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Appliance repair for do it yourselfers
Partselect ^ | Partselect

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.


TOPICS: Education; Reference
KEYWORDS: appliance; parts; repair
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To: patriot torch

Thank you for that. I was actually already changing the fuse in that microwave a few times a year. In fact, I only had two screws holding the cover on, just to make changing the fuse easier.

I think 30 years is pretty old for a microwave, and the current draw was getting pretty high.

The new unit I have is the same “brand” (Sharp) and of similar appearance. The old one was made in the USA and the new, in China. What a difference! I have already taken the new one apart to remove the stupid “beeper” (all it does is wake the dogs up in the morning while I’m heating coffee). The old unit had a crude schematic inside, which helped with repairs. The new one, of course, not. The old one had a screw-in appliance lamp, like you would expect. The new one is hard-wired!

It’s all “throw away and buy more from China”, now.


61 posted on 09/21/2021 1:38:48 PM PDT by Empire_of_Liberty
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To: patriot torch

Here’s another handy tip. I use Ryobi cordless tools a lot. When one of the batteries would die I’d go buy another one. Well, not anymore. There are videos out there showing how to bring them back to life and it’s very easy to do.


62 posted on 09/21/2021 1:53:03 PM PDT by jy8z (When push comes disguised as nudge, I do not budge.)
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To: jy8z

Yes, I was aware of that. And they are a fortune to replace otherwise. From what I understand is that if the battery drains beyond a certain limit, the charger won’t recognize it being prompted for charge. I found it useful to use leads from another battery to transfer voltage in order for the charger to engage the battery for recharge.


63 posted on 09/21/2021 1:58:12 PM PDT by patriot torch
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To: patriot torch

Another site to use is appliantology.org. Over the years I have replaced an ice maker auger motor, a gas dryer igniter and a drum bearing on the same dryer.


64 posted on 09/21/2021 2:00:33 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (In time of peace, prepare for war.)
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To: patriot torch
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.

And somewhere in America is a gardener who still has the coil pac he went to buy so he could fix his trimmer.

65 posted on 09/21/2021 2:03:59 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (In time of peace, prepare for war.)
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To: Semper Vigilantis

I know what I can and can’t get away with.


66 posted on 09/21/2021 2:06:18 PM PDT by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure.)
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To: AlaskaErik

Lol no, it was placed next to the trash cans.


67 posted on 09/21/2021 2:08:14 PM PDT by patriot torch
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To: catnipman

“hot water on the left, cold water on the right ...”

Hubs crossed the hot and cold the time before last when he replaced a broken kitchen faucet. I put up with that for 10 years, we recently replaced the entire sink and faucet and this time he paid more attention. Such a relief. Not having it consistent throughout the house caused more than one cold shower mishap when I adjusted the wrong handle. Bad words were said.


68 posted on 09/21/2021 2:15:53 PM PDT by Valpal1
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To: patriot torch
Your old refrigerator needs tannerite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkV8ehzlr2M

69 posted on 09/21/2021 2:28:40 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: T.B. Yoits

Lol. If my repair fails.....I might be contacting you


70 posted on 09/21/2021 2:41:20 PM PDT by patriot torch
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To: patriot torch

“Repairmen are often highly educated and are worth their pay.”

Oh really! Hmmm. If you believe that, you should use a service tech.


71 posted on 09/21/2021 2:51:00 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: patriot torch

No.


72 posted on 09/21/2021 2:55:50 PM PDT by IndispensableDestiny
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To: catnipman

I know that. It was a joke.

Vents and lines gotta be sized properly, maintaining slopes, etc., etc.


73 posted on 09/21/2021 3:01:23 PM PDT by LastDayz (A blunt and brazen Texan. I will not be assimilated.)
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To: SgtHooper

“Repairmen are often highly educated and are worth their pay.”


That was stated for the purpose of avoiding any arguments with FR posters who might also be appliance repairmen. Lol

Good response though.lol


74 posted on 09/21/2021 3:04:29 PM PDT by patriot torch
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To: telescope115

“I would like to have a dollar for every video I have watched on YouTube that started out “Hey guys!”

And the smash bang music they often play. Some of those videos must have professional editing.


75 posted on 09/21/2021 3:19:41 PM PDT by cymbeline
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To: Myrddin; patriot torch
LOL   Most people don't even know what a VOM is.

Since this is about home repair, I've got a story to tell.

Almost two weeks ago we had a bad storm and that night a lightening strike hit very close to our house.   One circuit breaker tripped in the breaker box.   The WiFi was taken out immediately, the hot water tap had red brown rust coming out of it and the water pressure was low.   I found two panes of glass broken in the basement and the ring doorbell would not work (WIFI?).

The WIFI was a no-brainer.   My VOM showed that I had power on the power cord but no keep-alive led on the router at all.   I took the wireless gateway router to Xfinity the next day and got a replacement.

The Ring doorbell was blown-up and I measured the 18 volts getting to the device to prove it.   Goodbye Ring doorbell, we never like it anyway.

I decided to just wait to see if the rust in the water heater would settle back to the bottom but the next morning I found that the low pressure was because the old galvanized pipe from the street was making a big puddle in our yard.   The water meter at the street was running crazy.   The plumber said over sixty year old galvanized pipe is hopeless to repair so they but in PEX for our main entrance and upgraded to meet the current code.   As our plumber was just arriving to lay the new pipe, the city water crew showed up in our intersection to repair a ruptured main that had to have been hit by the same lightening strike.

A day or two later I saw some water coming from the water heater, and the next day I saw more water.   I've had a water heater fail in the past and flood the basement, so I called the plumber and had it replaced and of course brought it up to code.

Then I happen to think that I have lost my cold water pipe ground since it's plastic main pipe now and a sixty plus year old home here in the South had no grounding rod, so I called the electrician.   They just got finished installing a grounding system (dual ground rods to meet code) and a whole house EATON CHSPT2ULTRA Ultimate Surge Protector.   Without me even mentioning it the electrician put a ground jumper on my cold and hot water pipes above the water heater.

As soon as we get a dry spell in the next few days, I'll fix my windows myself.   None of the other things I wanted to tackle myself and both the plumber and the electrician used new technology such as crimped fittings instead of sweating pipes.   I'm out some bucks though.

76 posted on 09/21/2021 4:01:27 PM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken )
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To: higgmeister

Man, that really socks. I never knew pex could be used from the service curb stop to the house. It does seem to create a ground problem.


77 posted on 09/21/2021 4:10:26 PM PDT by patriot torch
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To: patriot torch
Yes, if I hadn't spent 40 years in telecommunications with most of it as a technician, I would not have even thought of the home grounding having been changed and a plumber isn't going to say anything about it.
78 posted on 09/21/2021 5:35:43 PM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken )
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To: patriot torch

The amazon parts might fit, but they won’t perform. Buy OEM if you can find it.


79 posted on 09/21/2021 5:49:49 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes.)
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To: Organic Panic

Thanks, I will definitely know why if I end up with the same issue.


80 posted on 09/21/2021 6:16:24 PM PDT by patriot torch
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