4 ms·

Wish fix-it-yourself was as strong now as then

malfist 4y ago
Honestly, I've not found appliances particularly hard to repair. Granted I've shied away from always on internet/app requirements, but I've taken apart and repaired my dishwasher twice, my fridge twice and my washer once in the 7 years I've lived in this house. I've fixed roombas and repaired my upright vacuum cleaner too. Most appliances are like building a computer as far as repairs. Figure out which part is not working, pull it out and put a new one in. Am I replacing ICs on it's mainboard? No, but you can but the whole mainboard on ebay for fairly cheap, and it's just some screws and clips to get to it. I've also repaired my own HVAC three times, but that was using a multimeter and probably not for the common person.
- rolenthedeep 4y ago
  Exactly, your basic appliances are actually quite simple. Usually one circuit board running the show, and some ancillary electronics to drive motors and such. Your failure modes are usually "this module burnt out" or "the circuit board is dead". You replace the module and you're back in business. Component level repair is generally impractical, as replacement boards are usually available at reasonable cost. I have done component level repairs on very old machines, or when the failure is obviously a small number of identifiable components. I had a big window AC unit that was meant to cool the entire house, and the fan control circuit failed. Simple troubleshooting showed that all functions except for the blower fan work, so I pulled out the board and traced that circuit. There was a very conspicuous power device on a heatsink, clearly handling fan power. Order a new component from digikey, drop it in, and I fixed a $1000 machine for $5. I think most people would be surprised to learn just how repairable things actually are. Not phones or other micro-miniaturized electronics, but pretty much everything else. Our appliances are built on an assembly line out of discrete modules hooked together. You can just replace modules until something works.
  - auxym 4y ago
    > Component level repair is generally impractical, as replacement boards are usually available at reasonable cost. That has not been my experience. A power relay for oven elements blew on the main PCB of a very basic Kenmore oven I had. Very simple PCB, large TH components. I was quoted 300$ for a replacement PCB, which was more than the oven was worth at that point. I ended up having to solder in a new relay I was able to find online (in minimum 10X quantity).
    - Scoundreller 4y ago
      Sell the rest for 10x the price each, but labelled specifically as the part for that model of oven.
  - dsfyu404ed 4y ago
    >Our appliances are built on an assembly line out of discrete modules hooked together. Once. Taking apart all the snap-together cosmetic stuff without breaking anything to get to the thing you need to replace can often be a toss up.
  - pwg 4y ago
    > I think most people would be surprised to learn just how repairable things actually are. True, but those are also the same individuals who would lack the knowledge, and willingness, to do what you did on your HVAC. They, instead, call their local HVAC contractor, and the service rep. who arrives declares that a "new unit" is necessary and so the old unit, which could have been repaired for $5, becomes a $2500 install of a new unit. Often, the contractor service folks do not even offer to do a "board swap", esp. if the unit is old enough that they no longer locally stock that particular board (even if the board is available otherwise from their next level up supplier), they just go straight to the "replace" solution.
    - Scoundreller 4y ago
      Even the board-swap is a borderline scam. It’s probably the same component that fails that anyone with a 50w soldering iron could swap. I’ve often wondered if they refurb it themselves, but a recent experience suggests not. Had a gas fitter come in to replace a leaky water heater. I provided new unit and I was to dispose the old unit. The fool cut off the copper cord to take it, but should have gone for the power vent it was attached to. I was planning on unbolting the power vent’s 8 bolts and selling it for ~$200. Now I gotta rewire one to sell that part. Kinda surprised he didn’t take the brass fittings.
- evan_ 4y ago
  Youtube and eBay make this stuff really simple. In the last year or so I swapped a side mirror on my car, fixed a leak in my washing machine, fixed a stand mixer, and probably some other stuff using ebay parts and youtube tutorials.
  - malfist 4y ago
    And just being able to download service manuals is super handy. I had a post break in my side mirror a long time ago when my ex drove it into the garage door. I just downloaded the parts diagrams for it, found the broken part and ordered a replacement. Dealer wanted $300 for the whole side mirror assembly and over $200 in labor to replace it. The post was on ebay with free shipping for like $25 and it took me like two hours to fix it.
    - Scoundreller 4y ago
      Dealers and even most mechanics charge by “book time”, which is usually shop rate * how long it would take for someone doing the job their very first time.
RicoElectrico 4y ago
Thankfully appliance makers tend to use mostly standard parts. A given pump for example would fit in a dozen different brands of washing machines. I can't stress enough how glad I am to have discovered north.pl as they're a rock-solid supplier of every goddamn appliance part in existence. Wonder what the equivalent is for other countries.

Honestly, I've not found appliances particularly hard to repair. Granted I've shied away from always on internet/app requirements, but I've taken apart and repaired my dishwasher twice, my fridge twice and my washer once in the 7 years I've lived in this house. I've fixed roombas and repaired my upright vacuum cleaner too. Most appliances are like building a computer as far as repairs. Figure out which part is not working, pull it out and put a new one in. Am I replacing ICs on it's mainboard? No, but you can but the whole mainboard on ebay for fairly cheap, and it's just some screws and clips to get to it. I've also repaired my own HVAC three times, but that was using a multimeter and probably not for the common person.

rolenthedeep 4y ago
Exactly, your basic appliances are actually quite simple. Usually one circuit board running the show, and some ancillary electronics to drive motors and such. Your failure modes are usually "this module burnt out" or "the circuit board is dead". You replace the module and you're back in business. Component level repair is generally impractical, as replacement boards are usually available at reasonable cost. I have done component level repairs on very old machines, or when the failure is obviously a small number of identifiable components. I had a big window AC unit that was meant to cool the entire house, and the fan control circuit failed. Simple troubleshooting showed that all functions except for the blower fan work, so I pulled out the board and traced that circuit. There was a very conspicuous power device on a heatsink, clearly handling fan power. Order a new component from digikey, drop it in, and I fixed a $1000 machine for $5. I think most people would be surprised to learn just how repairable things actually are. Not phones or other micro-miniaturized electronics, but pretty much everything else. Our appliances are built on an assembly line out of discrete modules hooked together. You can just replace modules until something works.
- auxym 4y ago
  > Component level repair is generally impractical, as replacement boards are usually available at reasonable cost. That has not been my experience. A power relay for oven elements blew on the main PCB of a very basic Kenmore oven I had. Very simple PCB, large TH components. I was quoted 300$ for a replacement PCB, which was more than the oven was worth at that point. I ended up having to solder in a new relay I was able to find online (in minimum 10X quantity).
  - Scoundreller 4y ago
    Sell the rest for 10x the price each, but labelled specifically as the part for that model of oven.
- dsfyu404ed 4y ago
  >Our appliances are built on an assembly line out of discrete modules hooked together. Once. Taking apart all the snap-together cosmetic stuff without breaking anything to get to the thing you need to replace can often be a toss up.
- pwg 4y ago
  > I think most people would be surprised to learn just how repairable things actually are. True, but those are also the same individuals who would lack the knowledge, and willingness, to do what you did on your HVAC. They, instead, call their local HVAC contractor, and the service rep. who arrives declares that a "new unit" is necessary and so the old unit, which could have been repaired for $5, becomes a $2500 install of a new unit. Often, the contractor service folks do not even offer to do a "board swap", esp. if the unit is old enough that they no longer locally stock that particular board (even if the board is available otherwise from their next level up supplier), they just go straight to the "replace" solution.
  - Scoundreller 4y ago
    Even the board-swap is a borderline scam. It’s probably the same component that fails that anyone with a 50w soldering iron could swap. I’ve often wondered if they refurb it themselves, but a recent experience suggests not. Had a gas fitter come in to replace a leaky water heater. I provided new unit and I was to dispose the old unit. The fool cut off the copper cord to take it, but should have gone for the power vent it was attached to. I was planning on unbolting the power vent’s 8 bolts and selling it for ~$200. Now I gotta rewire one to sell that part. Kinda surprised he didn’t take the brass fittings.
evan_ 4y ago
Youtube and eBay make this stuff really simple. In the last year or so I swapped a side mirror on my car, fixed a leak in my washing machine, fixed a stand mixer, and probably some other stuff using ebay parts and youtube tutorials.
- malfist 4y ago
  And just being able to download service manuals is super handy. I had a post break in my side mirror a long time ago when my ex drove it into the garage door. I just downloaded the parts diagrams for it, found the broken part and ordered a replacement. Dealer wanted $300 for the whole side mirror assembly and over $200 in labor to replace it. The post was on ebay with free shipping for like $25 and it took me like two hours to fix it.
  - Scoundreller 4y ago
    Dealers and even most mechanics charge by “book time”, which is usually shop rate * how long it would take for someone doing the job their very first time.

RicoElectrico 4y ago

Thankfully appliance makers tend to use mostly standard parts. A given pump for example would fit in a dozen different brands of washing machines. I can't stress enough how glad I am to have discovered north.pl as they're a rock-solid supplier of every goddamn appliance part in existence. Wonder what the equivalent is for other countries.