Our clothes dryer suddenly gave up the ghost the other day – not heating. It had my head spinning. There were already two loads of wash waiting to be dried, including my underwear and pajamas. I didn’t have that many sets left to tide me over for long. I didn’t want to call a service man just in case the problem was an obvious one.
I remember one the I had someone in to repair the water softener. He spent more time trying to sell me a new unit or at least an upgrade to this one than he was working. He was a smooth talker, but I didn’t bite – not even for a service plan. One $5 component was the culprit. To replace it cost $140. Was I charged that much for listening to him or not listening? I might have been able to fix that problem on my own.
Since then I felt vulnerable, whether it was an appliance call or a small engine repair. So, regarding the dryer, I tried to be a handy man. I knew instantly it wasn’t a circuit breaker because it worked except for no heat. I was thorough to remove any lint with the floor model vacuum cleaner. I should mention that the vacuum had its handle broken off making it tricky to move from room to room. After that I tried all the button-key combinations on the dryer listed in the service manual but to no avail. I took the top off the dryer, no luck. The back when removed allowed a good look inside, but the working components were not distinguishable one from the other.
Dam, I had to call the technician. He arrived in a few days as scheduled. Without hesitation, he had the top off the dryer, then the front removed and the drum sitting on the floor before I had a chance to tell him, “It doesn’t heat up!”
He was already replacing the heater, assembled the dryer the way that it was in 20 minutes flat. His bill spelled out that it was good money for just 20 minutes. Anyway, I thought that the next time I would remove the front section rather than the back one. Furthermore, why didn’t I put insurance on it when it was bought from Sears but then again Sears is out business.
He had to say on his way out that this was the fifth call to my place in three years for four appliances. “Thanks for having me, see you next month,” then grinned. month.” I glanced over at the stove, the only appliance 10 years old and no service call yet!
The unexpected happened one year in Toronto. I had ceramic tiles installed in the kitchen area. Afterwards I noticed they were tight against the bottom of the dishwasher, locking it in place like a key left inside a closed trunk.
Bad things happen sometimes. I sold the house. Everything seemed tranquil until one day my real estate agent called. He said the new owners wanted to replace the dishwasher, but it was blocked in. They wanted me to cover extra costs for any damages in removing it. That dilemma took many calls and compromises before it was ironed out.
My house problems really grew after my Dad passed in 2010 and I took over ownership. In less than a year the water pump and motor had to be replaced. The service guy said that the existing pressure tank was too small for the new unit, so it went out too. The hot water tank was next because of corrosion. Then four years ago, the oil furnace was red-tagged so I needed a new propane one to replace it.
As Sheila reminds me often, there are things around the place that need fixing; the unsafe boards on the back porch and eaves troughs replaced – that my father would have taken care of. When I fell through two rotted planks, badly scraping my side, I got busy and did some repairs. As for the eaves troughs, I haphazardly attached them last year but this summer, I had someone start over and do it properly.
I like to think of myself as versatile as most of my friends are. But I’m not and until I am, which will be never, I’ll have to pay the price.
