You know what really grinds my gears? 28 Jan 11

kittyciara · 01-28-2011, 07:01 PM

REPAIRMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have 3 examples that all happened within the past month.

Example 1: One tv I own is a 2 year old DLP HD tv. It's 56", 1080p, great condition, etc etc. Recently the lamp wouldn't fire on so I bought a new lamp for $150. This is common for 2 years and how often I use the tv (It's the gaming tv, and I often fall asleep to netflix). Bought and replaced the lamp myself, no problem. Well, 2 weeks later the same problem happened, TV wouldn't fire the lamp. I called Samsung and they told me that the error code provided by the LED lights means I need a new lamp. After explaining to them I just bought one, they sent a repair guy. His diagnosis was a bad DMD Board, which is the board that pretty much sends all the signals to all the parts. He wanted to fix it for $400. I told him to go home. After researching it online it seemed that it could possibly be my ballast which is a part that sends voltage to the lamp. When the lamp initially fires it needs very high voltage (~15KV) and then to stay on a much lower amount. I also read that it's common to need to replace the ballast when changing the lamp as the new lamp has more mercury and requires the full voltage possible of the ballast, so a bad ballast isn't as easily found with older, easier to fire lamps. So I called the repair guy just to see what he though about my self diagnosis, and he continued to tell me that the ballast is the most rare thing to ever break on the tv etc etc. Well, a ballast only costs 70$......I was willing to buy the ballast myself, install it, and if it still didn't work I was going to get a new tv, instead of spending 400$ to fix it...

Well, guess what...............It fucking worked....it was the ballast. I'm going to call the repair guy and tell him he's a fucking moron crook.

Example 2: I woke up last sunday to a pool of water in front of my refrigerator. The fridge and freezer were not cooling.....uh oh. So I hurry'd and got ice for a cooler and placed all the food in the cooler. I googled it online, and from the clicks and noises my fridge was making I discovered that it was possibly a bad start/relay which powers the compressor. I got the back of the fridge, took of the relay, shook it, and according to the website if it rattled it was bad.....it sounded like a baby's rattle. Called a repair guy and asked how much it would cost, if it WAS that......2 guys quoted me ~200$. I went to an appliance parts store....found a replacement for 15$!!!!!!!!!!!! Installed it and it worked.

Example 3: My bathroom sink in the master bath was draining really slow, put some draino down it, now good. Also, our upstairs toilet clogged really easily. I told my GF I'd fix them. I never did, so she called the plumber out. He quoted 200$ for EACH repair!!!!!! I sent him home, as he didn't charge a trip fee. I just opened the toilet tank, unscrewed the floater handle a little to increase the water tank level which helped with flushing pressure. I then disassembled the P trap underneath the sink, and poke a HUGE hair glob out of it. Fix both problems for 0$.

Fuck I hate repair men

kittyciara · 01-28-2011, 07:02 PM

The internet is a powerful place.....inform yourself, and don't be ripped off by assholes.

Methix · 01-29-2011, 12:11 AM

We had a similar situation a while back with our furnace where the controller board fried. I replaced the controller board first since it was obviously dead, but couldn't figure out what else was bad.

So Pyro found a site called justanswer.com It was awesome. You put a few bucks in an escrow and then experts from that field can help you with your question. If it solves your problem, you release the money and they get paid a little for helping (like $10-30). So in the end, a guy named Billy with 25+ years in HVAC walked me through testing different components until we found it was the voltage regulator that had died (and taken the controller board with it).

Local HVAC places wanted ~$75 just to come diagnose it, and then they would have charged a couple hours labor. With justanswer.com I got the same level of expertise and it cost me $35 (I tipped him a little because he was just that rockstar).

They also have sections of their site for automotive questions, medical questions, etc.

kittyciara · 01-29-2011, 12:43 AM

Wow that's cool. I'll definitely keep that in mind for future issues.

chau · 01-29-2011, 08:28 PM

So... What you're saying is... When shit breaks down at my place you're gonna swing by to fix it, yes?

Methix · 01-29-2011, 09:15 PM

I believe he's saying exactly that...for $75/hr, minimum 2 hours.

Miro · 01-29-2011, 10:04 PM

My advice would be to buy a new place. That'll be a $300 consultation fee. Thanks.

01-28-2011, 07:01 PM	#1
kittyciara Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 2,660	You know what really grinds my gears? 28 Jan 11 REPAIRMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have 3 examples that all happened within the past month. Example 1: One tv I own is a 2 year old DLP HD tv. It's 56", 1080p, great condition, etc etc. Recently the lamp wouldn't fire on so I bought a new lamp for $150. This is common for 2 years and how often I use the tv (It's the gaming tv, and I often fall asleep to netflix). Bought and replaced the lamp myself, no problem. Well, 2 weeks later the same problem happened, TV wouldn't fire the lamp. I called Samsung and they told me that the error code provided by the LED lights means I need a new lamp. After explaining to them I just bought one, they sent a repair guy. His diagnosis was a bad DMD Board, which is the board that pretty much sends all the signals to all the parts. He wanted to fix it for $400. I told him to go home. After researching it online it seemed that it could possibly be my ballast which is a part that sends voltage to the lamp. When the lamp initially fires it needs very high voltage (~15KV) and then to stay on a much lower amount. I also read that it's common to need to replace the ballast when changing the lamp as the new lamp has more mercury and requires the full voltage possible of the ballast, so a bad ballast isn't as easily found with older, easier to fire lamps. So I called the repair guy just to see what he though about my self diagnosis, and he continued to tell me that the ballast is the most rare thing to ever break on the tv etc etc. Well, a ballast only costs 70$......I was willing to buy the ballast myself, install it, and if it still didn't work I was going to get a new tv, instead of spending 400$ to fix it... Well, guess what...............It fucking worked....it was the ballast. I'm going to call the repair guy and tell him he's a fucking moron crook. Example 2: I woke up last sunday to a pool of water in front of my refrigerator. The fridge and freezer were not cooling.....uh oh. So I hurry'd and got ice for a cooler and placed all the food in the cooler. I googled it online, and from the clicks and noises my fridge was making I discovered that it was possibly a bad start/relay which powers the compressor. I got the back of the fridge, took of the relay, shook it, and according to the website if it rattled it was bad.....it sounded like a baby's rattle. Called a repair guy and asked how much it would cost, if it WAS that......2 guys quoted me ~200$. I went to an appliance parts store....found a replacement for 15$!!!!!!!!!!!! Installed it and it worked. Example 3: My bathroom sink in the master bath was draining really slow, put some draino down it, now good. Also, our upstairs toilet clogged really easily. I told my GF I'd fix them. I never did, so she called the plumber out. He quoted 200$ for EACH repair!!!!!! I sent him home, as he didn't charge a trip fee. I just opened the toilet tank, unscrewed the floater handle a little to increase the water tank level which helped with flushing pressure. I then disassembled the P trap underneath the sink, and poke a HUGE hair glob out of it. Fix both problems for 0$. Fuck I hate repair men

01-29-2011, 12:11 AM	#3
Methix Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 404	We had a similar situation a while back with our furnace where the controller board fried. I replaced the controller board first since it was obviously dead, but couldn't figure out what else was bad. So Pyro found a site called justanswer.com It was awesome. You put a few bucks in an escrow and then experts from that field can help you with your question. If it solves your problem, you release the money and they get paid a little for helping (like $10-30). So in the end, a guy named Billy with 25+ years in HVAC walked me through testing different components until we found it was the voltage regulator that had died (and taken the controller board with it). Local HVAC places wanted ~$75 just to come diagnose it, and then they would have charged a couple hours labor. With justanswer.com I got the same level of expertise and it cost me $35 (I tipped him a little because he was just that rockstar). They also have sections of their site for automotive questions, medical questions, etc. __________________

01-29-2011, 08:28 PM	#5
chau Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 262	So... What you're saying is... When shit breaks down at my place you're gonna swing by to fix it, yes? __________________ http://greggshiu.tumblr.com http://www.twitter.com/greggshiu

01-29-2011, 09:15 PM	#6
Methix Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 404	I believe he's saying exactly that...for $75/hr, minimum 2 hours. __________________

01-29-2011, 10:04 PM	#7
Miro WoW Vet Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: UT saint george Posts: 2,552	My advice would be to buy a new place. That'll be a $300 consultation fee. Thanks. __________________ Derka-derka

01-28-2011, 07:02 PM	#2
kittyciara Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 2,660	The internet is a powerful place.....inform yourself, and don't be ripped off by assholes.

01-29-2011, 12:43 AM	#4
kittyciara Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 2,660	Wow that's cool. I'll definitely keep that in mind for future issues.