Our washing machine broke last week and the first thought was to buy a replacement but I wanted to at least attempt a repair first.

The machine would still fill and empty water, but the dishes remained dry and there was a burning smell. So, I unplugged it, tipped it over and popped open the bottom cover.

Aside from the controller, the dishwasher was very simple: a drainage pump, a circulation pump, a heating element and some solenoid valves. A multimeter showed the (main suspect) circulation pump still had continuity which narrowed the search down to the pump’s starting capacitor. Seven euros and a few days later and it’s back in action!

The simple fix really gave me a sense of joy and satisfaction. It feels great to extend the use of something that I already have rather than need to consume more.

Can anyone relate? Any good repair stories?

I’m a big fan of the right to repair movement.

  • nicerdicer@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    The simple fix really gave me a sense of joy and satisfaction. It feels great to extend the use of something that I already have rather than need to consume more.

    Also sometimes it feels like cheating the system. A new purchase will be postponed.

    Back when I had a printer I have bought ink refill kits off of ebay and refilled the empty ink cardridge with a syringe. It worked well and I could extend the lifespan up to three time for each cartridge. After the third refill cycle I had to buy new cardridges. Meanwhile the manufacturer re-designed the label and switched the colors on that label - imagine it like this: when looking from above the compartment of the cartridge, the colors were: cyan - yellow - magenta. After the re-design of the label the colors were: cyan - magenta - yellow, indicating that the locations of said colors were different. When refilling with a syringe it happened that now the wrong ink was applied (magenta got mixed with yellow and vice versa), rendering the cartridge unusable. I was forced to buy the expensive original ink. Anyway, the printer later became unrepairable when a tiny piece of plastic broke inside the printer because I was moving it into a different place. I don’t own a printer anymore.

    Another time I replaced the battery of my 2010 macbook pro, along with a RAM upgrade an a cleaning of the fans. I used the tutorial on ifixedit. I also bought their tool set - which I can strongly recommend when working with delicate hardware.

    And then there was this super cheap bluetooth mouse which came without a power switch. As long the two batteries were inserted, it was ON! I managed to place an old switch from an old computer tower case at the underside of the mouse so the mouse could be shut off without losing battery charge. I still have that mouse as an emergency backup. Given its price the left click switch has been worn off after just one year of usage - it somtimes double-clicks.

    Repairing things can be good for the budget and also good for the enviroment - but it makes you a bad customer ;-)

  • schnitzelbub
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    1 year ago

    I keep having better salaries in time. I noticed, I still manage to not save any money from one year to the next. Why? Objects require maintenance/repair/cosmetic care a lot faster than I can afford to keep replacing them. Buying something new feels profoundly shallow and ungrateful based on what good objects I have. Example: i had a xiaomi robot vacuum. Almost replaced it when I realised I’m better off replacing the battery (that’s what I assumed was broken). For 20$ i extended its life for another 2-5 years. Respect for the object, respect for the time I spent earning how much it cost, and by extent, respect for myself and my life.

  • Hoolio679@feddit.nl
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    1 year ago

    I was able to replace a light in the bathroom with an energy saving led version and although the result isn’t perfect it gave me a lot of satisfaction knowing I had succeeded doing that for the first time and saved a few hundred to the electrician.

  • BradM
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    1 year ago

    That’s amazing, well done, it’s such a feeling of pride when you fix something yourself, & you learn more about your own applience, & also save yourself a lot of money!

    I agree, I’m also a fan of the right to repair movement!

  • MikeHfuhruhurr
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    1 year ago

    I’m terrible at repairs, but I do get that same sense of accomplishment from lawn work. I’m initially annoyed if I have to do a big project like pruning bushing and clearing shit out. But when it’s over there is a very zen, “I did that and it was good” feeling.

  • Writerly Gal
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    1 year ago

    What a great story, and such a cheap fix too.

    The best repair story I have is replacing my top case and battery for my MacBook. I had to replace the top case (As my keyboard was broken) and figured out a new battery would be good too, given that I had to remove it anyway to install the top case. It took me a couple hours (so many screws!) but I did it, and now my 9 year old MacBook is still running rather smoothly.

    • cestvraiOP
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      1 year ago

      Breathing new life into a computer feels great!

  • ultimatespleen
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    1 year ago

    I relate. I like working on my car for similar reasons. As others have touched on, you feel like you’re cheating the system when you do it yourself and save money. Very satisfying.

  • lapislazuli@sopuli.xyz
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    1 year ago

    Congrats, I hope it stays fixed! I can’t repair anything, but I support the movement in principle. I usually try to take good care of the things I own and buy things which with replaceable parts (think headphones) or things which are more ecological (think traditional wet shaving with a DE razor). Actually, come to think of it, I might try to repair my headphones. Something that can’t be replaced broke – part of the headband near the ear cups but I think I can fix it with tape.

      • lapislazuli@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, they’re pretty good! I’ve been shaving with DE razors for two years. But there is a danger of starting to hoard equipment, especially shaving soaps. I currently have five, but I know people who have dozens, even hundreds. Good thing my budget doesn’t allow that… 😅

  • As an autistic person I like to minimise change. I’m also good at learning how different appliances/equipment works and how to repair it. So I always try to repair things first before replacing them. I get the double satisfaction of not wasting an otherwise perfectly good appliance and also getting to keep the appliance that I am familiar with and like instead of having to try to find a different one.

  • prodiletant
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    1 year ago

    Even the fixes that aren’t successes can be a good learning experience. If the item is totally screwed i give it to my child with a screwdriver and let him have fun before the inevitable dumpster.

  • Scrappy Duncan
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    1 year ago

    All the time. That and maintenance. I got so much joy from finally having the supplies to change my car oil at home.

    • cestvraiOP
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      1 year ago

      Hell yea!

      Money saved and many kilos diverted away from the landfill.

  • Rory Butler Music
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    1 year ago

    My knowledge of some things is quite limited, but I love a repair when I can do one. The dishwasher fix sounds quite complex to me, so kudos for being able to sort that!

    Usually for me they’re quite little, like fixing a button on the dryer (a plastic dobber snapped and became lose, not having the rigidity to press). A bit of superglue and it works fine.

    Similarly, things like u-bend replacements, light pendants being changed, dowels put into loose cupboard screw holes and re-drilled.

    All quite low level stuff, but it is satisfying to do it all for a fraction of the cost of professional repair or replacement.