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Default Appliance repair question

I need to install a $25.00 maintenance kit on a gas dryer. Just a couple of
questions please.
..
1. Any idea what an appliance repair place would charge in your area for
this install?
..
2. More importantly, but related to #1. How do you personally decide
whether to fix something yourself, or have somebody else do it. I
personally call it the 'Aggravation Factor'. If it's too much of a pain in
the arse for not a huge amount of money, then I would hire someone.
Otherwise, I do it myself...sometimes just to learn something. I am just
curious how you make your own determination.

Thank you for your time.


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Default Appliance repair question


"Jack" wrote in message
news
I need to install a $25.00 maintenance kit on a gas dryer. Just a couple
of questions please.
.
1. Any idea what an appliance repair place would charge in your area for
this install?


Call and ask.

2. More importantly, but related to #1. How do you personally decide
whether to fix something yourself, or have somebody else do it. I
personally call it the 'Aggravation Factor'. If it's too much of a pain
in the arse for not a huge amount of money, then I would hire someone.
Otherwise, I do it myself...sometimes just to learn something. I am just
curious how you make your own determination.


One needs to understand one's limits. If you are competent, then do it
yourself. If you are behind the curve, then decide if learning how to do it
right is a good decision.


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Default Appliance repair question

Charles Schuler wrote:
"Jack" wrote in message
news
I need to install a $25.00 maintenance kit on a gas dryer. Just a
couple of questions please.
.
1. Any idea what an appliance repair place would charge in your area
for this install?


Call and ask.

2. More importantly, but related to #1. How do you personally decide
whether to fix something yourself, or have somebody else do it. I
personally call it the 'Aggravation Factor'. If it's too much of a
pain in the arse for not a huge amount of money, then I would hire
someone. Otherwise, I do it myself...sometimes just to learn
something. I am just curious how you make your own determination.


One needs to understand one's limits. If you are competent, then do
it yourself. If you are behind the curve, then decide if learning
how to do it right is a good decision.


If I understand what needs to be done, have the tools required, and feel
competent to make any needed adjustments, I go ahead and do it myself. e.g.
my dishwasher stopped draining this week. A meter on the valve showed power
TO the solenoid, but the solenoid did nothing, not even hum. Continuity
showed the solenoid to be open ckt when it should have been a low reading.
Now: $160 for the serviceman to drive out here and drive back,
regardless of what he did/does. Plus parts. Plus labor. Probably a couple
hundred bucks if he's honest about it.
$24 for the part, do it myself and I'm done. NOT a hard decision to make
in this case. However, if there hadn't been power to the solenoid at the
right times, then it leads into the electronics for the fault - much harder
to troubleshoot for me, and more false starts, if I did manage to get to a
guess as to what I needed; then I'd call for service. I miss the old
mechanicals of all this stuff; it was so much simpler!

Pop`


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Default Appliance repair question


2. More importantly, but related to #1. How do you personally decide
whether to fix something yourself, or have somebody else do it. I
personally call it the 'Aggravation Factor'.


I don't like to have any strangers on my place unless absolutely
necessary so I try to do everything myself. The contractor is always a
nice guy but the employess can be scary.

this leaves a lot unfininshed but it doesn't bother me. I can handle
carpentry, plumbing and electrical around here with no help. I like
the confidence that comes with being familiar with everything
personally and don't have to have any ex-cons on the property.

I have most mechanical done in town since I can drive it there but have
decided it's easy enough for me to change the oil. Some specialties
almost require a specialized contractor like drilling a well or
bulldozing a driveway.

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Default Appliance repair question

Whirlpool produces a kit of parts that they call a maintenance kit,
which is for their basic dryer design. It includes a belt, idler
pulley and--iirc--two rollers. My question for you is, why do you feel
that you need to do this? The belt doesn't need to be replaced unless
it is extremely cracked, and even then you can wait until it breaks.
The idler almost never needs to be replaced unless it makes noise. And
same for the rollers. Why not let yourself off the hook and just
forget the whole thing?



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Default Appliance repair question


"Jack" wrote in message
news
I need to install a $25.00 maintenance kit on a gas dryer. Just a couple
of questions please.
.
1. Any idea what an appliance repair place would charge in your area for
this install?


Most charge from $50 to $100 just to knock on your door, then add $75 an
hour for labor.

.
2. More importantly, but related to #1. How do you personally decide
whether to fix something yourself, or have somebody else do it. I
personally call it the 'Aggravation Factor'. If it's too much of a pain
in the arse for not a huge amount of money, then I would hire someone.


Some things I do, others I'm willing to pay to have done. Cleaning the oil
burner, for instance. I did it once and I'm willing to pay. I no longer
change my own oil in the car finding it much easier to sit back and read the
newspaper while a local garage does it for $25. I'm willing to tackle most
any repair though, if I have the tools and knowledge to do it.

I also look at the cost of repair versus replacement. I'm not going to spend
$50 for parts to fix a microwave that can be had new for $75. Or to put
$120 into a washing machine that is 20+ years old and will probably need
more parts in another month or so; but I would put that $120 into a five or
ten year old one. .

Age is a factor. 20 years ago, I picked up a dishwasher, brought it home and
installed it where the old one was. Two years ago, I paid $60 to have it
delivered, hooked up, the old one carted away. What changed? I'm 20 years
older and I now make more money (adjusted for inflation) so I'm willing to
have others do the heavy work. OTOH, this past summer I built a small wall
in the front of the house for $400 in material. It would have been over
$1000 to have it done.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/


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