One of the occupational hazards of blogging is the reluctance to share one's shortcomings with the 6 or so regular readers for fear of losing status in their eyes.
People who claim perfection are both liars and boring.
The Refrigerator
The refrigerator has been running for a week now so I feel safe claiming that it is "fixed".
The morning after the LAST time I posted that it was fixed I was awakened by the kind, gentle and lovely Mrs ERJ. "I am afraid I have some bad news" she told me.
"Who died?" I asked. I am an optimist that way.
"The refrigerator" she told me. "Again."
More parts were ordered. I replaced the defrost timer because the handy-dandy website said it was next on the list at 6% of the failures due to this part being defective. No joy.
The "Run Capacitor" was actually part of the Starter Solenoid assembly that I had already replaced. What the hell. I replaced it again. I was going to leave no stone unturned. No frog unkissed. Still no joy.
The last part short of the Mother Board (many hundreds of dollars) was the freezer thermostat which accounted for 4% of the failures.
Yep, sure enough. That was the cause. I had to trim one of the legs to get it to fit.
There had been hints but I had been too dense to pick up on them. It had started running at various times which implied it was not a sealed-unit/mechanical problem but something on the controls side.
I figure I dropped about $90 in parts. That price also included the shipping.
I would like to say that my name is once again engraved in the Hall-of-Heroes but honest compells me to admit that Mrs ERJ scratched it in with chalk. Maybe after it runs for a couple of months it will get chiseled back into the walls.
I'd say you still did pretty well, when you fixed it for less than an hour of a technician's time (not including parts) looking at it...
ReplyDeleteExactly. As service calls get more expensive, it becomes more worthwhile trying to fix it on your own first.
DeleteYep. That is a good way to look at it. Locally, it is $90 for them to show up and ring your doorbell.
DeleteThat was my thought, you fixed it for much less than a socalled repair person would have done it for. I applaud you for taking initiative to do this type of thing. Too many in our country are either too lazy, or too arrogant, to fix their own.
ReplyDeleteYou beat the odds, it's still running! By now, most people would have thrown in the towel and either paid a tech or got a new one...
ReplyDeleteGood job, man..
ReplyDeleteI bought a new one. Someday I'll fix the old one, which wasn't that old in Kelvinator years.
Mr ERJ, Congrats on the fridge repair. So far I've fixed the stove,dryer and the water dispenser in the fridge with the help of you tube.No telling the cost of labor for such things.By the way I stop by daily so at least 7 regulars. Al
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is, "Bravo"! You took on the job and succeeded. Nice work.
ReplyDeleteI would call this a win. I doubt, after factoring in the wait for an appointment or three and the wait time through parts through "authorized dealers and wholesalers", that it would have been "permanently" repaired any sooner.
ReplyDeleteWent through this with my 2012 Jeep. Would crank over but not start. Call the local dealer service dept, yep there's a recall on that. But I'll have to transfer you to the parts dept. Yep, Chrysler is limiting us for parts to fix that. Two a month and you're number 30 on the list. FU. Found the relay, ordered it on-line. 3 days later, back in business. Good to be handy.
ReplyDeleteTridenttom (I hate Google)
You did good, kid.
ReplyDeleteThank-you, sir.
DeleteERJ, your ongoing refrigerator story brings to mind the old telephone gag we did as kids. Call a random number, and when someone answered the phone, you'd ask, "Is your refrigerator running?" And when they replied "Yes.," we'd say "Well you better run and catch it.," laugh uproarishly, and hang up. Hope your refrigerator keeps running.
ReplyDeleteOr calling the Bowling Alley and asking if they had sixteen-pound balls?
DeleteOr the tobacco store and asking if they have Prince Albert in a can?
DeleteVictory comes to those that persevere. Ave Victor!
ReplyDelete