Posted on 09/21/2021 11:29:52 AM PDT by patriot torch
I just had an appliance repairman show up to diagnose my refrigerator problem and he quoted 350 dollars to replace an evaporator fan. The refrigerator is 17 years old and not worth that amount of money stuck into it.
After paying 95 dollars for a service call, I decided to do some research of my own. I always prefer to do my own repairs on most things, but its often the diagnosis issue I struggle with. Repairmen are often highly educated and are worth their pay. But on simpler repairs I would rather choose to repair things myself.
I found this website and thought it might be helpful for the do it yourselfers here at FR.
I found the video for diagnosing, what parts are likely to cause it, and how to replace it. The fan motor was 67 dollars, and involved about 30 minutes time to replace. Then just out of curiosity I searched on the web for that part number and found replacement motors on Amazon as cheap as 15 dollars. We ordered one for 30 dollars and hope to have it in 5 days.
The site was very helpful, though very slow to load.
Thought it might be useful for those handy enough around the house to use for do it yourself appliance repair.
Try getting a plumber-that’s worse.
I changed the serpentine belt and tensioner pulley this summer on our boat with Volvo Penta outdrive. The local marine repair shop wanted $400 just to drive 8 miles to our dock and that was BEFORE the repair. I figure it would have been $800 all-in with those guys and they were booked two weeks out!
Did it myself for $200 in parts and $60 for a torque wrench. I got to learn a lot of “boat yoga” in the process.
I also like to do my own repairs when possible. That is a great resource, thank you for sharing.
I replaced the belt in a 20 year old dryer. Took about an hour and cost $20.00. Been running another 5 years. That’s the extent of my expertise.
Meh..... plumbing is easy. Just gotta always remember that shiite runs downhill.
I decided some time ago that it was easier and cheaper to buy modestly priced items and consider them disposable...
Microwave ovens, lawn mowers, refrigerators, washers, dryers, televisions, tablets..etc
One particularly annoying item has been keeping a working toaster. They fail often, I just buy several of the cheap 5.99 toasters at walmart and drop the malfunctioning one into the trash and stick a new one on the counter.
Life is a little bit simpler now...
Diagnosing the problem is usually the hard part. It can get real expensive to just start throwing new parts at the problem. It’s worth $100 to get the right diagnosis sometimes. When our chest freezer quit working I paid to have it diagnosed, then bought and replaced the correct circuit board myself.
Ok the rosetta stone analogy is not quite right.
My dad dumped a Curtis Mathes color TV on me. Too expensive to repair said the tech at the local dealer. Fine. I turned it on. Picture won’t sync. Found the sync board. 9 transistors. Spot checked junctions with my VOM. Found one that didn’t look right. Looked up the substitute in the ECG line of components. $1.50 for the part. Replaced suspect with substitute. Picture syncs correctly. A color TV for $1.50 and 20 minutes to diagnose and repair. It served for another 3 years.
Wish I had that when I was younger. These days, I'd still rather pay somebody else to do it unless it is a minor job.
“Diagnosing the problem is usually the hard part.”
Yep. Had the freezer portion of a side by side quit functioning about two years in. Started digging around online for some clues and determined the defrost element was toast. Replaced both of them in about two hours (a royal PITA) and it’s been going strong since(knocking on wood).
I was driving home one day and noticed someone had thrown a Stihl grass trimmer to the curb. I decided to pick it up and take on the project to diagnose and repair. I went online to diagnose after having no spark to find it was a coil pac. 30 dollars later and now runs great.
Over the years, I figure that I’ve done at least two dozen repairs on my appliances, and never had to call in ‘the man’ and another dozen on my air conditioners (did call in ‘the man’ once when a compressor died, all others were easy electrical repairs).
Huge money savings over the years, not just repair costs, but also because you only have to replace appliances if you want to.
And I think Curtis Mathis was the last tv manufactured in the U.S.
About 20 years ago I replaced the ignitor on a gas stove. When I did it I accidentally loosened the gas line but couldn’t find where I couple fix it. After many attempts, I finally broke down and called a guy. It took him all of 30 seconds to fix.
I said “Can’t you please just humor me and make it look like a challenge?”
This was before there were video’s for everything. I missed a little hidden access port that would have also made changing the ignitor easier.
However, when we got married 35 years ago, our first washer and dryer was from a garage sale. The dryer squeaked and the washer leaked. The dryer repair was a $2.50 part and the washer was about $20. That $120 investment (purchase and parts) lasted us over ten years.
One of my grandfather’s was an appliance repairman. Even though he died when I was five, I must have inherited some skill.
What gets me is that I paid something like $900 for the Kitchen Aid, thinking I was getting a good, American-made machine. The truth is, like my new Whirlpool, they are all assembled in the U.S. but all of the working parts you depend on (circuit boards, pumps, motors) are all made overseas (most likely in China). Formerly reliable brands (like Kitchen Aid) now are loaded with imported components and break down all the time.
Why we need high import tariff to promote American industry.
“You tube videos have have become the modern rosetta stone for repairing almost anything. “
It amazes me how many people, a lot of them professionals, make videos sharing their expertise.
...plumbing is easy. Just gotta always remember that shiite runs downhill...AND, never chew your fingernails!
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