Apparently, I dressed as a competent handyman.
For starters, the parts I ordered for dryer did not arrive in our mailbox until we had left for the football game so it was my first task for Saturday morning.
I replaced the thermal fuse easily, but the cycling thermostat did not look like the ones in the YouTube videos, so I had a bit of swearing and concern as I tried to figure out if there was a particular way to orient it. It has four wires to plug into it: Two on the top, and two on the sides. So it might make a difference which end is up, ainna? As it turns out, apparently not, but I only discovered that by plugging it in and turning it on. And the dryer worked again.
Then, late in the morning, whilst I was working, my mother-in-law called with some sort of HVAC issue. Apparently, fixing the dryer built my reputation for the day. So I went over to her house. I was the first person in her house since Ash Wednesday. Which was in February, remember, gentle reader–my mother-in-law has only had contact with people via phone and FaceTime since then. She has not interacted with my boys in nine months. But perhaps the miracle cure for the virus, a new Presidential administration, is in the offing.
At any rate, it was not a grand HVAC issue–she replaced the filter in her ceiling cold air return and could not get it to close. I gave it a quick look–both the thumb latches holding it in place were broken off–you could move the thumbs into closed position, but they lacked the hooks that grab into the duct frame.
The proper fix, of course, would be to go get a new vent assembly and put it in for her; however, she has HVAC professionals for that. Instead, I got a couple pieces of wire and fed them through the vent to wire it closed for the nonce.
Given that she had used putty/stickum adhesive to hold the filter in place, that cold air return is held together with bubble gum and baling wire. She initially told me I could tape it up; I guess she tried that first before calling me. So basically, it is bubble gum, baling wire, and cosmetic duct tape.
So the dryer has not caught fire nor electrocuted anyone in the three days that it has been operational, and we’re caught up on laundry, so I am a little pleased with it–although as I recount my appliance repair adventure here, I do it with the thought of my father, listening indulgently and patiently, as I regale some story of my competence to him and he cannot feign pride in my doing a simple task that any man should be able to do in ten minutes after a couple beers.
As for the cold air return, I got it closed and could tell my mother-in-law the proper repair, but I didn’t do it myself even though I might have been able to. So the accomplishment has an asterisk. Given the choice between the proper fix and a band-aid, I often go with the band-aid.
So maybe the word competent is not the best word choice.
