Fixing stuff at home yourself

One good way to save money is to fix everything you possibly can without hiring an electrician or plumber.

We had a light switch fail a couple of days ago. The plastic piece you flip back and forth to turn the light on an off broke loose from the actual switching mechanism, and just flopped around uselessly.

We bought a new swtich and I changed it out in about 15 minutes.

That same week, one of the bulbs in the lights over the kitchen counter failed. When I went to unscrew the bad bulb, instead of unscrewing properly the glass came loose from the metal base. I was left with a piece of glass in my hand and the metal screw base still screwed into the socket! It took quite a while of fiddling with needlenose pliers to get the base out so a new bulb could be screwed in.

Then two bulbs failed in the living room overhead lights. These are not standard bulbs, so hubby had to make a trip to the hardware store to buy them. Then we dropped one of the new bulbs while installing it and broke it, so had to make another trip to the hardware store!

All in one week.

Home maintenance never stops. Fortunately, most of it is minor stuff like this. Rebuilding some of the rotted garden beds this summer will be a bigger project.

Comments

  • kbmbillups1
    kbmbillups1 Posts: 1,390 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That's a lot to have to fix in one week. So glad you have a husband who can fix things. Unfortunately my husband cannot fix things but he has a friend who is a plumber and taught the kids of an electrician who have both helped us fix things. We also found a handyman who has put new attic steps in for us and a few other things who has become a friend as well.

    If you can't fix things it's good to have friends who can!

  • Annie Kate
    Annie Kate Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭

    Yep, we fix things too. But there's so much fixing needed, especially once you get behind, that it's important to just keep plugging along without getting upset that it's not done.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    The bottom line is that if I don't fix it, it doesn't get done. Even if I pay someone else, they never do it right. I usually have no idea what i'm doing... but I figure it out!

  • RustBeltCowgirl
    RustBeltCowgirl Posts: 1,403 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There's a reason why there is so many youtube tutorials.

  • JennyT Upstate South Carolina
    JennyT Upstate South Carolina Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My husband is quite handy, thank goodness. I think a lot of it has to do with his father being a general contractor, growing up around that and even working with/for his dad while in middle and high school.

    All the houses we've owned, we've always fixed them up and made them better. And anymore he checks YouTube for how to's just to be sure because we've been doing projects that we've never done before because it's so much cheaper.

    In fact our most recent endeavor was to install vinyl plank flooring in the main areas of our house. His dad gave some advice on what we'd need and where to get it but otherwise he saw a couple of videos on how to install it and we saved thousands.😁

  • naomi.kohlmeier
    naomi.kohlmeier Posts: 380 ✭✭✭

    We fix many of our own things as well. My hubby was a boy scout and still lives by the motto of leaving things better than you found them. We also make things out of pallets and wood that we find by the curb that someone else is getting rid of . Goodness, with the price of lumber these days, we may have to build our deck out fo pallet wood.

  • flowerpower *
    flowerpower * Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    @VermontCathy I can relate to the electric fixes. Kudos for doing those repairs. I would just add a cautionary note to beginners that the related panel switch or the main power switch should be off before repair electric circuits, including removing light bulb bases with pliers.

    DIY, making 😁 and fixing things is an obsession with me. There is a balance between spare cash and willingness to spend huge quantities of time on projects. if I have lots of money and little time I will hire an expert. What am I repairing lately? Toilet repair. Kitchen Sink leak repair. Fridge repairs. Dryer repairs. (Yes, this is a bit of a fix-it sh!t storm front.) Fence installation. Fixing carpet steamer. Building gardens from scratch (of course?). Hydroponic setups. Seedling growing setups. More....

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @flowerpower * Yes, electricity is an area where you need to know what you are doing. Not just opening breakers before working, but knowing the difference between black, white, and green wires, the difference between a 15-amp and a 20-amp circruit outlet, how to wire a 3-way circuit, and so on. It's not hard to learn, but you do need to know it.

    My husband and I both have engineering backgrounds.

    @kbmbillups1 "So glad you have a husband who can fix things."

    Actually, I do most of the fixing things around here. :-) My husband helps when needed.

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I fix as many things as I can myself. The nice thing about renting is I can pass off what I can't fix to the landlord.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2021

    I do the simple things and am trying to learn more (This would be good great small summit or class) I try to find a few people I can trade with, not so much for the cost but the quality. I have had a horrible time with contracted jobs. Most know if they do a lousy job or walk away they won't get sued by the average person.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @flowerpower *

    As to toilet repair, the last time we had a toilet problem, the plumbers we hired did not fix it properly. They replaced part of the mechanism that controls the flower of water into the tank after flushing, but failed to replace the valve mechanism that was actually broken! I tinkered with it after they left and got it working again, but someday I'm going to have to replace that part.

    Just because you hire a "professional" doesn't mean the work will get done correctly. :-(

    On the other hand, we have a good local electrician who does work very reasonably. We hired him to put in 240V and 20-amp 120V circuits, and he did a very good job at an affordable price. We've used him a couple of times and been happy with the results. It really does matter who you hire.

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I can usually fix plumbing problems, electrical is hard right now because the circuits are old and tend to stick so I need them replaced before I can be sure the electricity is turned off.

  • kbmbillups1
    kbmbillups1 Posts: 1,390 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @VermontCathy I guess I'm the fix it person too. I put a new solenoid in our ice maker. I will try to fix it myself before we call someone because I grew up helping my father fix things. My husband's father wasn't a fix it person either so he never learned to try to fix things. He's getting better though! He did put in a new ceiling fan!

  • flowerpower *
    flowerpower * Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    @VermontCathy Electromechanical enginnering? I think a degree in that would be nice. A bit of overkill for the home repair (of electrical circuits) perhaps. However, spending the time to know what you are doing and how to stay safe is a must for DIY projects.

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @VermontCathy I try to have a go at most things and wish I was skilled in more areas. Electricity scares me, that’s because I have little understanding and it’s potentially lethal. Plumbing, usually commonsense. My building skills are basic but I always remember “measure twice- cut once” and use a spirit level- if it’s level, you’ll be ok! I tinker with small machinery but I have the attitude, if you keep your gear in good condition and service regularly, then things should last!

  • annbeck62
    annbeck62 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭✭

    I fix as many things as I can myself. I've learned from experience a lot of handyman types I've hired don't know anything more than me. They just know I don't know they don't know. I've gotten really frustrated paying someone else to fix something I already paid to fix that was done incorrectly or using a shortcut which led to problems down the road.

  • Michelle D
    Michelle D Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Kudos to the whole group! I'm loving reading all these. I absolutely agree. We do as many fixs, repairs, and upgrades as we can ourselves. We wouldn't be able to afford our house if we didn't. I can use tools and am good at following directions so I can do the small stuff myself or support with the bigger stuff. My husband is really handy so he does a lot more of it then I do. We both are learning as we go. The internet makes it so much easier. It is also great to have family and friends that can help. I have a brother-in-law that is an electrician, one that does hardwood flooring, and an uncle that is a carpenter by trade (mostly builds furniture). They have all been super helpful when we have a complicated project or just need an extra pair of hands. Luckily they love my cooking and are happy to help if I feed them. 😁

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Michelle D That's what I do a lot of times. YouTube University, where you can learn just about anything. And if I can't, there's usually someone in the family that will help in exchange for a good meal. "Will you do this for me if I feed you?"

  • annbeck62
    annbeck62 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭✭

    @Michelle D I've taken many YouTube classes. My problem is they always make it look so easy and that it works out glitch free the first time then it doesn't go for me the way it did in the video....

    @monica197 where I get burned is when I don't know enough to be able to call them on it while they are still there :(

  • water2world
    water2world Posts: 1,177 ✭✭✭✭

    @VermontCathy Maybe next week will be better!

    I've got a leak I'm going to try to fix---watching youtube for help! lol I know I can figure this out......eventually!

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jodienancarrow Electricity deserves respect, but there's no need to be afraid of it. You just have to understand it and how to be safe and effective when working with it. It is not difficult and does not require anything like an engineering degree.

    Once you know the basics of circuits and how electricity needs a loop path to flow, you need to know the basics of the electric code (that is, the political laws around wiring). For example, green wires are ground, white wires are neutral, and black wires have electrical potential above ground. Reading a few books and watching a few videos will teach you most of this.

    Here in Vermont, a lot of people do some of their own home wiring. All too often that means it doesn't meet code, even if it sort of works.

    We have one light in our entryway that was probably intended to be a 3-way circuit that could be turned on and off from the top or bottom of the steps, but it wasn't wired correctly. You can turn if off from either switch, but turning it on requires that both switches be on. I suspect that the previous owner who put it in never ran the additional wire needed for a 3-way circuit, but I've never bothered to fix it.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There are lots of simpler things you can build at home, too, and save money. Build your own raised beds, cold frames, garden fences, and lots of other supporting stuff.

    If you haven't learned basic woodworking, read some books and talk to some people who have done it. It takes a lot of skill and practice to make fine cabinetry, but just building a basic, strong, no-frills item is much simpler. You need to be able to saw, nail, drill, and screw to get the basics done.

    There are plans readily available for many common yard things, but be careful. Some of them have significant mistakes in the plans, and if you don't know what you are doing, you may not realize it until you are well into the project and find out things don't work.

  • RustBeltCowgirl
    RustBeltCowgirl Posts: 1,403 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I would also say check the local vocational school for the building trades classes. Not as cheap as a YouTube video, but hands on with an instructor. I'm looking to see if Habitat for Humanity has a local build this summer. More hands on experience.