Can you, Should you, Will you, Did you FIX IT!

[DopeDaniel]

I have had a few pieces of equipment fail on me recently on is even a manufacturing defect. As the title suggests this is a thread to focus on fixing stuff. It can be mechanical, physical or even emotional. The garden as relaxing as it is can be frustrating and avoiding that frustration has almost come unconsciously since joining this site.

How did I fix my garden frustration? I joined pHenohunter.


Now on to the topic of today. This one is more a modification than a fixing but it is going to make this swamp cooler more useful for my environmental control.



Running this thing even on low is too much and if I were to connect the thermostat to the power cord, it would cycle frequently and just be hard on the unit.
Also, I have found that just running the pump and placing the unit in front of my air intake pretty well resolves my humidity issue.
When the heat does get say above 85, the swamp cooler can prevent it from going higher if the fan is running too.


The switch has 4 positions on it that call for the fan to run, I just need to figure out which of these wires is the common one. It's probably the black one.

Better log off and start working, but will be back. I got 2 more pieces of equipment to repair.

 

[Amos Otis]

I have one method that applies to all things broken. Buy another.

For things very necessary, but could possibly fail or break, I stock backups.

I've found that pretty much covers it.

 

[thenotsoesoteric]

Youtube has helped me save thousands of dollars on repairs. Thermal couplers, riding mowers, cars, lights and everything in between.

Growing up preteen era this dude was a huge idol/role model. He "solved" problems using ingenuity and mechanical/chemical know how and avoid violence until it was necessary.


Edit: forgot why I even started the post...

This is an awesome thread idea and I'll add any tips I come across on my next repair.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

I fix everything. "If" it can be fixed, and I buy extras too.

 

[Amos Otis]

Growing up preteen era this dude was a huge idol/role model. He "solved" problems using ingenuity and mechanical/chemical know how and avoid violence until it was necessary.

James Bond was the same type, but he had Quartermastrer - better known as Q - to pre-invent items to solve the yet encountered predicaments. Amazon's free 2 day shipping is my Q.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

James Bond was the same type, but he had Quartermastrer - better known as Q - to pre-invent items to solve the yet encountered predicaments. Amazon's free 2 day shipping is my Q.

View attachment 122610

Just ordered a 125 amp outdoor 6/12 breaker box on the ol web, couldn't find one in stock anywhere. Be here Saturday.

 

[NobigHurry]

Youtube has helped me save thousands of dollars on repairs. Thermal couplers, riding mowers, cars, lights and everything in between.

Growing up preteen era this dude was a huge idol/role model. He "solved" problems using ingenuity and mechanical/chemical know how and avoid violence until it was necessary.
McGiver is the nickname given to me by my wife family because I can fix most things growing up poor never haveing money necessitated I worked on everything myself lol

Edit: forgot why I even started the post...

This is an awesome thread idea and I'll add any tips I come across on my next repair.

 

[DopeDaniel]

I better make the legal disclaimer now, any actions taken by anyone as a result of what they read in this thread does so knowing that a stoner most likely typed it. Persons reading posts in this thread accept full responsibility for their own actions.

, I just need to figure out which of these wires is the common one.

Case in point, common wire is not the right term. I am not an electrician, I am a stoner. Jim.

The switch was also laid out different than I expected but it was the black wire that I wanted in the end. There's a capacitor to get the motor going, red, neutral for the motor, white, and ground, green/yellow. The blue and black wires are the high and low leads for the motor. Easy to figure out, just disconnect one and whichever function doesn't work, there ya go.

So I connected the thermostat to the high fan lead, if it proves to be too much I can always change it.

 

[DopeDaniel]

Just ordered a 125 amp outdoor 6/12 breaker box on the ol web, couldn't find one in stock anywhere. Be here Saturday.

I ordered a 22kW generator today as our power has gone out multiple times for multiple hours the last few days and it is something we have been planning for a while.
Can I install it? - Yes most definitely.
Should I Install it? - That's debatable.
Will I install it? - No, I'll use @Amos Otis 's strategy there and hire it out.

 

[Chip Green]

Although I do fancy myself among the all time great tinkerers, walking that fine line with DIY modification, or repair, requires sensible humility.

Because of the A-Team, I've felt like I could build whatever contraption the situation calls for, with whatever is laying around, since I was 5.

 

[Amos Otis]

Because of the A-Team, I've felt like I could build whatever contraption the situation calls for, with whatever is laying around, since I was 5.

There's got to be an "I pity the fool ...." quote that applies here.

 

[Kanzeon]

I have one method that applies to all things broken. Buy another.

For things very necessary, but could possibly fail or break, I stock backups.

I've found that pretty much covers it.

Haha I'm like the exact opposite. If there's a chance that I can repair it, I'll try and usually can. Essentially any appliance, cars, computers, furniture. But then again I find the average machine more interesting than most humans.

 

[DopeDaniel]

There's got to be an "I pity the fool ...." quote that applies here.

I pitty the fool that didn't pay attention to This Old House and tries to install a dishwasher.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

The only repair we've pieced out to a contractor was our HVAC install. They moved the ducts from the floor to the ceilings. A bit above my pay grade, but i did the floor vent removal. I also saved money by removing most of the old system myself.
Never been afraid to get dirty with the occasional nasty wounds that come with workin hard lol.

 

[Psychobilly]

For me it depends on what it is; A Computer I can usually fix it. Other hardware type things I sometimes can too (Or take it apart and pull out chips because they look neat) but lights or other equipment ? I'll be honest here; I'm better off getting another one LOL. I do NOT trust my ability with electrical equipment so much that I'd actually use one after I used a soldering Iron on it. Cars I'm in no way shape or form capable of doing much outside driving it. Like straight up. I'll mess that up so bad.... LOL. I used to work in a Cell phone store so sometimes I did stuff on phones, but these days they're basically hand held computers so I can usually fix software related issues, but I'm NOT trying to take one apart and do anything like that.

 

[Chief Doublehead]

Let’s just say I once helped my neighbor/friend get into their house when they locked their keys inside.... I showed up with no shit a 6 ft fence picket, a grout sponge, and a coat hanger! I get out of my truck with said tools, and 30 seconds later, I open the garage door! Bam! He was laughing his ass off! Those late night scrolls through YouTube paid off as I stored valuable information on how to get into a garage door if need be!

 

[Psychobilly]

LOL that reminds me of when I was growing up; I started getting interested by lock picking when I was like 5 or so ? And sometimes the bathroom door would get locked and someone had to go, and so I'd use like whatever I had around and pick the lock for them. I don't do that much these days but yeah being able to break into your own house, has it's advantages.

 

[DopeDaniel]

Haha I'm like the exact opposite. If there's a chance that I can repair it, I'll try and usually can. Essentially any appliance, cars, computers, furniture. But then again I find the average machine more interesting than most humans.

You might appreciate this company's methods then. Hessaire is the maker of the swamp coolers I use. I recently bought another for the greenhouse and a larger one for our house. One of them the fan won't function. I can't find a phone number or real time chat feature on their website. The only way to get to them was to fill out a web from. Well I had a response within hours and shIipping notification for a new motor being sent. No interacting with thos pesky people lol.

If it's not the motor it'll be the capacitor, will cross that bridge if needed.

This also raises the question of should I fix it? Coulda just returned/exchanged and been in service already. Thing is I don't think the whole unit needs to be landfilled and that's what would happen if I return it. Or they resell it and someone else gets to deal with it.

Well the motor is on the way regardless.

 

[DopeDaniel]

All righty then motor showed up today for the new swamp cooler. As a bonus it had the capacitor attached, for a 2nd bonus the motor smashed the mounting ear hole in shipment. No biggie at least it was a clean break, dab of superglue while I pull the old one.


Pop the switch plate on the unit and what do I see?


Oopsie someone missed a connection, and that mounting ear hole is irrelevant.

Looks like I got a spare motor and cap free. The time is a wash it woulda taken me 15min to box and load the unit, 45min each way to the store another 30 of standing in line and getting I a new unit if they had it, if not going home without the unit, possibly dropping more coin on a different unit. It's taken me longer to write this post than deal with the issue lol.

In this day of lowered expectations Hessaire gets a C+ I guess.

 

[Jewels]

Emergency road side repair today.
Hauling freight and a passenger, I lost some linkage on my John Deere wagon.
It was 10:00 a.m. and I was still a mile from home. The Sun was rising fast and we are hitting a hundred F today.
There was about a hundred pounds in that wagon and I knew I had a wicked Steep Hill to climb before I made it back to the pavement. As I get older I tend to say "ah f*** it " less often. I value the things I have, and I knew I would yank the front axle off of that thing if I traveled any further.
Reaching into my pockets to take inventory ; I was hoping to use a keychain ring to lash the connection back together.
Nothing.
Nada
Empty.
I got a child, a child's pacifier, a shovel and about 70 lb of Fuller's earth.