Do you hear that? Hmm??
That's the sound of my dryer not squealing.
It's a beautiful sound.
You may remember that last year, I had to take it all apart and grease the two wheels that the drum runs on. All was well for a while, but recently, it started making unpleasant noises again.
Finally, it got so bad, I could ignore it no longer (once again, it was a headache-inducing pitch!) , and I decided it was time to take the dryer apart again.
The good news is that the second time you take your dryer apart, it's a lot less scary. I still had to use a YouTube video to remind me exactly how to do it, but I was much more confident than last time.
Sure enough, the right rear wheel was the culprit. For some reason, the bar the wheel runs on had rusted, and so the wheel wasn't moving very freely.
I'm still trying to figure out how it rusted, since the inside of a dryer isn't a permanently damp place. The only thing I can think is that in my unheated laundry room, when I turn on a cold dryer, maybe the heat makes some condensation happen?
I cleaned off the rust as best I could and then gave both wheels a nice dose of 3-in-1 oil. After I made sure they were rolling smoothly, I put everything back together, and oh yes! The sweet sound of a quiet dryer was back.
Also back? The I-am-a-superwoman-because-I-fixed-an-appliance feeling.
I know it's not that amazing or hard, but I can't help feeling pleased whenever I overcome my fear of appliances, especially when that means not having to pay a repairman.
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Joshua's 365 post: I REALLY like this picture.
We fixed our washer with a 20 dollar part and managed to get it all back together! I was inspired by your previous post and used YouTube. Excellent!
I was inspired by your washing machine, fix-it story when I found my refrigerator not working well. I fixed it, yes, I did, all by my little lonesome. 🙂 Know that superwoman feeling.
On Tuesday, I picked up the part to fix my oven door (and it was freeeeeee!). I swear the guy in the appliance store would hire me, he sees me so often.
In a pinch, you can use an emery board to clean rust off a metal shaft. 🙂
I'm always afraid that I will take something apart and not be able to get it back together again. Of course, If it's something I'd have to scrap anyway then maybe I should be a bit more bold. Thanks for the inspiration.
I get that superwoman feeling every time I do car maintenance too! Every time I change a fluid/wiper or tire, I feel like I'm on top of the world.
I think anytime you do something most would hire someone for you are most definitely superwoman! I need to remind myself of this, to not just immediately call someone.
Good for you, Superwoman!
Well done, you! I love it when I do something that I had previously thought had to be hired out. Such a grand feeling!
Congratulations! So proud of you.
You are awesome! No limits to what a person can do when you throw in some guts.
That's awesome!
And I too love that feeling. I've fixed a riding lawn mower, refrigerator and, most recently, my kitchenaid mixer. Kind of makes me wonder how many things make it into a landfill because people don't want to pay a repair person and don't think they can do it themselves.
I am in awe! Well done.
When that happened to us, it was just the 'sliders' - a quick, inexpensive replacement and all was well for years.
Great job! Love that feeling!
After 54 years as a single woman and doing my own home repairs, I married a man who can fix just about anything. Lately, we've had a rash of things that needed fixing (washer, refrigerator, another washer, another fridge, etc.). If he doesn't know the answer, he goes to straight to the internet and figures it out. Honestly, it gives me thrills every time he fixes something with an inexpensive part he's ordered on line. I know and love that "I-am-a-superwoman-because-I-fixed-an-appliance feeling", but it cracks me up that I get such an unexpected thrill out of someone else fixing things for me!
Indeed! The someone-else-fixed-it-for-me-for-free feeling is right up there with the superwoman feeling.
You go girl! That's the same feeling I got when I figured out that I could fix the perpetually clogging drain in the laundry room floor all by myself, and save the $250 that the rotorooter guys charged each time they came out.
Very proud of you Kristen.
I'm just glad I'm not the only one whose dryer is tinged in blue. 🙂 After the second time, I think it is finally ingrained to check my husband's pockets for pens!
Also, it feels really good to know you everything possible even when an appliance does need to be replaced. After a certain point we could no longer get parts for our 25 year old washer and dryer from any source and they were replaced with front loaders. It took a year and a half but we broke even with the savings on the water bill and we made someone's day when we Freecycled the old one, a guy was ready to pitch his washer when we posted ours for parts. He was so happy.
Best. Feeling. Ever!!! Congratulations!
I managed to fix a new-to-me treadmill recently, which I was terrified was a lemon and I'm still on cloud nine. It's like three weeks later, I don't know if the feeling will ever go away.
http://findmefrugal.blogspot.com/2013/02/craigslist-bragging-spot.html
Good job, Kristen, and everyone else who have made successful repairs without the help of a professional. The only feeling better than fixing an appliance yourself is having nothing broken to fix.
So that's what it is!!!! My dryer has been doing that for a couple of weeks, esp. when it first comes on. It almost sounds like a microwave beeping.
Thanks so much! I'm gonna check it out!
Linda
I am totally impressed....you are a braver woman than I!
I used to live in a very old house and rewired a fuse once with only instructions from my dad on the phone (no youtube because we had no power). Definite superwoman-feelings then 🙂
And I'm slowly learning to do things to the car, like replacing wiper blades and fuses, although a lot of that stuff still scares me!
There really is a great sense of accomplishment when you can fix it yourself! I have taken apart and fixed our washing machine, dryer and our microwave twice, all for under $20 a fix. Our washer and dryer are 15 years old and still going strong, but I know a lot of people who replace them every 5 years. My thought is always that if it's already not working, what's the harm in trying? This is definitely what makes me feel the most frugal, figuring out how to fix the big stuff that most people will just toss out.
I cant believe you use a tumble drier and you are frugal?
I have not used a tumble drier for about 2 years and saved LOADS of money.
I only do washing when the weather is nice and when the washing basket is full.
The basket takes over a week to get full because I only let the kids change their underwear every day, I check their other clothes every night when they go to bed to see if they are dirty or not and usually they are not so they get worn until they are filthy.
When it comes to bedding I change my bed every fortnight and the kids beds every month (they dont sweat like us adults do) and I have got plenty of bedding (all cheap) so I can wait for a nice day to wash it all.
I wouldn't advice using a tumble drier if you are trying to save money