

[njhowie]

Pull the outlet out of the wall with power on and put your non-contact tester on the wires going to the outlet. Power on the wires?

Let me ask an obvious/stupid question, because it's happened to us in the past...might this outlet be controlled by a wall switch...and maybe someone turned it off? We have a few of those in our house and I've put a strip of masking tape over some so nobody accidentally flips them off.

 

[Sunset]

Pull the outlet out of the wall with power on and put your non-contact tester on the wires going to the outlet. Power on the wires?

Let me ask an obvious/stupid question, because it's happened to us in the past...might this outlet be controlled by a wall switch...and maybe someone turned it off? We have a few of those in our house and I've put a strip of masking tape over some so nobody accidentally flips them off.

THANKS !!

This was the answer, and because we never switch off the outlet and the switch is on the opposite wall of the room I didn't even think of it.

I'm going to put a piece of scotch tape on it !

 

[Happyras]

THANKS !!

This was the answer, and because we never switch off the outlet and the switch is on the opposite wall of the room I didn't even think of it.

I'm going to put a piece of scotch tape on it !

This is so typical. My daughters house had this same problem. Of course being a bit anal I still took it apart to find some idiot had done some off code wiring attempt, which I ended up correcting anyway.

 

[Happyras]

Well here I am 3 years since the last tenant eviction, faced with another. This time, the tenants are not dealing drugs, but have neglected maintenance to the point of severe rat infestation, tunnels in the crawl leading to buried sump pump, flooding of the space, destruction of the gas furnace, hot water tank and loss of foundation due to erosion after tunnels from the rats allow water to flow. My recent repair #1 was to dig out the rat feces soup to clear the sump, dig it out and install a new sump and pump system (more robust design) with better drainage into the sump.

I am now considering replacing the frozen furnace fan motor and control board as well as the transformer I just replaced, or buy a new furnace. I think I wait until the court allows me to hire the sheriff. This is WA state, so good luck to me on that!