Showing posts with label Repairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Repairs. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Jiffy Lube--Get a Second Opinion

Looking North 
North Fork Loxahatchee River, Tequesta, FL
June 26, 2023

 Yesterday was a classic South Florida day. 

Highs in the high 80s with blue skies and puffy clouds. 

I got out for a morning bike ride and took an image of the sky and clouds reflecting on the North Fork of the Loxahatchee River. It was a beautiful scene as I neared the end of my 17-mile ride. 

The day began, however, as I took my truck to the repair shop. Two weeks ago, during its oil change at the local Jiffy Lube establishment, I was informed that the PCV valve needed replacing. They offered to do it for about $400 and seemed quite put-off when I passed on their offer to take my truck to my repair shop.

About mid-day the repair shop called with the news. My PCV valve was operating just as it should. No repair was needed. And furthermore, they did not even charge me for the checking into the possible problem--which blew me away. I am used to paying for at least an hour of labor for things like that. But, my repair shop is very special and it is run by a great guy. Funny, he is so great I almost want to take my vehicles to him more often so I can chat with him. Weird!

So, word to the wise--if Jiffy Lube suggests a repair, get a second opinion!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Day of the Truck

Earth Day Sunrise this Morning from my Patio 
Tequesta, FL
April 22, 2023

Happy Earth Day! 


I had a fortunate event happen two weeks ago as Chris and I were returning from Universal Studios. It may not seem fortunate, but given future plans the timing it could not have been better. When I got out of my truck after arriving home I smelled radiator fluid. Being that it was after 10 PM and we had enjoyed a very long day, I made a mental note to check the truck in the morning. And I did. 

Upon inspecting the truck, I determined that the water pump had failed or was failing. Normally a failed water pump becomes a catastrophic event along side of a busy interstate highway, but in this case I believe the pump was in the process of failing and we made it home. The engine did not overheat and I had no indication from the instruments in the truck that a failure was underway. 

As we were leaving for Maryland to celebrate Easter a few days later, I made an appointment at the local repair shop after our return. My truck was returned to me yesterday. As it turned out, the entire cooling system was contaminated. The water pump failed, the radiator was failing, the thermostat needed replacing as did the housing. As the mechanic noted, he had expected, given the age and mileage on my truck, that the repair would be a fairly simple water pump replacement. It was not! The good news is that my truck is ready for the upcoming trip north and that is the really fortunate part of the story. I would hate to break down along I-95 in Georgia or South Carolina in the middle of the night. 

We discussed the contamination and have no idea about the source. I suggested that it might be windshield washer fluid accidentally placed in the wrong reservoir by an attendant at the oil change store we use, but the mechanic said that that is a windshield washer fluid is water based product and not likely to cause the contamination he saw. He suggested that someone may have put a stop leak product into the system, but I know that I did not do this. Had there been a leak, I would have taken the truck for repair. I was not surprised when he mentioned the contamination because when I was inspecting the fluid that was pooled on the ground I noted it was not a clear and consistent color. 

I will take the truck for a test drive of at least an hour to ensure everything is ready, but I am thankful that it all played out as it did.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL


Thursday, January 26, 2023

Internet Saves iPhone 14 proMax

 


My one-month old, in two days, iPhone 14 proMax, died overnight.

I was in shock since it is new. It was dead. Very very dead. I could not start it in the usual manner and it was not taking a charge. I had what some refer to as the Black Screen of Death.

As most of you are aware, I use my phone a lot. It has and does everything for me. 

I tried placing the phone in different chargers to ensure it was getting juice, to no avail. I tried to reboot it, to no avail.

I was planning to get an appointment at the Apple Store to save the phone when I wondered if this problem had occurred to other users who may have documented a solution on the internet. I found a couple videos on YouTube which provided some clues and a solution that worked. 

The video that saved my day is below.



I was ecstatic when the solution worked. It was a unique key combination, that I wasn't aware of, to force a reboot. Even though the video was for an iPhone 14 pro, it worked for my iPhone 14 proMax.

My day was recovered. 

As was my phone.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, July 8, 2022

Welders

Bracket and mower deck
Elkridge, MD
 July 2, 2022

 I am having a terrible time getting a welder to repair my mower deck.

I have had two cancellations, one that called and said I was too far to make it worthwhile, and another that was supposed to be here at 2:30 yesterday. He sent an email that he was going to be 40 minutes late and then, sent an email at 9PM saying he had an emergency and he could come then or in the morning.

Wow! How tough can it be?

I still need my mower deck welded so that I can cut the grass and then sell my tractor just before moving to Florida. 

Hopefully, the welder will show up at 9 AM this morning.

It has rained enough that I really need to mow the lawn again!

It is har to believe that one week ago I woke up in Sint Maarten and just afternoon began the journey home. Wow! And now I'm waiting for a welder so I can mow the lawn.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, June 2, 2022

One Thing More

The Pool on Memorial Day
Elkridge, MD
May 30, 2022

 Houses require maintenance and anyone who owns one knows this is true. And that maintenance seems to come in terms of "one more thing." By that, I mean that after completing one project while it would be nice to take a rest it is likely time to tackle the next project.

Take yesterday, for instance. I was wrestling with a GFI (ground fault interrupter) problem, still unresolved, with the pool lights. GFI issues can be very frustrating. But, I also need to do a repair on the dryer AND we received a letter form our condo association that there is an issue with the fire suppression system (sprinklers) in our Florida condo. Ugh! Two houses mean four times the problems.

The nice thing about the problem with the pool lights was that I was in and around the pool all day in the 90+ degree weather. The GFI is on one of the two light circuits. Making the problem worse, both pool lights were burned out and needed replacing and one of them separated from the base which I removed it--which does complicate things just a bit and coincidentally is on the circuit with the GFI issue.

When I finish the pool, the dryer is waiting for attention!

Well, I'm off to get started on the day.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD



Saturday, May 28, 2022

Brakes in the Garage

Jeep in the Garage
Elkridge, MD
May 27, 2022
Out of the blue yesterday, although the sky had been gray for the past four days, I wound up doing something not related to either downsizing or baseball. Patrick needed to replace the brakes on his Jeep and needed to use my garage, since it provided shelter from the rain. 

New Brakes
Elkridge, MD
May 27, 2022

I had to move stuff around that is being stored for moving to Florida to make room for the front of the Jeep, but it worked very well. The job included new brakes: calipers, rotors, and pads as well as an oil change. It was a great afternoon in the garage using tools that I soon will no longer have access to as I divest many tools like the heavy duty floor jack. 

It was a great afternoon with Patrick and the Jeep. As we got into the project it became clear that the caliper on one side was locked up, and we determined that we should replace it and likely the other one. There was a break in the action as we headed off to the local autocrats store for the calipers. In the end we completed a $1200 or more brake job for the cost of parts, which were not inexpensive. I was a bit shocked that the core charge for the calipers was $60 each--I guess they really want those back to refurbish.

Great afternoon. Great fun. Good job!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Rainouts, Faucets and What's Next?

 

The Final View of the Repair
Elkridge, MD
May 25, 2022
The rain and cold returned. It is 55 degrees this morning as the day begins.

I very much enjoyed the dry 90 degree temperatures of this past weekend and so, my reward apparently is rain and much cooler temperatures. 

The rain has already postponed two baseball games and thrown the schedule askew. And there is rain in the forecast for the next four days.

Despite the rain, however, the plumbers returned to the scene of the faucet debacle. Amazingly, in about 90 minutes the problem was resolved with another new faucet. The copper work actually looks much better than the previous attempt and it works--or rather it does not leak while in use! Yay! Check yesterday's blog to see the before image.

I was happy that there was no additional charge to complete the repair, however, I would have preferred that it had been done correct the first time. I did feel bad for the plumbing team because at times they needed to be outside in the cold rain. 

Now it is on to other repairs. Wait, I already repaired the automatic chlorinator for the pool. Next up; the dryer which is making a bad sounding noise which may just be the blower has become clogged with lint causing it to be unbalanced. Unfortunately, cleaning or replacing the blower requires complete disassembly of the dryer including removing the drum. That is an all morning project.  

Always one more project to accomplish!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Faucet Repair, Part 2

 After opening the treasure chest to pay for a plumber to repair an exterior faucet and thinking the problem was solved, there is a part 2 to the story. 

The faucet does not leak when it is turned off. That is the good news. The plumber departed believing that everything was good. 

The next day I actually used the faucet. Trouble, unbeknownst to me, began as soon as I turned on the water. The faucet, while providing water to the hose was also spraying water behind the wall into the house. Yup, huge mess. Fortunately, I needed to go into the basement and heard the water running behind the wall and was able to minimize the mess and damage. 

I had initially thought that the solder joint had failed, but upon further investigation I determined the water was coming into the house from inside of the the concrete wall itself indicating that the faucet was broken. And unusable. My diagnosis was confirmed by a plumber yesterday who will be returning today with the proper tools to chip away the concrete packing that the first plumber placed around the new and apparently broken faucet.

Today should be interesting as the plumber wrestles with this disaster. Yesterday I asked the plumber that was assigned to correct the problem why the other plumber used concrete as packing instead of silicone, which was used by the original faucet repairer over five years ago. Without vocalizing an answer, he gave me a look that said it all. And now the concrete must be chipped away, piece by piece. 

One wonders why the other plumber never turned the faucet on to see if it worked.

We may never know.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Friday, May 20, 2022

Repairs

I like to repair things. Fortunately, I usually understand when something is beyond my ability as was the case with an outdoors faucet repair.

Hole in the Wall
Elkridge, MD
May 20, 2022
Hooking up the water for the pool house and the house after the winter, the main outdoors faucet was not functioning properly. It was not leaking when off, but when I turned the water on the faucet leaked along the stem and out the handle. This is a fairly simple fix that I have done before on other outdoor faucets--but, this one was different. It was a ProFlo faucet and although I followed the YouTube instructions, the leak would not stop. Unlike non-frost free faucets, I could not take the innards out to repair it.

New Faucet
Elkridge, MD
May 20, 2022
This very faucet had been replaced about 5 or 6 years ago. I was disappointed that the ProFlo faucet did not last, but I was also aware that this repair required a professional because I had watched the previous repair. In the end the repair required soldering, pipe cutting, and about three hours of work by a professional plumber to replace the faucet.

All is good now, well, except for the hole in my wall that I need to fix. I have purchased a cover that will hide the hole nicely and when painted will be almost invisible. There actually was a smaller existing hole and cover, but I decided that since, for the second time, the hole needed to be enlarged to effect the repair that I would just put a larger cover on the problem instead of repairing the bottom portion of the hole to fit the existing cover which only provided access to the turn-off valve.. 

Not that I'm just covering over the problem, the problem was resolved.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, December 17, 2021

Thankfully there is YouTube

Error on the Microwave

The dreaded words were heard uttered last evening: "Bob, the microwave is broken."

Looking up from my computer while seated in my chair I cringed. Ugh. Another broken appliance. Merry Christmas, I thought.

And the troubleshooting began. I tried all of the usual tricks and I even cycled the power to no avail. 

It was a strange fault, when the start button was activated the microwave provided a fault saying "open/close door then press start." Which did not start the microwave. And I admit, I may have tried it multiple times. There is something weird about doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. 

My initial diagnosis? A bad circuit board.

But wait--let's check the internet.

And I am thankful that I did. I found a YouTube video talking through fixing the exact error code I was getting on my exact microwave! Hope was rising. The video was only 2m30s long meaning it was likely a simple fix. I watched the video and could not believe what it was telling me:

The diagnosis: dirty door sensor. The remedy? Damp paper towel cleaning.

Could it really be that simple? 

Turns out it was. 

Crisis averted and the microwave has returned to its previously consistent performance.

Thanks YouTube! 


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, October 9, 2021

I insult to Injury


As if  being back in Maryland after such a short time away was not enough, I had another surprise when I hopped into the truck to retrieve Makayla from my son yesterday. The battery was dead!

Dead!

I put a trickle charger on it and drove the Jaguar to get the dog. It was a nice enough day to enjoy having the convertible top down and the car needed gas anyway. 

When I came back, the charger indicated that the battery should have been fully charged--but it wasn't. The voltage read just over 9 volts. Something bad had definitely happened. I suspected a bad cell--but the battery was only months old. Then I worried about the electrical system of the truck.

I removed the battery from the truck and returned it to the chain where it was purchased, receipt in hand. The battery had a 48 month warranty and it had been purchased in May 2021. Yup, 5 short months ago! 

The agent at the store was a very concerned when I set the battery on the counter and announced that ti was dead. As he retrieved the testing equipment he said it was probably low on charge and that I might have a short or that some small light that was left turned-on. His optimism about not having to replace the battery under warranty was soon dispelled as the machine very quickly showed the symbol with the words "Replace Battery." He was very nice and we discussed that it was only 5 months old and it was one of their more expensive batteries--running $200 (ok, $199.99 for the purists). He handed me the new battery and said, go on, I'll take care of the warranty paperwork. In the end, it was one of the easiest exchanges that I have done in a long time. 

I have a new battery that has 43 months left on the original warranty. I wish they would restart the warranty date when something is exchanged, but I guess that would actually be getting something for nothing. I'm just glad that I had the receipt.

So after wasting the better part of the afternoon, the truck was again up and running with a new battery. I would say that it was at no cost--but that would not consider the time and gas that it took for me to diagnose, remove/replace, and drive to get the replacement battery.

Nothing is free.

And to think, I could have been on a beach in Florida and not discovered the battery was dead until I was getting into the truck to go to work after returning from vacation! That would have been exciting!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, September 11, 2021

Chlorinator's Revenge

 

Parts to Fix my Chlorinator
You may remember that last week I wrote about nearly assassinating the pool chlorinator when I could not get it to open and then close properly after filling it with chlorine tablets. Chris saved it from certain destruction.

The chlorinator got its revenge this week as the input fitting decided to break off while I was conducting routine maintenance and replacing the O-ring to make it all work better. Ugh!

An emergency troubleshooting event was required to allow the filter to continue working while replacement parts were procured. Of course the breakage occurred at 6:45 PM and the pool store, some 20 minutes away, closed at 7 PM. 

So Chris went off to the pool store yesterday and purchased the replacement parts and I installed them, successfully, last evening and all is good. The chlorinator seems to be working as designed.

To think, all of this and I will be closing the pool this coming week for the season. The summer fun in and around the pool has run its course.

But, the chlorinator just needed to get its revenge for its near demise last week.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, September 3, 2021

When Simple Things Get Messed Up

The Chlorinator of my Nightmares
Elkridge, MD
September 2, 2021
Doing the weekly chemical check on the pool which includes filling the chlorinator and adding the appropriate cocktail of chemicals for the weekly shock to keep the algae at bay is not a particularly difficult task. I have been doing it for decades and have it down to about a 20 minute process which keeps my pool crystal clear and ready for use.

Until yesterday! Ugh.

The chlorinator would not open. I had to disassemble it and pry the top off to get chlorine into the chamber. And then it would not close. By the time it was done, I had managed to develop leaks around both the incoming and outgoing hoses. 

My 20 minute maintenance turned into an hour of pure frustration. Chris had to intervene to prevent me from assassinating the chlorinator. And of course it did not help that I had a longer than normal day at work.

I even changed the O ring--but all of mine are previously used and did not seem to work. I need to get this thing working smoothly again because fighting with a balky chlorinator every week is not my idea of fun! Of course, I can ignore the problem and close the pool and push the problem into next May--but that only kicks the can down the road and will provide additional frustration when opening the pool. 

Thank goodness a three-day holiday weekend is on the horizon. 

I fixed the leaky lines and did, in the end, get chlorine tablets loaded. I ended with it fully functional, at least for another week.

I get frustrated when simple things become problems.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

It is Electrifying

 

Owning a home means dealing with crisis. And things generally break when it is most inconvenient to repair them causing an elevated sense of crisis. 

That happened on Friday. Just before Chris and I were to head off to the airport for our weekend in Houston, for some inexplicable reason the electricity in the master bedroom stopped working. It was weird. The circuit breaker did not pop, it was just part of the circuit stopped working--of course that included the closet and the main part of the bedroom. Fortunately, the TV still functioned, turns out it is on a different circuit. 

I spent a few minutes trying to troubleshoot the problem and almost made us late for our flight. It was the first time is a very long time that I arrived at the gate and the boarding process was underway and actually past our position in line. 

Upon returning home Sunday night, I was able to get a better handle on the problem and determine that it was a neutral wire problem. I spent about an hour working the problem, to no avail. But the effort got my mind turning on how that circuit runs through the house and where the problem might lie. 

I was fortunate to remember that, strangely, one particular outlet in another bedroom was on the circuit. Yesterday afternoon I began my troubleshooting with that outlet, which was, as best as I could figure, the first plug on the circuit. Turns out I was correct and also, lucky! After confirming the outlet was, in fact, part of the circuit and was also working I began my investigation. I found three wires in the outlet box and one loose neutral wire. I reconnected the loose wire, whereupon, electricity was restored to the bedroom. 

You cannot imagine my excitement. While it was not the first place I had looked, it certainly was not the last possible place I could have been searching to find the issue. 

Problem solved. 


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Thursday, March 25, 2021

Saving Money Where it Counts

Repaired Oven with Heating Element
And Louis checking it out
Elkridge, MD
March 25 ,2021
I love it when a plan comes together.

Last week, you may recall, one of the heating elements in our large oven broke. Badly. It was a total loss. I ordered a replacement which was delivered, as promised, on Tuesday evening.

Since I don't like to tackle projects after dinner and a glass, or two, of wine I decided to wait until last evening to install the new heating element into the oven. 

Whenever attempting a repair there is always an element of risk. Did I troubleshoot the problem correctly? Will the repair work? Am I missing something?

Last evening I made the repair. Amazingly, it was fairly straightforward, two screws and two clips. The old element was removed and the new one installed in about ten minutes. The hardest part of the repair was reinstalling the oven door. 

After a quick operations check to see if the oven would heat, which it did, I considered the repair complete. A few minutes of work and a $40 heating element saved hundreds of dollars which would be the cost of a new stove. 

My job is done here!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, March 19, 2021

Broken Oven Troubleshooting

 The oven broke!

It was a serious catastrophe. It happened Wednesday afternoon as Chris was preparing the St Patrick's Day dinner. She wanted to use both the small and large overs simultaneously. The large oven, however, would not heat above 255 degrees. Which was weird. 

Last evening, as I got home, I began troubleshooting the problem with the lower oven. I went on line and located information for the model number. The stove is a Maytag Gemini which I remember installing years ago when it was new. How many years ago is a good question, because I do not remember. I know that it was more than 5 but less than 15. Or maybe it was 15 years ago. It is amazing how time flies. 

Pieces of the Oven Heating Element
Step 1: Inspect the heating elements for signs of damage. 

OK this was the easiest troubleshooting problem that I have ever had. As I opened the oven and looked at the heating element I could see it lying in pieces on the bottom of the oven. 

Well, that cinched it. A new heating element was ordered. $40 later it will be delivered Tuesday and the bottom oven should be good as new and fully functional for cooking Easter dinner!

Sometimes it is the most obvious things that are the problems.

I am hoping the replacement goes as easily as did the troubleshooting.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, March 7, 2020

First Yard Work of Spring


Grasses in the Truck, Crushed Down
Elkridge, MD
March 5, 2020
It seems that good work begets more work!


Thursday afternoon the weather was fantastic and Chris and I made good use of the weather to cut most of the grasses around the pool. This is an annual task that must be done to prepare for the Spring. This year, unlike the recent few we allowed the grasses to remain and dry over the Winter and provide cover for the birds. 

The grasses always fill the truck to over flowing and by waiting until they were dry, they also took up more room and so we were able too only cut one side of the pool. The remainder will have to be done today to complete the job. 

After the grasses were in the truck, I started up the tractor to blow the remnants off the lawn! And guess what? The mower deck broke near the end of the job. It was not unexpected, I had identified a failing part last year when I performed routine maintenance and bought a replacement. But it is such a hassle to remove the mower deck that I decided to run the deck until the part failed. Well, now I get to replace the part while I am doing Springtime routine maintenance on the tractor!  

But the lawn looks good. 

There is always one more thing to do, it seems!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Dryer Repair - Complete


LG Dryer with the Top and Electronics Removed
The holiday project was replacing parts on the 10-year old dryer to get the heat back up to temperature and shorten the drying cycle. 

LG Dryer
Disassembled Including the Tub
The parts replacement required the complete disassembly of the dryer. Thank goodness that there was an incredibly helpful video to get me through it. While disassembling the dryer Chris and I were amazed at the amount of spare change that we found and the amount of lint that accumulated since the dryer was placed in service. Disassembling the dryer allowed us to do a thorough cleaning which will assist in helping the air flow through the heating unit. 

The actual parts replacement was fairly straightforward after the disassembly was complete. It only took three tools to complete the entire project: Philips screwdriver, straight blade screwdriver, and needle nose pliers. The video did not indicate the needle nose pliers were required, but I needed them to help pop-in the tabs on two of the parts I was replacing.

I am calling the project a qualified success--we have not actually dried a load of clothes in it yet, but when I conducted the test run the heat was hotter that before. I feel confident that it will work properly now. If not, there are two other parts that can be replaced, but in my reading of the symptoms and suggested repair they were not indicated as the problem. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Summer Around the Pool


Pool in the Pre-Dawn Light
Elkridge, MD
August 13, 2019
This summer has been the summer of the pool! The weather has been fantastic and I have been able to enjoy my pool almost every day. Last year it was cold and rainy most of the summer and I felt at the end of the season that the pool had been underused. Not so this year.

The only downside to owning a pool is that they require constant care. I believe that owning a swimming pool is similar to owning a boat. They are a constant source of expense! But they are both a source or relaxation and enjoyment.

I spent quality time with my pool nearly every day tending to its needs. This week I and doing some late-summer preventive maintenance to ensure that the algae does not get out of control. The plaster on my pool is old and in need of replacing. It is full of places for algae to gain a foothold if I am not diligent--and so I ham hopeful that my late season work will help ensure that the final month of pool season is fun and algae free.

But I truly do enjoy my pool and being in my backyard, I can enjoy it more often than a boat--although I can't travel as far in it as I can in a boat. But it does take me away from the trials of the day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Updates on Sunday


The tire repair worked fine, the second time! I have driven over 20 miles since the repair and it is not losing any air! Yay!

Finn and Louis in a Sunbeam
Elkridge, MD
July 28, 2019
I love it when repairs go well, even if it is the second attempt. It had been a while since I plugged a nail hole in a tire and it took me some time to remember the tricks. And there are tricks. 

Today is a lazy Sunday. I have been sitting by the pool while the animals are basking in a sunbeam. I think that they are cute. 

I have projects to get started today and with it quiet, I will likely get them done. Today is very different from last Sunday when I was on a golf course in Trumansburg playing in a golf tournament. Chris and I had a lot of fun last week. And we finished only four shots out of third place!

It is the last Sunday of my favorite month of the year. I guess I will begin the countdown for next year soon.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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