One Dad's Life

Remember the Lonely Maytag Repair Man? (Part the Second - and Last!)

If you tuned in on Monday, you were fortunate to read part 1 of the exciting adventures of Gregg (that's me!) trying to fix our washing machine.  In that episode, Gregg (that's me!) realizing that the malfunctioning washer's problem are most likely caused by plumbing and/or some mechanical problem does the most logical thing that came to his mind.  Gregg (that's me!) began researching new washing machines.  Yes, technically, the washing machine repair guy could be called.  BUT AT WHAT COST?  The washer was over 15 years old, and didn't cost much to begin with.

As part of Gregg's research into a new washer, Gregg (that's me!) asked some basic questions of an engineer at work (who used to work at Maytag).  Questions like "why do those little pedestals cost as much as my original washer when all they do is hold the REAL washer up a little teeny bit higher?"  Yes, Gregg knows how to get at the heart of complex and technical issues.

Unfortunately, despite Gregg's history with plumbing and/or mechanical things, he allows the engineer to guilt him into trying to fix the washer. Imagine.  In phase one, Gregg (that's me!) checked all the filter screens for blockage as suggested by the ex-Maytag engineer.  Finding none, he ended the blog post.

UNTIL NOW!

Finally, the thrilling conclusion can be told!

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Sure, as it turns out, the brilliant ex-Maytag engineer was wrong about the filter screens being clogged.  However, at this point the guilt he started in me was growing. How could I let a box of folded metal and some simple plumbing get the best of me?  I'm an ELECTRICAL ENGINEER for goodness sakes.  I could probably design a device that could clean clothes entirely by playing old 45 records backwards at 78 RPM, thus eliminating the need for the washing machine (and plumbing) altogether!  I wasn't going to let that dumb washer get the better of me, or it was going to be replaced by my Shaun Cassidy 45 collection and some electronic wizardry. 

Da Doo Ron Ron THAT!

I truly believe that one of my greatest strengths is my ability to find nearly anything.  One of my primary partners in crime for this activity is my trusty friend, The Internet.

I knew that I could find the drawings AND PARTS for a 15 year old washer. No problem. ( <- sarcasm)  In fact, it really wasn't much of a problem.  I did find them, almost immediately.  What I learned was that both the hot and cold water entered a single valve, called the "mix valve" and there was a single exit hose that ultimately filled the washer.  Since the hot water was working properly, it was entirely likely that this mix valve was the problem.

I felt I had a solution.

Here's the trick.  Amana/Whirlpool had stopped making (or providing) that valve QUITE A WHILE AGO.  I wasn't going to let THAT little detail stop me though. Lessor men, of course, would have stopped right there.  I was not a lessor man!

Oh no!

Ultimately, I found some shady, back alley internet appliance parts store located right behind a shop that sold conspiracy theories for $9.95 a month. They pretended like they had the right part.  "Genuine Whirlpool", it said. "In stock", it said.

Right.

Still, the picture DID look pretty close to the drawings I'd found earlier.  Also, the price was right, the part was only $23 or so, plus shipping. That's a lot cheaper than a new High Tech washer and dryer. I decided to risk buying the part, even knowing I'd have to battle TWO of my arch enemies: Plumbing and Mechanical Devices.  I'll usually do almost ANYTHING to avoid plumbing and mechanical devices. For similar reasons, I'll sometimes go DAYS without going to the bathroom. 

In any case, to make an already too long story that probably interests no one even a teensy bit shorter, I'll get right to it.  The part actually came in after about 10 days.  I was mildly surprised. It did in fact look VERY similar to the drawing on the Internet I had found. That was encouraging.  Still, I was a little afraid that there would be some kind of difference that would end up requiring some metal-work on my part, and maybe even some welding.  Though spectacular, welding seems scary to me.  I didn't want to weld.

Next step was getting the washer properly disassembled.  This was actually kind of tricky, but since I had previously solved the Rubiks cube (though with some direction) and also was pretty good at the "Professor Layton" series of puzzle games on the Nintendo DS, I figured I was well equipped.  Also, there was the Internet.  It wouldn't be fair if I didn't mention the Internet's help.

So, I got the washer taken apart.  It was not NEARLY as nasty as I was expecting inside the washer, after 15 years, and I didn't find any clan of critters living in there, certainly not raccoons or squirrels and not even spiders or a family of Midland Brown Snakes.  However, in unrelated news, there DOES happen to be a Midland Brown Snake living in our basement.  It's fast.  I haven't been able to catch it, yet.  Don't tell anyone.  However, strangely enough, I DID find a single acorn inside the washing machine case. Weird.

As it turns out, my internet searching and back alley appliance parts dealer all came through for me. The valve I had purchased was EXACTLY the same as the one in the washer. EXACTLY - even down to the last dimple in the castings and the metal plate holding the solenoids together. I don't like to brag, but goodness gracious I'm good at finding things...even things I know nothing about. Psychic Hotlines have nothing on me!

I was able to replace the valve, reattach the proper plumbing and electrical connections and even reassemble the washer case without any difficulties. I could even do it with my available tools. No trip to the neighborhood Ace!

To top it off, replacing the valve did the trick! The washer is back to normal, now.  So, hopefully now my wife WILL brag to all her friends and they will throw me a party and it will include banana cream pie.  I like pie.

Also, now that I've proven my ability to repair trivial plumbing and mechanical items, my ego and self-confidence are temporarily inflated.  So, I've now compiled a list of plumbing projects I plan on completing, starting with a leaky original outdoor faucet to our vintage home. 

Yep, I'm a real man's man.

Pray for my household.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: In completely unrelated synchronicity with my first real electro-mechanical plumbing success, this so happens to be (by my possibly inaccurate count) my 500th post on "One Dad's Life!"  YEAH ME!  If you've missed a few, now might be a good time to go back and catch up. You've got all weekend.  I'll see you on Monday.

Remember the Lonely Maytag Repair Man? (Part the First)

Over the past several months, our washing machine has slowly....ever so slowly....begun taking MUCH longer to fill with cold water.  At first, you think to yourself, "Self, is this taking longer to fill?" 

"NAH!" you answer.  Everything is normal, you convince yourself. Less work that way.  Less expense, too!

Well, then one day you suddenly realize that the washer is taking about 2 hours to fill.  That's not right.

So, I mentioned to an engineer at work that my washer is broke.  I had started researching new washers.  My rationale is that I didn't want to spend perhaps hundreds of dollars to repair a 15 year old washer.  I had my eye on some new high tech front loading energy efficient washers.  Is there a tax break on those?  I had no idea how I'd PAY for the high tech washer, but clearly 2 hours to fill the washer means SOMETHING.  For example, if my wife and I value our time at somewhere around, say, $200 per hour, then the new high tech washer would probably pay for itself in a day or two, right?

Of course, right!

I had some questions on front-loading machines, though. Chief among them was why does the pedestal cost nearly $300?  It's possible my current WASHER barely cost $300 when we bought it new over 15 years ago!

"Could you build a pedestal out of 2x4s and plywood?" I wondered out loud to the engineer.  He used to work at Maytag.  "Yes", he said in a resigned voice, "people do that." 

Aha!

"What's wrong with your washer?" he asked. Engineers can't resist that kind of line of questioning.

I told him.

"Oh, that's probably just a blocked filter in your hose or on the washer. You can fix that!"

Really?  Well, it WOULD seem kind of silly to replace a washer just because of some gunk in a filter screen.  I would clearly have to check this possibility out.  Dreams of the new high tech front loading washer and dryer on a wooden pedestal of my own making that I didn't know we would pay for were already fading.  Some of those new washers play music when they are done instead of buzzing, you know. Did I mention the music?  I don't think I did.

I went home that night, somewhat dejected, yet hopeful that it really WAS just that simple.  In fact, I was even a little excited. A new front loading high tech washer and dryer is a good way toward a down payment on a Camaro I can't afford and have no place to park! PLUS, if I were to fix the washer, my wife would probably be really impressed, and she'd brag to her friends and they'd probably throw me a party or something.

That would rock, if there was banana cream pie. I like pie!

I told my wife that I had talked to an engineer that used to work at Maytag about the washer and he said it was probably just a dirty filter screen in the washer hose.  I didn't mention the high tech front loading washer and dryer, because I was honestly more focused on that Camaro down payment.  In my mind, the high tech washer and dryer money that I didn't have was already spent, so now that it wasn't needed on the washer (in theory) it had to go SOMEWHERE, right? The male mind moves fast, try to keep up.

Later, I moved the washer out from the wall, confronting all the scary things that are hidden behind a washer that has sat in the same place in the basement, near an outside door, for 15 years.  I was mildly surprised that there wasn't a family of raccoons living back there.  Or maybe even squirrels! SQUIRRELS! After drenching myself with the washer hoses (YES, I TURNED OFF THE WATER FIRST) and other-wise making a mess of my fashion plate designer clothes I like to wear, I had checked all the filter screens.  Yes, there was a little bit of stuff accumulated in there after 15 years, but nothing major.  I didn't think it would have a big impact.

It didn't.

"Well?" my wife asked excitedly as I emerged from the catacombs under the house, "was that it?"

"No", I replied.  "It didn't really do anything."

"That's too bad", she said, which CLEARLY meant "you have to get me a new washer and get it now. Also, it must play music when it is done, I'm FED UP TO HERE with washers that buzz! Additionally, while you're out, get me some chocolate."

The money that I didn't have that was going to be spent on the high tech washer and dryer and home made pedestal that was already spent so I'd HAVE to divert to some other cause, like a Camaro down payment, because the money was already gone was now working it's way back to the high tech washer and dryer.

Rats.

(to be continued)

Another Dream Come True!

Maybe I have small dreams, but last night, another one came true.  Thanks to my awesome wife, Dad, and brother, we now have under cabinet lights in our kitchen!

Here's the trick - I'm very particular about what I like. In fact, my normal routine is to figure out EXACTLY what I want (often through months or even years of research) and then not settle for anything else.

Under, and over, cabinet lights are just one of those things.  I want our house to be perfect. The problem is, I don't have any real time at home to work on these things.  Enter my wife and nearly the rest of my family.  They are making it all happen.

Under cabinet lighting may not seem like much, but here's what it took to make this happen.  My wife is remodeling rooms in our house, bit by bit, as she makes extra cash teaching voice lessons.  So far, she's done the bathroom, and has been working on the kitchen for nearly a year, I think.  So far, both are PERFECT.  To get this little corner of the kitchen to it's current state my brother first took DOWN the cabinets, since previous water damage along our chimney (from an old coal furnace) had seriously damaged the plaster behind the cabinets.  Next, my brother knocked out all the old plaster in the area.  THEN, due to my complete fixation on how old houses were built, replaced an entire wall that would be BEHIND THE CABINETS with a brand new plaster wall.  While the cabinets were down, my brother and my dad pulled wired behind the cabinets for our future over and under cabinet lighting. 

My dad even rebuilt some of the cabinets with new wood to match the originals, due to water damage that had occurred. Amazing.

Then the cabinets were rehung.  Dianne, my beautiful and talented wife, refinished all the cabinets AND put new hardware on them and painted all the hinges to match the hardware.  She also made a complete new finish coat of plaster over the entire kitchen, getting rid of the previous sand finish coat and replacing it with a cool stucco texture.  She also painted all the walls, and then put a wash on them to make them look old again, and make the texture stand out. 

I love old houses.  I'll have to post a picture that shows off the texture some time.

At Christmas, my dad added an outlet above the cabinets.  He's really good with electrical stuff in houses!  We added some new houses from Dickens' Village for Christmas decorations above the cabinets that were all lit up and controlled with a timer.  It was so cool.  Again, I need to post pictures.

Finally, yesterday my brother and dad came over to work on some areas of the kitchen with my wife.  My brother mounted a frame for lighting that goes above our island.  My wife build the frame a week ago.  We'll save that whole area for another post.  Then my dad and my wife wired and mounted the under cabinet lights and dimmer.

They are PERFECT.  Remember how particular I am? Well, they are PERFECT.

There are three levels of dimming, plus off.  Additionally, since it is now no longer Christmas time, the Dickens' village is gone and replaced with rope lighting behind our regular decorations we have above the cabinets.  The level of the dimmer is on the middle level, there is both a higher and lower light level for the under-cabinet  lights.

PERFECT.

So, thanks to everyone that helped on this project!  I totally love the lighting AND the walls AND the cabinets! Click on the picture for a slightly larger version!