Author Topic: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders  (Read 9483 times)

Offline David61

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DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« on: August 07, 2019, 09:09:02 PM »
I assume that at least some in the DDF community would be inclined to try figure out how to fix things themselves (DIY - Do it yourself, with some guidance from youtube) to avoid paying to repair or replace "good" but "broken" items for full cost. (assuming it's not still covered by the Amex warranty, or not from Costco, or Land's End).

I'm curious to hear other peoples "Blunders" & "Successes". I'll start.

Blunder:
After viewing some youtube videos on the topic I was cleaning out a window air-conditioner from black spots that "might" have been mold, and adding some drip holes to avoid water-collecting inside. After disassembling and carefully cleaning the surfaces with diluted bleach, I wasn't careful when replacing the screws, and put a longer-than-appropriate a screw in the wrong place and punctured the Freon pipe, making the machine useless.  :-[

P.s. I take some comfort in the fact that the machine is significantly more than 10 years old, and probably not too efficient by today's energy standards.


Offline CountValentine

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2019, 09:32:25 PM »
To many to list.
Only on DDF does 24/6 mean 24/5/half/half

Offline 12HRS

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2019, 09:32:47 PM »
I bought a $200 used washer dryer and when it started flooding I decided I could tinker around. fixed 3 different areas that did not need fixing until I found the actual problem.

Offline cozmohoot

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2019, 10:13:36 PM »
I assume that at least some in the DDF community would be inclined to try figure out how to fix things themselves (DIY - Do it yourself, with some guidance from youtube) to avoid paying to repair or replace "good" but "broken" items for full cost. (assuming it's not still covered by the Amex warranty, or not from Costco, or Land's End).

I'm curious to hear other peoples "Blunders" & "Successes". I'll start.

Blunder:
After viewing some youtube videos on the topic I was cleaning out a window air-conditioner from black spots that "might" have been mold, and adding some drip holes to avoid water-collecting inside. After disassembling and carefully cleaning the surfaces with diluted bleach, I wasn't careful when replacing the screws, and put a longer-than-appropriate a screw in the wrong place and punctured the Freon pipe, making the machine useless.  :-[

P.s. I take some comfort in the fact that the machine is significantly more than 10 years old, and probably not too efficient by today's energy standards.
Fwiu there is supposed to be water in the pan to cool off the coils.
I actually took out 2 ac"s not long ago and hosed them down...

Offline Mordyk

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2019, 10:42:54 PM »
Tried to fix a toilet myself because I had a plumber rip me off once and I was committed to fixing it myself and not paying someone. I cracked the tank and needed to replace the whole thing. But I managed replacing it and I saved the money :D. (Still came out ahead even after paying for a full new toilet)

Offline davidrotts63

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2019, 12:58:15 AM »


I bought a $200 used washer dryer and when it started flooding I decided I could tinker around. fixed 3 different areas that did not need fixing until I found the actual problem.
ALOL.
(Quit) pulling out the flowers, and watering the weeds. -Peter Lynch

Offline stooges44

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2019, 10:50:02 AM »
Followed youtube to take off, disassemble, and clean out the carburetor of a snowblower.

After managing to get it off the machine I was covered completely in gas and that's after emptying it, I followed the video again to put the carburetor back in place and poured gas in to see if I fixed it and as I was pouring it in from the top it was dripping right out the bottom and thus I was covered in even more gas  :-\

I ended up throwing out everything I was wearing including my shoes, the garage reeked of gas for weeks, and I called sears to fix my fix  ;D
If it's not free shipping it's not worth it.

Offline Yonah

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2019, 10:53:32 AM »
I've replaced parts on my dryer - buying a $5 part and saving $100s on the labor. My favorite is when I replaced a fuse on the dryer, thinking that I was done, but it still didn't warm up. After an hour of trying, I looked behind the dryer and realized that I had forgotten to turn the gas back on after installing the part - it worked flawlessly.

Offline CountValentine

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2019, 10:55:29 AM »
After an hour of trying, I looked behind the dryer and realized that I had forgotten to turn the gas back on after installing the part - it worked flawlessly.
Can't tell you how many times I have heard this. At least you had the common sense to shut the gas off in the first place.
Only on DDF does 24/6 mean 24/5/half/half

Offline yitzgar

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2019, 10:58:48 AM »


At least you had the common sense to shut the gas off in the first place.


Offline sguitarist18

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2019, 11:04:00 AM »
Don't know if I'd call this DIY, but changing the cartridges on my under-the-sink filter, figured I'd pull the line going in and have it drain into a bucket while I quickly swapped the filters and then screw the line back in.

I VERY seriously underestimated the amount of water that can come out of a 1/8" tube.

Offline CountValentine

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2019, 11:08:28 AM »
Major brain freeze. Front brake job. Car on jack stands. Everything on both front wheels disassembled. Reassembled left side, rotors and pads. Go to bleed. After 4 or 5 pumps of the brake pedal I realized there is nothing stopping the right side piston from coming out of the caliper. You guessed it. Brake fluid all over the place. Not sure if you ever tried getting a piston back in a caliper but let me tell you it is not fun.
Only on DDF does 24/6 mean 24/5/half/half

Offline CountValentine

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2019, 11:09:34 AM »
Don't know if I'd call this DIY, but changing the cartridges on my under-the-sink filter, figured I'd pull the line going in and have it drain into a bucket while I quickly swapped the filters and then screw the line back in.

I VERY seriously underestimated the amount of water that can come out of a 1/8" tube.
They make these things called shut off values.  ;)
Only on DDF does 24/6 mean 24/5/half/half

Offline Yonah

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2019, 11:55:12 AM »
Can't tell you how many times I have heard this. At least you had the common sense to shut the gas off in the first place.

.... and the knowledge that:
- My dryer actually uses gas
- Where the shutoff valve is located

I grew up in a Co-Op Apartment building, and 99% of the repair work was done by the super and maintenance staff. For the last 20 years, I've had my own home. I've learned a lot.

More importantly, I've learned enough to know how to determine when a repair is over my head and it's time to call a repairman

Offline yitzf

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2019, 12:31:59 PM »
Did that recently with a light fixture. Went to turn the breaker back on and couldn't figure out why the fixture wasn't turning on. Ended up measuring the distance from the walls to the box on the ceiling and went up to the attic and triangulated the position of the box. Pulled up a bunch of insulation to see if a wire was cut. While following the wires, I noticed that it went down into one of the walls, hmm why would it do that? Then it hit me. The switch.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2019, 01:42:28 PM by yitzf »

Offline sguitarist18

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2019, 12:50:04 PM »
They make these things called shut off values.  ;)

That was my first go-to, but apparently the shut-ff valve for the sink didn't work. After learning how quickly a bucket can fill up with water, we ran down the main shut-ff in the basement.

Offline moko

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #16 on: August 08, 2019, 01:02:28 PM »
I've replaced parts on my dryer - buying a $5 part and saving $100s on the labor. My favorite is when I replaced a fuse on the dryer, thinking that I was done, but it still didn't warm up. After an hour of trying, I looked behind the dryer and realized that I had forgotten to turn the gas back on after installing the part - it worked flawlessly.
just happened to me last week

Offline avromie7

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2019, 01:04:18 PM »
Did that recently with a light fixture. Went to turn the breaker back on and couldn't figure out why the fixture wasn't turning on. Ended up measuring the distance from the walls to the box on the ceiling and went up to the attic and triangulated the position of the box. Pulled up a bunch of insulation to see if a wire was cut. While following the wires, I noticed that it went down into one of the walls, hmm why would it do that? Then it hit me. The switch.
FTFY
I wonder what people who type "u" instead of "you" do with all their free time.

Offline CountValentine

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Re: DIY (Do It Yourself Repairs) - Successes and Blunders
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2019, 01:40:56 PM »
That was my first go-to, but apparently the shut-ff valve for the sink didn't work. After learning how quickly a bucket can fill up with water, we ran down the main shut-ff in the basement.
Please tell me you fixed the shut off while you were at it.
Only on DDF does 24/6 mean 24/5/half/half

Offline yitzf

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