That’s why watching “This Old House” on PBS can be so freaking satisfying!
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Thank you for the kind words… I’d like to credit my father (who learned from his father) who taught me to be mechanically inclined and try to fix things myself.
I was an accountant for 30+ years (day job). There is a stereotype that accountants are cheap and I definitely fit that stereotype. If I can fix something without calling in a professional, I’ll give it a try. Moreover, for just about every problem out there, a youtube video exists on how to correct it. Prior to that, I could usually find a book that explained how things worked and how to troubleshoot & fix them.
Trial and error have also been my friends over the years (LOL)!!
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Good for you! Without that inclination and the teaching that goes with it, the fix-it attitude has all but died out. There’s YouTube stuff, of course, but if there’s no inclination (and enough money to make it to Next Paycheck), then the consumerist beast wins.
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I learned how to repair many things around the house simply because I got tired of waiting for someone to come fix whatever was broken, had no time to shop for replacements or because I could. If it works, don’t fix it.
Also, I try to buy appliances that do the job for which they were intended. A refrigerator should keep things cold. It’s up to me to figure we’re low on milk. More features mean more cost and more to break down.
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So much for 2024 being a better year, my built in microwave just died…
There is one bright spot, I had picked up a replacement microwave about 5-6 years ago when I saw this brand new one (still in the box) at Goodwill. I guess someone purchased it for a kitchen remodel that didn’t happen. I had almost forgotten about it, as it was tucked away deep in garage.
This (new to me) microwave is slightly smaller than the original one, so I’ll have to do some minor work to the back splash to make it look presentable.
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You are so smart! I will buy a ‘double’ every chance I get.
The roomate has several spare parts to build several spare vehicles.
A tranny showed up in our garage last week. Just ‘in case’.
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Our 368 day old dishwasher decided to throw the old E15 code. 11 days out of warranty. E 15 for Bosch means a water line blockage
My SIL had her floor destroyed by a secretly leaking dishwasher so professional help is one the way but Seriously!
Yours throws a code… my Whirlpool dishwasher screams at me every night.
It cleans the dishes but groans and screams the whole time.
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Yesterday I replaced an old Magic Chef combi 1000W MWO with a larger Toshiba 1200W. The mount is the same–on an undercounter shelf. The Magic Chef still functioned, but its turntable did not.
The new 2.2 cf Toshiba barely fits, but it does.
When I was swapping them, I was amazed by how much lighter the larger Toshiba was. Have the magnetrons gotten smaller?
At $225, I probably won’t worry about finding a spare.
I can’t say I have a spare transmission for my work truck, but I do have a spare power steering pump.
Keeping items in stock does make me feel a bit more secure and less panicked should something break.
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I never researched a new one, but $225 isn’t bad at all.
If this “new to me” microwave stops working, I’ll go pick up a new one.
Oddly, when I opened the box for the Goodwill one, everything was still sealed with bags, etc… but the owners manual was missing, so I downloaded one off the internet.
Most of the buttons were self explanatory except for the defrost feature. And I do use that feature from time to time.
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The Toshiba isn’t very well explained, either. It has some moisture sensor feature, which I surmise is for determining reheat times, and there is no separate button for beverages.
What there IS is a huge turntable that will take large oval platters that would gag the Magic Chef. And the extra 200 watts is noticeable when melting what Toshiba calls “stichs” of butter.
We installed our Bosch ourselves and this sounds like it would be pretty easy to fix DIY. You might check YouTube to see if it’s feasible for you guys, if you want to save on the house call. That hose detaches fairly easily IIRC.
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200 Extra Watts sounds intriguing and yes, I could use that extra wattage, as well.
Yes… definitely a new one with more wattage next time.
How is the sound on your new microwave?? The bell/dinger on my old Whirlpool microwave was loud and authoritative. I could hear it from my home office. The one I installed is a Kenmore – very dainty quiet little bing and that is it.
Haven’t assessed the loudness yet. I can tell you the clock is bright enough we no longer need a night light in the kitchen.
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On our microwave (Breville), that volume is adjustable.
I’ll double check the manual that I downloaded, but I didn’t see anything about volume.
Thanks!!
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There was a fair amount of stuff but that’s just not our comfort zone. Also my SILs kitchen sub floor was ruined by a leaky dishwasher so paying for a service tech is much cheaper than a new floor
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OK, the “done” volume is not too loud.
I also had to look up Origin Inverter technology. I learned that the output power remains the same for any given power setting, namely no cycling. Thus a 50% power setting does not cycle full power on and off, but delivers 50% output continuously.
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Husband is an engineer. (Highly recommend, by the way!) When an appliance would die, I would call him at work, tell him the problem as it affected me, describe the failure, any noises, etc. He would diagnose, stop by an appliance supply store en route home for suspected failed part, attack the problem after dinner and voilla! Working appliance by bedtime.
I will admit that we have always chosen less glamorous models, our motto “Keep it simple, stupid!” 9 times out of 10, it’s the bells and whistles that go first or even cause other systems to fail.
In a half century of housekeeping, we haven’t spent $500 in repair calls. More probably under $300.
And on our one job, husband hung over SubZero tech, cateloging very move.
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