The self-flagellation of the frugal and mechanically minded(a rant)

Jim K said:
How do you not have Speed Queens? I'm starting to doubt everything I believe about you. :biggrin:
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I was 27 and single. Just finished building the house. Laundry was not high on my list of appliance due diligence. Now...that tankless water heater and steam shower were absolute necessities.
 
cowman said:
This thing only has a screen which is only removable by taking out about a dozen screws. There's also a vent on the side for a small plastic container/trap which houses the water level switch... this vent has no screen and I believe must be how pieces of stuff too big to get past the screen must be getting in. For reference I'm always removing what look like seeds from peppers from the washer nozzles.

I do rinse off the more gunky dishes before loading although I don't think everyone in the household is doing that. However, I feel like if you do much more than that then what's the point of the dishwasher. If I'm washing the dishes before putting them in why not just finish the job by hand at that point?
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My parents bought a pretty spendy Kitchen Aid DW for this house. They never liked it; my mom is one who essentially washes the dishes and then puts them in the DW to sterilize them. It still never got things clean enough for her.

My brother, who happens to be an appliance repairman, told her repeatedly that it would work better if she stopped doing that. He said that at a class he went to, they said the manufacturers count on some amount of food particles to act as an abrasive and help the cleaning cycle. My mom thought that was disgusting, and continued with her old practice. I'll admit, it seemed a little far fetched to me, too.

So my parents moved and we bought the house, fancy DW and all. The kids throw dishes in there with frankly incredible amounts of food stuck to them. We overload it. We've never rinsed a dish, and wouldn't you know it, the damn thing works great.

Now that doesn't help cowmans situation, other than to say, I agree that washing them twice defeats the whole purpose, and there are machines out there that will work better. Probably worth replacing it.
 
There's this lady I live with that pretty much make sure the dishes are clean enough to eat off before they go in the dishwasher.

She also make sure that we all clean the house before the maids come.

One of these days I'm going to mow my lawn before the mowers show up just to show her the irony.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
There's this lady I live with that pretty much make sure the dishes are clean enough to eat off before they go in the dishwasher.

She also make sure that we all clean the house before the maids come.

One of these days I'm going to mow my lawn before the mowers show up just to show her the irony.
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My wife is living with you????
 
Anybody have a spanner wrench I can borrow to remove the lock nut holding the tub to the transmission sleeve of my Roper top loading washer so I can change the bearings?

Does that answer your question?
 
Jim K said:
My parents bought a pretty spendy Kitchen Aid DW for this house. They never liked it; my mom is one who essentially washes the dishes and then puts them in the DW to sterilize them. It still never got things clean enough for her.

My brother, who happens to be an appliance repairman, told her repeatedly that it would work better if she stopped doing that. He said that at a class he went to, they said the manufacturers count on some amount of food particles to act as an abrasive and help the cleaning cycle. My mom thought that was disgusting, and continued with her old practice. I'll admit, it seemed a little far fetched to me, too.

So my parents moved and we bought the house, fancy DW and all. The kids throw dishes in there with frankly incredible amounts of food stuck to them. We overload it. We've never rinsed a dish, and wouldn't you know it, the damn thing works great.

Now that doesn't help cowmans situation, other than to say, I agree that washing them twice defeats the whole purpose, and there are machines out there that will work better. Probably worth replacing it.
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Does your friends brother have a suggestion to cowman for what dishwasher he should buy?
 
Half Fast said:
... you learn that the part you need costs almost as much as a new appliance.

I think the latest marketing scheme is to determine the highest failure rate component, ensure that there is no aftermarket equivalent, and then set its price to be 2/3 of the cost of the entire appliance. I went through this with an oven last year. No, it couldn't be the heating element that failed. Certainly not. It had to be the circuit card, which cost several hundred dollars. So now we have a new stove. Which I expect to do the same thing in a few years.
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I too was faced with a similar dilemma, the part was NLA and used parts were almost double what the new one would have been if it was available. A new appliance won out.. but the old one owned me nothing.
 
Half Fast said:
No, it couldn't be the heating element that failed. Certainly not. It had to be the circuit card, which cost several hundred dollars. So now we have a new stove. Which I expect to do the same thing in a few years.
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Do you still have the failed circuit card? Usually, it's the analog components on there that fail and those tend to be readily available for a reasonable cost if you're handy with a soldering iron.
(BTDT and still have spares)
 
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Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Does this work?View attachment 134803
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BTDT have ya?

The spec says the tub nut is 1 11/16". Google says they sell the wrench at HD for $15, which is less than shipping back and forth would be. The pro tool goes for $65, which is beyond my frugal range for a one-time use on a 20yo washing machine. $15 I can handle.

But thanks for the offer!
 
Life is too short to be battling dishwasher problems, I've BTDT. There is only so much you can do when the original design is crap and the materials they built it out of are crap. Recently, I had enough and bought a new Bosch series 800 dishwasher. Much better built than the competitive brands I've delt with, extremely quiet, and cleans better than anything I've ever seen.

I went with a 5 year parts/labor extended warranty and specifically told the significant other that this purchase is permanently removing me from the dishwasher maintenance man role. If it breaks, she can take it up with them.
 
a recent (past couple of years?) This Old House episode showed a water heater with a copper tank. The tank was at least 60 years old (iirc). The company making these water heaters went out of business... nobody needed a new one.
 
MauleSkinner said:
…a little electrical contact cleaner fixed it, but I’m sure a tech would’ve replaced the control board.
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Just like an aircraft mechanic will replace alternator, regulator, and battery for any electrical problem. Took me a few flights to find a warm alternator breaker, but it saved $$$$.
 
 
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david.h said:
GaryM, This is what you are looking for.


All the powersport guys use these, I have 6 for our fleet of ski's.
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I've seen a few racing fuel cans, like this one, that should be just the ticket. Of course, until the regulators decided they could design a better gas can for the rest of us, you could get cheap functional cans anywhere.

I did laugh at this bit of text from the description in the link you attached:

"VP Racing 5.5-Gallon capacity container can be used to store, carry, and disperse animal feed and attractants, water, and other outdoor products but should not be used as a portable fuel container."​
​
Nudge Nudge Wink Wink.
 
GaryM said:
I've seen a few racing fuel cans, like this one, that should be just the ticket. Of course, until the regulators decided they could design a better gas can for the rest of us, you could get cheap functional cans anywhere.

I did laugh at this bit of text from the description in the link you attached:

"VP Racing 5.5-Gallon capacity container can be used to store, carry, and disperse animal feed and attractants, water, and other outdoor products but should not be used as a portable fuel container."​
​
Nudge Nudge Wink Wink.
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I liked this even better:
For Racing Fuel only, such as Nitromethane or Methanol, used in sanctioned motorsports. Not for fuel used on highways. ​
racerwalsh.com

VP Racing Fuel Jug RWA7350VP

RWA7350VP fuel jug is manufactured by VP racing. VP’s 5-GL Motorsport Containers are made with only the highest quality virgin high-density polyethylene, including 30% more material than standard containers to withstand the roughest treatment. The containers are subjected to a 15-point quality...
racerwalsh.com racerwalsh.com
 
Charlie Golf said:
If you want to experience true psychological abuse, buy a Samsung fridge with an ice maker.
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Ha, can't remember what brand ours is, but the water line for the ice maker runs through the door. When it starts leaking, there is no access inside the door, so your options are (in order of expense): 1) Turn off the water to the 'fridge. 2) Buy a new fridge. 3) Replace the door.

We haven't had automatic ice or cold water for >5 years...
 
Flatiowa said:
You started with too late/modern of a model. Now you’re sol either way. You’ve got to get OLD stuff that was made to be fixed with generic, commonly used across broad field parts. My stove.. a 1960’s electric with nothing more than a variostat for each burner, and commonly available elements, oven controlled by a coil spring and murcury switch, the dial just changes the tension on the spring, it will last for ever and I keep a couple spare elements for “just in case”. My washing machine is an early 1970’s Maytag. Two belts, one motor, and spare pump on the shelf and only a mechanical timer to switch contractors (generically replaceable) to run/reverse direction of the motor and trigger the selinoid valve (again generically replaceable). Appliances do not need internet access, blue tooth, or even a single circuit board to work, and the simple ones last forever.
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This ^^^.. the author should win a prize or something
 
kyleb said:
Ha, can't remember what brand ours is, but the water line for the ice maker runs through the door. When it starts leaking, there is no access inside the door, so your options are (in order of expense): 1) Turn off the water to the 'fridge. 2) Buy a new fridge. 3) Replace the door.

We haven't had automatic ice or cold water for >5 years...
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YES.. I switched back to ice trays years ago, never happier. Oh and if I want cold water I just open the friggin door and grab the small bottle. Consumers love the fancy gadgets that break within months
 
sansoneservices said:
I switched back to ice trays years ago, never happier.
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Seems a bit inconvenient if you need a good amount of ice in a relatively short period of time. How about a countertop ice maker as a middle ground?
kismile-ice-makers-countertop-with-handle265lbs24h9-cubes-in-6-mins2-sizes-of-bullet-iceportable-ice-maker-machine-with-self-cleaningperfect-for-home-kitchengre-161798.jpg
 
cowman said:
Anyone else do this to themselves? Or is everyone reading this screaming "just buy a new dishwasher you idiot" in their head?
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Oh, I absolutely do that. Maybe it's because I don't know enough good repairmen/tradesmen... I mean, I've got an electrician and a garage door guy, and a company that I usually call by default for HVAC and plumbing that seems to have better than average techs, but for anything else, I don't know anyone and the process of finding a good <whatever> guy and booking them just always seems worse than doing it myself. And I like taking stuff apart, so I will almost always take the first crack at something. Only rarely do I end up having to call for backup. I definitely get into the regret stage sometimes though.
Barrett50 said:
You're kidding about getting repairs. Just get on FB market place and type in 'washing machine'. You'll be hip deep in repair offers. My wife is on FB, I'm not, but she showed me once. I bet you can get 20 guys within 50 miles, unless you live in bumfluck MT.
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I think he was talking about the difficulty of getting parts to repair it himself, not finding someone else to do it.
Jim K said:
My parents bought a pretty spendy Kitchen Aid DW for this house. They never liked it; my mom is one who essentially washes the dishes and then puts them in the DW to sterilize them. It still never got things clean enough for her.

My brother, who happens to be an appliance repairman, told her repeatedly that it would work better if she stopped doing that. He said that at a class he went to, they said the manufacturers count on some amount of food particles to act as an abrasive and help the cleaning cycle. My mom thought that was disgusting, and continued with her old practice. I'll admit, it seemed a little far fetched to me, too.

So my parents moved and we bought the house, fancy DW and all. The kids throw dishes in there with frankly incredible amounts of food stuck to them. We overload it. We've never rinsed a dish, and wouldn't you know it, the damn thing works great.
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Yeah, my wife tells me that. I still rinse all the chunks off, and usually most everything else too. It keeps me from having to clean filters anyway. :rofl:
Charlie Golf said:
If you want to experience true psychological abuse, buy a Samsung fridge with an ice maker.
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ANY fridge with an ice maker. I did battle with mine a couple months ago. It essentially just needed a new ice tray, but you can't buy that part... Only the entire ice maker. I can get the exact replacement for the original for $300 or the updated version for $110 that is also easier to install. I just had to find a connector that the new style ice maker uses (which was probably the hardest part), and wire it to various parts in the fridge door. I wouldn't have bothered, but it's a garbage design like most of them are, and I do expect I'll need to replace it again in the future. Sigh.
kyleb said:
Ha, can't remember what brand ours is, but the water line for the ice maker runs through the door. When it starts leaking, there is no access inside the door, so your options are (in order of expense): 1) Turn off the water to the 'fridge. 2) Buy a new fridge. 3) Replace the door.

We haven't had automatic ice or cold water for >5 years...
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Yeah, my wife doesn't like to do anything but push the cup against the button, and ice makers are cheaper than divorce attorneys, so... :dunno:
 
Albany Tom said:
Everyone worries about the energy rating, while the real cost is manufacturing and disposal, both in terms of dollars wasted and ecological damage.
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:yeahthat:

Bob Noel said:
a recent (past couple of years?) This Old House episode showed a water heater with a copper tank. The tank was at least 60 years old (iirc). The company making these water heaters went out of business... nobody needed a new one.
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We went on a tour where they had a ~100 year old machine that ground elf bones into flour or something. Sounded like a single point of failure for the entire distillery to me.

whiskystories.com

The Unbreakable Malt Mill That Was Simply Too Successful

Producing quality is usually a good thing. However, as the manufacturers of the malt mill found out, producing a machine that never breaks down can lead to some very negative results…
whiskystories.com whiskystories.com

At some point, I realized that there are
* the set of things that are theoretically possible
* the subset of things that are practical/realizable
* the subset of things with sustainable/scalable business models

; each step is an order of magnitude or two smaller, and the world we live in only has that last subset left.

SixPapaCharlie said:
There's this lady I live with
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Did she buy some broccoli?
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
There's this lady I live with that pretty much make sure the dishes are clean enough to eat off before they go in the dishwasher.

She also make sure that we all clean the house before the maids come.

One of these days I'm going to mow my lawn before the mowers show up just to show her the irony.
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luvflyin said:
My wife is living with you????
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Guys, guys.... you're pilots. Are you not reminding your wives of that then correcting them? Sometimes people forget and you have to remind them so they know you're right about everything.
 
LG here, 15 years 1 replacement pump motor dishes still come out spotless. darn thing is super quiet, can only tell it's running if there's no other sound in the house
 
Racerx said:
Does your friends brother have a suggestion to cowman for what dishwasher he should buy?
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Jim K said:
I believe his quote was "they're all trash now".
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We got a Miele that replaced a be****tted KitchenAid. No complaints, except for a piece of stainless steel trim that formerly clipped into a piece of plastic on the door... where it gets thermally cycled every day... so the plastic broke, so the steel went sproing. Need to find enough round tuits to re-retain it... somehow.
 
GeorgeC said:
We got a Miele that replaced a be****tted KitchenAid. No complaints, except for a piece of stainless steel trim that formerly clipped into a piece of plastic on the door... where it gets thermally cycled every day... so the plastic broke, so the steel went sproing. Need to find enough round tuits to re-retain it... somehow.
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On the subject of European dishwashers...
Not too long before we moved out of the old house the 8YO GE died. Control board, which of course was more than a new machine. We ended up buying a "Beko" on the recommendation of my brother and the salesman. They are from Turkey and haven't been in the US long. They are trying to break into the market and selling cheap to get out there. Supposedly well made, simple, and cheap. It did a great job, and Teresa absolutely loved it...for the 8 months we got to use it.
 
We have the skinny 20" Miele DW on the boat. It's almost silent. Seems to work well but haven't run a ton of cycles yet. Also have stack washer dryer Miele and only ran two cycles through it so far. Also very quiet. Only thing I worry about is the discharge from the DW getting clogged.
 
I know quiet is a big thing for some people but honestly if it got the dishes clean every time and didn't break down it could be as loud as a lawnmower for all I care. Ok maybe not literally as loud as a lawn mower but... we've got a young kid, dogs, etc. Our house isn't going to be quiet anyway. Also I actually kind of like to be able to hear things running so I know they're working.
 
cowman said:
Also I actually kind of like to be able to hear things running so I know they're working.
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Same here, I have my well pump in my basement and can here when it cycles on and off to the recharge the pressure tank. Over the decades I cannot begin to count the number of times that I’ve heard it run when it shouldn’t be and found a hydrant not fully shut off or a faucet leaking, or the water softener malfunctioning… during the day with normal background noise it’s not noticeable, but in the evening when everything is quite it is it’s own alarm that something is leaking somewhere on the farm.
 
cowman said:
I know quiet is a big thing for some people but honestly if it got the dishes clean every time and didn't break down it could be as loud as a lawnmower for all I care. Ok maybe not literally as loud as a lawn mower but... we've got a young kid, dogs, etc. Our house isn't going to be quiet anyway. Also I actually kind of like to be able to hear things running so I know they're working.
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Loud or quiet really doesn't matter if you run it overnight...
 
Jim K said:
By the way, my Dad bought a 1970-something Ford LTD. First new car he bought, using the money from selling his beloved 1966 Pontiac Catalina 421HO. He said it rusted out so badly that one day he opened the door and it literally fell off the car. He hated that car, and never bought or even looked at another Ford. In fact the next Ford in our family is my 2011 Grand Marquis lol. He replaced it with a 1978 Bonneville, and yes, he got the 400.
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How could you even think about selling a Pontiac Catalina HO for any kind of a Ford? At best, they are Fix Or Repair Daily (FORD)!
:)
 
Crashnburn said:
How could you even think about selling a Pontiac Catalina HO for any kind of a Ford? At best, they are Fix Or Repair Daily (FORD)!
:)
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Believe me...he has regretted it for 55 years.

About 30 years ago he tried to track it down, but the trail went cold after an engine fire and subsequent sale to a junkyard about 15 years after he sold it :frown3:
 
My GE oven is now 25 years old. The lower heating element stopped working one day. I got out the meter and went to work. The element tested fine, so it was probably a relay. I took out the control panel and noticed the relay contacts for both elements were severely pitted and burned. I cleaned them up as best I could, but they both arced so heavily each time they switched that it didn’t take long for one of them to not pass current to the element. I looked up the relay part numbers but they aren’t made anymore. I found a similar part number but it had a different pin out that wouldn’t fit the board. I looked online for a replacement board and found a few used on EBay. Then I found a repair shop that said they had a 90% success rate on rebuilding that board, and gave a 1 year warranty. I called and asked about the unobtainium relay, the guy said, “We have ways.” So I was getting ready to pack up and mail the board when I realized they were literally around the corner. For some reason I didn’t even pay attention to the area code when I called. I drove over and dropped it off and it was ready the following week. First thing I did was look at the relay and saw the part number was the same one I found that wouldn’t fit. They made it fit by clipping off one of the pins that wasn’t necessary.

About a year later that same element quit. This time it was the element and not the board.

I need to keep that oven alive until we finally get around to that kitchen remodel we keep putting off, then we’ll buy a new one.
 
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