I have written about my experiences at being a reluctant handyman. I don't like mechanical things. I'm not good at mechanical things. I still don't know which way to turn the wrench and I never will. I just experiment and if the nut moves Ok it's going to come off . If the nut doesn't move well then I'm turning the wrong direction.
Well, my latest experience was to change the motor on my central vacuum system.
When the vacuum quits running the first thing to discover is why it won't run. I leave the diagnosis up to the micro manager. She found out that the motor had to be replaced. Then comes the shopping to get a motor.
Now we're in business. Take the machine apart and instal the new motor. Well not so fast. Be careful when taking things apart so that you know how to put it back together. I took a couple of wires off that I didn't have to. There is a hood over the motor that has to be taken off so that you can get at the motor . Inside the hood are three wires that have to be taken off. I made sure that I labeled the wires and where they should be reconnected. Oh and don't forget to take the exhaust pipe off the motor. And don't forget to turn the power off. Oops that should have been done a few steps ago.
Now I found out that I was missing two parts. I needed a gasket to go on top of the motor and a clip to go on an electrical wire.
The whole machine is very dirty as carbon comes off the motor so there was some cleaning , lots of cleaning. Those first two wires I took off? I had a tough time to get them back on. They were in behind and at eye level. You couldn't look on the top of them.
Well after a few checks and lots of cleaning, the Micro Manager says, "Let's see if it works" Well what do you know. It was fixed.
Why do I go through this torture? Tradesmen are so awful that we will do many things to avoid them. At one time I had an excellent plumber but my experience is not the same with other tradesmen.
Also , today Buttons at Buttons Thoughts wrote about all the good things about being a handyman. I enjoyed her post.
I enjoyed your post Red and congratulations, you fixed it! I also understand your feelings of being a reluctant handyman as I am married to one. We have always been the fix-it-yourself type and I was also raised by one. You said you discovered you were missing two parts. That is what I don't like about being a do-it-yourselfer. My husband usually has to make at least one extra trip to the hardware store for just that reason!
ReplyDeleteIt works the same here to go back to the store. This one they could have told me when I picked up the motor but I guess they think we know those things.
DeleteI don't have the patience to try and fix mechanical things. Good for you for taking on the challenge.
ReplyDeleteYou're right on the patience. It takes patience all around.
DeleteYou are a handy man! :) Good job!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I've done this one ten years ago but had forgotten the details.
DeleteYour "oops" moment about the electricity made me smile, not because it's not an important step, but just because of the way you wrote it. I'm glad you lived to tell the tale!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for taking on such a project. Being a handyman is good for so many reasons. Being married to a handyman is also excellent, as I can vouch for :)
In real Life I did take the electrical plug out first. It's in my writing that I forgot about the plug.
DeleteAha, that's different!
DeleteAll's well that ends well. In spite of not having disconnected the power until a few steps into the repair!
ReplyDeleteYou should feel a sense of accomplishment, the vacuum works and you don't seem to have any bits left over. That's the killer bit, looking around and finding something that's been overlooked...
Hurrah, you've done well.
Alphie
Thank you. I really didn't for get the electrical plug. I just forgot it in my writing.
DeleteTo make "the nut" turn all you have to do is walk in circles Red!
ReplyDelete...but I walk in circles all day!
DeleteYou are quite right, most tradesmen are akin to petty thieves and charlatans.
ReplyDeleteSome should be paid to stay away. However, some things require a trained and experienced tradesman.
DeleteWell, you are much handier than I.
ReplyDeleteMy wife would have to do the job.
I am an embarrassment to males everywhere.
Hey, I'd disagree with the last statement just for fun. We see many females in the trades and driving trucks so we must compare with all people.
DeleteHello, it is great to have a handyman around. My hubby is not handy, but my son is. Take care! Enjoy your day, have a happy new week ahead.
ReplyDeleteI always say. this is the last time I'll do a job but when the next one comes along I get at it again.
DeleteWell done!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteCongratulations on your successful handyman adventure, Red. I enjoyed your description of it. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's more fun telling about it than doing it.
DeleteSounds like quite a job. Congratulations for getting back together and having it work!
ReplyDeleteIt's not that complicated. It's a bit awkward.
DeleteI'm impressed that you even tried to replace a vacuum motor. I need an instruction book just to change a light bulb ... and I still usually get it wrong!
ReplyDeleteOkay, for the next light bulb , check you tube!!!
DeleteNice job, Red! You did well, probably better than me. :)
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't take much to be better than this handyman.
DeleteI always enjoy doing something myself. I feel a great sense of accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteIt is neat to finish a successful job.
DeleteWell done. I love mending things but nowadays I take photos as I'm going along and dismantling things so that I can check that I've got them back correctly.
ReplyDeleteNow that's a smart idea.
DeleteI would have loved to see your face the moment the Micro Manager turned on the vacuum and it worked! : - )
ReplyDeleteWell, it was exactly backwards. I turned the switch and she breathed a big sigh of relief.
DeleteYou can enjoy your accomplishment now that the task is complete and it WORKS!
ReplyDeleteYou did well! I am really not mechanical.
ReplyDeleteYay, Red!!! Congratulations! You and Art are birds of a feather. He’s always wanting to try to fix things on his own too. I’m often surprised when he actually does manage to do it.
ReplyDeleteGlad to read you got the job accomplished and most likely have a much happier wife as well. Thankfully, I am married to a man who is handy at repair jobs but now that we live in an apt there's very little that needs repairing except of course personal items which thankfully have not broken recently.
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard to find a good tradesman! Thankfully, my husband is very handy around the house. He can pretty much do anything. I like to be handy but my skills are limited compared to his.
ReplyDeletewow you were able to put it back together and this is great i think dear Red :)
ReplyDeleteagreed that be careful when you are taking it apart because it was going to long hard time to find out where they will be reconnected
here it is so common to bring labor to do to whom you called tradesman here ,they take lots of money as they come to your home to fix stuff ,some people take it to their shops
hubby tries to avid it all by taking care of things by himself as he knows almost everything surprisingly ,some of his nephews are electricians and some are mechanics still i find him ti guide them when they come to fix water motor or anything occasionally ,mostly hubby choose to do it