Today's Author is Levi Tonet.
In today’s “throwaway” society it’s easy to forget things are actually repairable. It’s not like we’ve all been covering our eyes and looking away from the subject. Advertisers constantly push us to buy the latest and greatest products everywhere we look. Sure, it could be fixed, but why repair when you can get rid of that old thing and buy something better? Is that blender of yours getting old? Better throw it away and get the new deluxe model. Questioning whether you can afford it? Don’t worry, we’ve got special financing just for you. Everywhere you look and listen, someone is telling you to buy something new. So, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t realize your product could actually be repaired. We aren’t supposed to think that way. Advertisers would rather us think about throwing away and replacing.
Last week in the middle of doing laundry, my dryer decided it was ready to retire. It wouldn’t spin its drum or even heat itself up. It was dead as dead could be. My dryer is so old it could likely buy alcohol legally, so I had been expecting this day to come since I first inherited the thing. My initial thoughts were, “Noooooooooooooooo,” followed by, “I really don’t want to buy a new $500 dryer right now.” But then I thought, “I wonder if I can figure out how to fix it?” Even if I couldn’t fix the thing I was willing to try in an effort to save money. Worst case scenario, I’d learn how to take apart a dryer and see how dryers work from the inside. I pulled out my tools and went to work.
One hour later I had the dryer dis-assembled in front of me. Sure, an expert would have had that thing taken apart in 15 minutes, but an expert would also charge $60 an hour, if not more. At one point I thought a cat had crawled up into my dryer and died, but it turns out I was mistaking a giant pile of lint for a cat. We’re talking a gallon-size bag of lint in one area alone. It quickly became apparent the dryer had probably never been taken apart and cleaned out during its entire life. I suspect the lint prevented the dryer from venting properly and led the thing to overheat. With those thoughts in mind, I turned to the internet.
The internet is a great place to find help for whatever situation you’re in. If you’re willing to take the risk of fixing things yourself, the internet is waiting to be your user manual, parts store, and friendly local expert. When you’ve got something that isn’t working and will potentially have to buy a new one, why not take the risk of trying to fix it? Worst case scenario, it’s still broken. At the very least, look into what would be required to fix whatever it is you have that’s broken. If you can fix it, you’ll learn valuable life skills and save money all at the same time.
After some Google searching I found RepairClinic.com. Immediately, I was drawn to the Help is Here... section. I put in my dryer’s model number and quickly found the parts I thought I needed to get my dryer up and running again. Even if I ended up being wrong on the diagnosis, the site’s return policy allowed me to return any parts up to 365 days after purchase. I saw no risk in that. I crossed my fingers, placed my order, and waited.
Two days later the parts arrived and I ran downstairs like a kid at Christmas. I already had the dryer taken apart, so it took all of five minutes to put the new parts in and test them out. I plugged the dryer back in, pushed the button, and...nothing. The dryer was still dead. I stomped back upstairs and moped around like a kid at Christmas who hadn’t gotten that Red Ryder BB Gun he wanted. At this point, I was ready to give up and buy a new dryer. But, rest assured, this story has a happy ending.
Later that evening I went to my parents’ house to visit them and their horse (a.k.a. their rescued racing greyhound, Annie). I jokingly tried to convince them they needed a new dryer so I could inherit their old one. I guess I wasn’t as good as the advertisers on TV because they weren’t biting. My dad did, however, tell me about a local appliance seller and repairman in East Vandergrift. His intention was more about getting me a good deal on a new dryer, but this recommendation ended up being a godsend. I’m all about supporting local businesses, so I thought I’d give the guy a shot.
I pulled up to the place with a little bit of skepticism, but that was quickly erased. The owner, Henry, had the unfortunate honor of knowing my father well. They had been train buddies earlier in life and now Henry was my dad’s main go-to guy for all of his appliance needs. In truth, Henry actually liked my dad, but he sure liked to complain about the excessive number of flights of stairs in my parents’ house. Is four flights of stairs excessive? I guess I got used to it after growing up there and living there more than twenty years. I told Henry my predicament and braced myself for price quotes on new dryers. Instead, Henry immediately asked if I had replaced an obscure, out-of-reach sensor in the back of my dryer. I wasn’t sure, so Henry grabbed the same repair kit I had bought from RepairClinic.com, showed me the sensor, and explained how to replace it. I had the same sensor in my kit but had assumed the entire time that it was an extra piece intended for the gas version of my dryer. Henry didn’t make a sale that day, but I don’t think he cared. I think Henry is one of those people who frowns upon consumer waste and was happier about being able to get my dryer running again than making a sale.
I delayed my plans for the rest of the day and immediately went home to look for this one sensor I didn’t know existed. Sure enough, there it was under the heating element all along. I replaced it with the new one that had come in my kit, plugged the dryer back in, closed my eyes, and....nothing. Ugh. And then I realized I had forgotten to shut the dryer door. Whoops. I closed the dryer door and the dryer spun to life, filling the basement with a gentle hum. My Red Ryder BB Gun had arrived, except I didn’t have to suffer through obnoxious bunny suit pajamas to get it.
I feel bad having pulled my dryer out of retirement, but at least now I can properly put aside a little bit of money each month in anticipation of having to completely replace the dryer someday. All-in-all, the parts cost me around $30 after shipping. I’ll take a $30 fix over a new $500 dryer any day.
The do-it-yourself attitude doesn’t have to be limited to just big appliances like dryers. You can fix a variety of things yourself, big, small, expensive, or inexpensive. With a little bit of searching online you can find replacement parts, manuals, and tons of help from experts and people just like you. If you get stuck, don’t be afraid to go visit a local business like Henry’s TV and Appliance in East Vandergrift. There are people out there who still believe in the magic of fixing things yourself rather than buying a replacement. You’d be amazed at what all you can fix yourself if you’re willing to use a little elbow grease, take a little risk, and do a little research.
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