If you're not a DIY guy, you need to give it a chance!

BigWaylon

BigWaylon

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(May be the wrong section to post in, as I'm not sure how many non-DIY members browse the DIY section...but maybe they see it in the New Posts)

I'm not even going to attempt to claim I'm a jack-of-all-trades. But, I do often have more time than money, so I at least attempt to do things myself. And am successful enough that my wife is surprised when I can't fix whatever it is.

That's one reason I like the mix of people on this forum, and am thankful YouTube exists. I can usually find somebody that's been there and done it.

Now...the reason for my post. I'm under contract with a local HVAC company and it includes two visits a year to inspect heat in the fall and air in the early spring, to make sure each system will be ready.

They came about 10 days ago and their one recommendation was to replace the hot surface ignitor. But, he said it was something they didn't carry on the truck, and when it went bad it may take them a couple days to get one...so I should replace it proactively. Also said the office would call me with a quote.

It's the same guy that's been here several times, and so I asked him exactly what the part was called. He said "oh yeah, you're a DIY kinda guy, right?" Said go get the model number, search it out online, and swap it out.

So, I took the cover off the furnace, found the piece with a part number clearly marked right on it, and checked online. MSRP was $30 or so. Decided to check eBay, and a guy had one listed as unused, taken off a new piece of equipment. The pic even showed the little bracket was still attached. I contacted him to confirm it was indeed new, and included the bracket.

Total price: $14.11 shipped
Quote from HVAC: $238.17

I asked for a parts/labor breakdown and the reply was they were a flat rate company and didn't give quotes that way. I simply declined the replacement.

One knob to remove the cover. One screw that held the bracket in place, and one connector plug. <3 min start to finish.
 
Had my wife's stupid Smart car towed to the dealer. They called saying it needed a clutch activator replaced for $1120. The OEM part is $350 new on EBay and YouTube shows it is a 30 minute job to swap them.

How many guns I could'a bought.

****!
 
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i hope you got a permit for that ---to protect yourself and the rest of us :)
 
I got a 2-fer permit when I swapped my water heater. ;)

It doesn't matter if it's home or auto, I'll usually give it a shot. Figure out how to take the old one off, and putting a new one (whatever it may be) is often easier.
 
I've been in the construction, fix it, building main. Eng. , tinkerer, wood working landscaper, service mechanic since Freshman year high school. I'm not afraid to fix anything anymore. Most times it's as you say, ~ $20 and 30 mins.
Done and done.
With the invention of YouTube, there is nothing that can't be learned.

Good for you in saving the dough.
 
I did a similar thing when I noticed one of my heat pumps was icing up outside. It was never going into its defrost cycle. A quick look inside showed a defrost timer board, and I found a replacement on eBay. It took maybe 10 minutes to replace, most of which was removing and replacing screws, and I think I paid maybe $30 for the board. When that heat pump finally had to be replaced I harvested the board and saved it because I have a second, identical heat pump.
 
Oh Ive had some minor plumbing issues where I was quoted BIG BUCKS when it only cost me 40 in parts.
I prefer the experience and knowledge. And the extra money in my wallet/account
 
Jeppo said:
Had my wife's stupid Smart car towed to the dealer. They called saying it needed a clutch activator replaced for $1120. The OEM part is $350 new on EBay and YouTube shows it is a 30 minute job to swap them.

How many guns I could'a bought.

****!
Click to expand...
Be glad it was only the clutch activator and not a flux capacitor.
 
Go for it, you can't damage anything, just be sure to cut off the breaker(s) to the unit.
Same type of igniter used in gas ovens.
 
Ya. I needed a new thermocouple for my gas heater. $150 for the gas man to do it. $15 for the part and 10mins of my time. I'm a hard core DIYer. I built houses with my dad when I was little, took welding, electrical, automotive, auto body, and small engines in high school. Took industrial maintenance in college. It's rare for me to pay someone to do something for me :) :)
 
I had to have an igniter replaced years ago ... the problem is an oily fingerprint on it during the install. New one was installed by a greasy fingered butch.... so it would only last a year or so....
so my hack of all trades self, cleaned it off and replaced it after Skippy left in his truck. hope yours is clean.....
 
foopid stucker said:
I had to have an igniter replaced years ago ... the problem is an oily fingerprint on it during the install. New one was installed by a greasy fingered butch.... so it would only last a year or so....
so my hack of all trades self, cleaned it off and replaced it after Skippy left in his truck. hope yours is clean.....
Click to expand...
Clean it with what? It looked new, but no telling.
 
I bought my first multimeter specifically to test the overheat fuse on the dryer when it died...not to save money but because I couldn’t get an appliance guy out for a week.

I really enjoy learning new stuff, but I do like to learn it before I’m too many hours into doing it wrong.
 
The only time I call someone is if I don't have/can't get a specialty tool needed, OR... If it needs Freon. I used to have my Freon card but let it expire, dummy me!! I was taught to do for myself because no body else will do it right!!
 
Daleo8803 said:
Ya. I needed a new thermocouple for my gas heater. $150 for the gas man to do it. $15 for the part and 10mins of my time. I'm a hard core DIYer. I built houses with my dad when I was little, took welding, electrical, automotive, auto body, and small engines in high school. Took industrial maintenance in college. It's rare for me to pay someone to do something for me :) :)
Click to expand...
I just replaced some parts on my water heater. Called a local company for a quote, as I knew what was wrong. North of 200. Went to Lowes. They didn't have the "tune-up" kit for my water heater. Special order with overnight freight....60.00. It was a 2 beer job. Like 10 minutes. I always try and fix stuff myself. I'm a pretty mechanical type guy. I can normally figure stuff out.
 
Same here. I was raised by an industrial maintenance supervisor that taught me to never pay someone to do something that you could do yourself. Several times I've saved big bucks on our HVAC unit.

-bad connections burnt up twice in the exchanger in the basement. Removed a few screws and redid the connetions

-bad contactor on the outside unit. $30 and 10 min

-bad capacitor on the outside unit, $5 and 5 minutes

I figure I've saved thousands over the years between the house and cars.
 
Coltdefender1911 said:
It was a 2 beer job. Like 10 minutes.
Click to expand...

Kind of like my truck..

How to change the air filter element in 12 easy steps:

1. Pick up a 12 pack of beer and an air cleaner.
2. Park truck in garage and open hood.
3. Drink a beer and mentally outline the process.
4. Get tools needed and return to truck.
5. Open a beer and think carefully about the process.
6. Unscrew the top of the air cleaner box, but Do not remove filter at this point.
7. Drink the beer you opened in step 5 while removing the old filter.
8. Open the new filter and compare it to the old filter.
9. Install new filter while drinking a beer.
10. Install the top of the air cleaner box and secure the screws.
11. Drink a beer and make sure everything is correct and secure, double check!!
12. Sit back and admire the superior job you just completed, and drink the last beer.

12 steps, 12 beers, coincidence?? I think not....
 
I always liked to mess with stuff, taking it apart and putting it back together, when I was a kid. When I was a teenager i was instantly converted to being a diy-er after two incidents with my truck. One time the headlight went out. This was an older truck where you had to replace the whole unit, not just the bulb. It never lined up right and we had been told by the shop that an adjuster must be broken. Well as I'm replacing it because I didn't want to pay for it to be done, I realize that the previous headlight was upside down. With the words 'this side on top' clearly written, upside down on the bottom.

The second instance was after the rear end on the truck went out. My uncle was helping me replace it and we were robbing the brakes from the old axle since they were almost new. Turns out the shop that replaced them put the self-adjusters on the wrong sides somehow.

After that I decided not to trust anybody else to do work for me.

I got a text from my brother one day when he was in college telling me that he finally understood why I was a diy-er. Apparently part of his belt had caught on something and bent, and he hammered it back in place. That was enough of a reason for him.
 
After the mess I previously described with my wife's car, she came home the other day and called me out to the garage. The AC fan was running in our GMC Envoy even with the key removed. Poking around YouTube, I found a couple excellent videos explaining how to troubleshoot this problem, locate and eventually R&R the likely culprit part. Fotty-something' bucks and a couple days later (thanks Amazon), we're good to go again.

During the entire process of tinkering under the dash, probing with a multimeter (thanks Harbor Freight for the free with purchase coupon), searching for the module online, splicing in the new connector (thanks again HF for the cheap butt connectors) and the install I was thinking...

The real thanks has to go to YouTube for the endless knowledge that pros give away for free.
 
Bailey Boat said:
Be careful following YouTube, some of those guys aren't right. Ever seen any of them drink a beer while working?? I rest my case..
Click to expand...
Yeah...I drink along with 'em.
 
Bailey Boat said:
Be careful following YouTube, some of those guys aren't right. Ever seen any of them drink a beer while working?? I rest my case..
Click to expand...
The guys that are drinking usually get it right, but there aren’t enough of them!
 
Y
JimB said:
The guys that are drinking usually get it right, but there aren’t enough of them!
Click to expand...
You're right. So I drink enough to compensate for "them".
 
I've done a lot of DIY work in my jeeps and saved thousands in labor charges.
On my 93YJ I've replaced a water pump, a radiator, shifter lever swap for a Hurst, swapped in a Detroit locker when Uwharrie ate my OEM FORD 8.8 carrier.
Drive shafts, U-joints, slip yikes.
On my 2010 I installed a lift kit, PSC protection and bumpers, and much more.
Gotta love owning an excuse for air tools and compressor.
In the home I'm getting more brave.
YouTube is great for helping diagnosis. Things I can easily check I will do.
But granite counter top I leave to the professionals.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
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