- 25 Sep 14, 18:41#418463
I'm old, I know. When I grew up, I saw my father fix things out of necessity. I guess in a way that's why I leaned to "fix" things. But I also get enjoyment out of it, I like the fact that something that would have been thrown away or have caused an undue expense is given a new lease on life. In the last couple of weeks, I've called to have the oven looked at and now the dryer looked at. Both appliances crapped out, and both times a service man's opinion after doing the troubleshooting was... it's not worth repairing, or the part is no longer available and here's a 10% discount towards the purchase of a replacement. I know their primary function once it becomes more than a half hour trip is to get the person to buy a new one. But my desire to fix things is also a process of trying to be "green" and good towards the environment.
We've absolutely become a disposable society. In both cases, the oven quote to fix was $500 dollars, $295 for the new circuit board and 200 to install it. Similar thing for the dryer... yeap, it's a problem with the heating element, and that part is no longer kept in stock because the machine is too old you're better off just getting a new one. Let's not forget the 10% discount!
So for the oven, I took the electronic console apart, saw that the relay that controlled power had developed a cold solder joint and it took me half hour start to finish to repair it and put it back together. The dryer? Well guess what, they don't stock the part but there are companies out on the internet that make it their business to stock old appliance parts. So $235 dollars later, I have the element with the thermistor and temperature sensor and it's fixed. Not having to spend $800 bucks on a new dryer.
So yeah there's the aspect that what could have been a $2000 dollar expense to replace both an oven and a dryer turned into a $250 dollar expense to repair both items. There's also the little something something you get from having the wife think you're all that. But there's also the aspect of not throwing an oven and a dryer into a land fill and potentially having these appliances for twice the life they lived before the died. Something is very wrong in the western "consumer" mindset.
Sorry, had to get that out of my system.
I'm old, I know. When I grew up, I saw my father fix things out of necessity. I guess in a way that's why I leaned to "fix" things. But I also get enjoyment out of it, I like the fact that something that would have been thrown away or have caused an undue expense is given a new lease on life. In the last couple of weeks, I've called to have the oven looked at and now the dryer looked at. Both appliances crapped out, and both times a service man's opinion after doing the troubleshooting was... it's not worth repairing, or the part is no longer available and here's a 10% discount towards the purchase of a replacement. I know their primary function once it becomes more than a half hour trip is to get the person to buy a new one. But my desire to fix things is also a process of trying to be "green" and good towards the environment.
We've absolutely become a disposable society. In both cases, the oven quote to fix was $500 dollars, $295 for the new circuit board and 200 to install it. Similar thing for the dryer... yeap, it's a problem with the heating element, and that part is no longer kept in stock because the machine is too old you're better off just getting a new one. Let's not forget the 10% discount!
So for the oven, I took the electronic console apart, saw that the relay that controlled power had developed a cold solder joint and it took me half hour start to finish to repair it and put it back together. The dryer? Well guess what, they don't stock the part but there are companies out on the internet that make it their business to stock old appliance parts. So $235 dollars later, I have the element with the thermistor and temperature sensor and it's fixed. Not having to spend $800 bucks on a new dryer.
So yeah there's the aspect that what could have been a $2000 dollar expense to replace both an oven and a dryer turned into a $250 dollar expense to repair both items. There's also the little something something you get from having the wife think you're all that. But there's also the aspect of not throwing an oven and a dryer into a land fill and potentially having these appliances for twice the life they lived before the died. Something is very wrong in the western "consumer" mindset.
Sorry, had to get that out of my system.
"I don't want to be part of a forum where everyone has differing opinions." Boom...
coming from a minivan driver. 
