What Do You Fix?

[dismalist]

Update!

We replaced the heating element in the oven and it works! :D And just in time for Pi Day!!!

In my yute, maybe 1970 or a little later, the heating element in my sister's kitchen oven stopped working. I examined it. A gap had formed in the element. I got lot's of copper wire and soldered everything together. Worked fine. I would not do that today!

I spent multiple hours over the last two weeks troubleshooting our dishwasher.  I concluded it was the sprayer arms not turning, and the heating element being end of life. 

BUT, I know my limits.  I called in the pro, who spent 2 hours futzing with the thing, and concluded I was right on both counts.  Parts ordered, fix scheduled for next week.

Does getting it fixed count?

Knowing my limits now, I called a pro to fix the dishwasher right away,  only last week. The dishwasher even has an error notification, which once decoded, explained what had to be done. I might have tried it myself were I still a yute! :-)

[mamselle]

I got rid of a buncha files in my One Drive folder, which I do not like to use because they send me taunting emails which suggest they have access to them.

There are a few left, now, but dinner's ready, and at least all the photos are out of there.

No, thanks, I do NOT need to be reminded of what I did on this day last year.

I'm trying to stay focused on finishing what I need to do on this day, THIS year!

M.

[clean]

were I still a yute!

That is the beauty of being a Yute!  You can do anything (or at least were willing to try!)   But when we were Yutes, things could be fixed!!

For instance the defrost timer on a refrigerator was actually a mechanical clock. You could find it, replace it and move on.  Now it is an electronic clock on the mother board.  No one can replace the clock, only the mother board, and by the time you price that, if the fridge is old enough, it is probably more than the fridge is worth = time to replace it!

And when you replace it, do you know what will happen?
2 or 3 Yutes will haul the new one in and haul the old one out!! 


When I was a yute, I camped regularly!  Now that I m such an old fart that ive lost my stink, IF I get on the ground, there is a good chance I will need some Yutes to help me up!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

SO and I will be replacing a temperature sensor and fan switch on my old fart car (21 yr old Honda). I've been having intermittent high temperature readings (up to 3/4 of the gauge max) and they only occur when I am stopped (at a red light or parked in the garage after driving about 25 mi.). Our local mechanic cannot determine what the issue is and I don't want to wait until whatever it is decides to break in a bad way. We've had the thermostat changed (twice), heater hoses replaced, radiator burped, coolant checked and flushed and SO and I replaced the radiator 4 years ago (no leaks in it or upper and lower hoses). We're thinking either the fan switch is going out (4 cylinder so both fans are connected to the same switch), the temperature sensor is going bad or the radiator fan motor is going out. I have ZERO codes on my code reader and the mechanic noticed no codes either.

I may pull out the radiator fan and see if there is something I can check with my handy multimeter which indicates that the motor is failing. I suppose I could check all the fuses and relays too. If anyone has helpful suggestions or relevant experience- I would greatly appreciate them.

[Parasaurolophus]

The foldout couch broke. I will fix it.

Maybe.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

SO and I replaced the radiator fan and 'burped' the system on my car. We tested the fans and they both work. We have replaced the thermostat, fan switch, temperature sensor and the radiator fan. The radiator and hoses have been checked, so if this doesn't work, then I may just need a new radiator cap, or I got a crappy thermostat again.

[mamselle]

Sentences.

I fix sentences.

(See the research threads).

M.

[Parasaurolophus]

The foldout couch broke. I will fix it.

Maybe.

Haven't made the trip to the hardware store yet.

But we acquired a rideable wooden fire truck that was falling apart at the pegs. I glued it all solidly together with wood glue, and made and upholstered a seat for it.

[mamselle]

Is this for you....or....the hatchling?

M.

[FishProf]

I had to repair a bathroom door after smolt and smoltfriend played 'lock each other out of the bathroom'. 

Wood glue, clamps, square.

But I forgot that my 1823 house isn't square.  So a level-hung, square door didn't close.  Missed it by millimeters.

And that is what a dremel tool is for...

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I had to repair a bathroom door after smolt and smoltfriend played 'lock each other out of the bathroom'. 

Wood glue, clamps, square.

But I forgot that my 1823 house isn't square.  So a level-hung, square door didn't close.  Missed it by millimeters.

And that is what a dremel tool is for...

Dremels are wonderful.

[Parasaurolophus]

Is this for you....or....the hatchling?

M.

Ha! I have zero interest, and only slightly more interest in crouching way down to push the hatchling along. But I live to serve.

I do, however, need to pop by the hardware store for some bolts so that I can properly re-affix the ladder, and thus crouch slightly less to push him.

[FishProf]

I replaced a bathroom fan that rattled like it was going to fly apart.

It didn't take long, only about 15 minutes to install. 

After I removed the old one (2 hours).

I'm not counting the 2 months since I disabled the old one, bought the new one, and then didn't do anything.

[AmLitHist]

I replaced a bathroom fan that rattled like it was going to fly apart.

It didn't take long, only about 15 minutes to install. 

After I removed the old one (2 hours).

I'm not counting the 2 months since I disabled the old one, bought the new one, and then didn't do anything.

Our fan gave up the ghost about 18 months-2 years ago.  Finally, after enough haranguing, the landlady got an electrician out to fix it.  She insisted on having the old one fixed, rather than buying a new one.

In late January, the guy went into the attic and traced the wire, since the wall switch didn't seem to be working.  After about 90 minutes, he decided someone else needed to look at it.  Eventually they did and said the switch was fine.  About 2 hours later, a trip back to the shop, and more delays to try to find parts to work, he called and said they'd have to see what they could come up with.

The old motor finally got fixed in March.  It died again--sounding like yours, ask if the roof of the house was getting ready for takeoff--in late May.

After some choice words, Landlady was quicker to get the electrician back out last week.  He confirmed it's shot, and needs to be replaced.  Of course, it'll be 2-3 more weeks before he can do that.

So, instead of coughing up the $$ for a new fan, she's run up several hundred $$ in labor, more in parts and travel fees, and still need to pay to have a new fan installed.  Plus, we still don't have a working fan.  Shaking my head.

[mamselle]

Penny wise, pound foolish, that one.

M.