Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with repair

How do I insulate my windows?

judge.mentok.the.mindtaker — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:11:17 -0800

What is the best (most cost effective way) to insulate my apartment windows? My girlfriend recently moved into a new one bedroom apartment in your average 70+ yearold railroad style 4 story stone walkup building. (Think So. Philadelphia or Brooklyn, NY)

The place recently had its interior renovated, and she really likes it. Between the kitchen, main room, and (small) bedroom, there are 5 large ceiling height casements with the crummiest, creaking, squeaking, out of the runners single-pain windows you can think of.

Since it's a rental, replacement is not an option, and since it's already hot as hell, I'd like a DIY solution I could start on tomorrow. How can I insulate these things? We have a large, new window airconditioner with a rating that far exceeds the square footage of the apartment, but it just can't keep the place cool!!

outlet mishap

mundy — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:04:54 -0800

Home electrical problem/mystery: I accidentally plugged the phone charger into an outlet incorrectly and now that outlet and the dishwasher don't work. Help? By plugged in incorrectly, I mean only one of the two "tines" of the plug went in the outlet. ( "How did this happen?" you might wonder. This is possible due to there being a strip of outlets on the side of our kitchen counter near the top.) It's not a blown fuse, and there doesn't seem to be a GFI attached to the outlets or dishwasher. What else should I check before calling in the pros?

Rotting fences make bad neighbors

mecran01 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:49:49 -0800

I am shoring up a sagging fence that I will help replace in a year. The original posts are not in cement and are rotting at the base. I'm trying to figure out how to attach some support posts. 1) I am trying to put in those metal posts (not chainlink) that are used to build wire fences, and use them to support the sagging fence.

a. How do I get those green metal posts in the ground? Do I pound them in? Dig a hole adjacent to the rotting post? There are a lot of roots in the soil from an adjoining pine tree.

b. Is there a good webpage or a youtube that shows how to use those channel lock fence tool/pliers? I have got it partially figured out, but could use some tips.

c. Should I need to use guy wires to hold the fence up, how do I cheaply tension the baling wire, and what should I use as an anchor? Rebar stakes?

Thanks. I obviously didn't grow up on a farm...

I'm attaching the floppiest part of the fence to our adjoining shed with stranded 20 gauge baling wire. I know from perusing earlier threads that there are some serious load tying geeks out there and I hope to hear from you.

How do I fix a thermometer if the mercury has separated?

odinsdream — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:46:38 -0800

How do I fix a thermometer when the mercury has separated? I purchased a freezer thermometer. After getting it home the mercury (or whatever liquid they use in them now) had separated near the top of the scale, so there are bands of air between bands of red.

I tried heating it up, but this just compresses the band separation, then it returns to normal.

Instructions online say the fix is to get it cold enough that all of the liquid is pulled into the bulb. This thermometer goes to at least -35F on the readable scale, and a little past that before it reaches the bulb, probably -50F from the looks of it.

How can I fix it? Alternatively - do you work with liquid nitrogen and would you like to fix my thermometer?

How do I patch up a hole in my wall?

invisible ink — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:08:11 -0800

When I had DirecTV installed in my apartment, the technician drilled a hole in my wall to string the cable through to the satellite (outside on my balcony). Now that I might be moving, what's the best way to cover up the hole? What do I need to buy? I know nothing about home repair/hardware, so please....the more details, the better!

This shouldn't be happening.

jon1270 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:20:06 -0800

Help me diagnose repeated failure of my lighting dimmers. When I remodeled my kitchen about a year and a half ago, I installed nine line-voltage 4" recessed lights which are controlled by two Leviton Illlumatech preset dimmers, with three cans/150W on one dimmer and six cans/300W on the other (these are 600W dimmers). Everything works fine, except that when a bulb burns out there's a better-than-even chance it will take the dimmer with it. A dimmer has failed three of the four times that a bulb has burned out since the initial installation. Only the slide dimmer fails -- the on/off button continues to work normally.

Leviton has been replacing the dimmers as I mail them in, but their tech support people are, so far, unable to imagine how a bulb's burning out could cause the dimmer to fail. They've speculated that it could be a problem with a fixture or a loose connection, neither of which ideas holds water; the failures have all been simultaneous with burn-outs in different fixtures, and there are no symptoms of loose connections anywhere.

I'm hoping someone here has a brilliant insight to offer. The bulbs, if it matters, are Sylvania 50W PAR20s.

Winnie the Pooh needs some TLC

theseampsgoto11 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:41:21 -0800

Teddy bear/stuffed animal repair in New York that doesn't cost a fortune? I have a stuffed Winnie the Pooh who's about 25 years old and needs some repairs. Mainly, the nose and mouth are ripped and the fur is pretty threadbare.

I tried the New York Doll Hospital, and was quoted $375 ($650 if they replaced the red t-shirt that the bear originally had). I don't know if this is the going rate for repairs, but it's way out of my price range, especially since the bear was originally purchased at Sears and isn't an antique or collectible.

Are there any places in the area I can get him patched up without spending hundreds of dollars?

Are my car's dents worth fixing?

aliasless — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:22:21 -0800

Are my car's dents worth fixing? I have a lot of dents on my 2002 Honda Civic from living in Chicago. I've since moved to an area that is much easier on vehicles. A reputable body shop gave me an estimate of $2100 to make it look like new. The dents are all cosmetic but make my car look terrible for a vehicle that's only 6 years old.

So, is it worth it? I plan on holding on to this car for at least another 3 or 4 years. Yes, I'll mentally feel better driving a car that doesn't look like a POS, but financially, does cosmetic body work translate into better resale value down the line or would this just be a sunk cost?

PT Cruiser owner regrets purchase, wants to improve the car he can't afford to dump

mccarty.tim — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:43:56 -0800

I'm an ignorant person when it comes to cars, so this is a pretty dumb question. I own a 2007 PT Cruiser which has no anti-lock brakes. It skids like crazy, and got me into a minor accident. Is there any way I can get add anti-lock breaks to it? My mom's friends told her that the best way to buy a car was to get an auction proxy, so we went to an auction lot to go car shopping. We were intending to get a compact Japanese car with decent milage. However, the proxy talked us into getting a 2007 PT Cruiser which was $9000 on the lot. I was no fan of the aesthetics of the Cruiser, but I did like the interior space and the fact that the proxy pitched it as being 28 MPG (A good but not great amount. Turns out he was mistaken, it gets 20). We rushed to bid on it, and the next day we got it, only to discover it was a cheap model with no antilock brakes. I don't blame the proxy for this, he was as surprised as we were, and I really don't think this is in the spirit of false advertising. It's just the nature of auctions, it's fast paced and you don't get to test drive the car, and I had no prior knowledge of how a PT Cruiser drives.

I'm no good at threshold braking and recently skidded into a guardrail because a guy behind me in a huge truck was tailgating me at a high speed. It was scary, and it took two weeks to get it repaired, but insurance paid for it, and I was okay. I now know I should have taken that turn slower, or let the guy in the pickup hit me.

The guy at the repair shop says the brakes are pristine, so I can't blame it on old brake pads. The mechanic did remark he got 3 PT Cruisers who got into the exact same type of wreck.

This brings me to my question. I would love to trade in the PT Cruiser for something that I can afford to buy gas for and with good enough brakes to handle the curvy roads in my town. However, it seems to be outside of my means to do so. Would it be possible to augment the car with an antilock braking system? Or if not, is there a good, safe way to learn how to threshold brake?

Thanks for your help, guys.

It's So Shiny, Now If Only It Worked

Ms. Saint — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:43:58 -0800

My Toshiba Satellite laptop has this problem. But, there's a catch: I'm pretty computer illiterate and don't know how to fix it. I have a Toshiba Satellite A75-S206, which I bought about three and a half years ago. It seems to have the regular overheating problems. I've sent it in for repairs twice now. Each time, it came back and worked pretty well for about a year.. Then started overheating again. Sometimes, I can get it to stay on for a few hours, but sometimes it won't stay on for even five minutes.

External fans do not help. Propping it up so it has better air circulation does not work. Holding it over bags of ice does not work.

I've read online (particularly in the ask.me question I linked to) that changing the fan can sometimes help things out. I'm also pretty sure that the fan and heat sink (I don't even know what or where that is) could use a nice cleaning. I'd like to know how to take my laptop apart myself, so that I can clean it out whenever it needs being done. However, like I said, I'm pretty computer illiterate. So, here are my questions:

1) The best answer in the previous question alludes to "websites with walk-throughs" for various models. Can anyone link me to a good one?

2) Is dissembling my laptop and installing a new fan something I should even try to do, given that all of my computer hardware experience is installing a video card in a desktop computer?

3) If I shouldn't try doing it myself, how much can I expect it to cost me to get a fan professionally installed? If I just went someplace and said, "It overheats, known problem, fix it," would they know what to do?

4) Am I completely wrong that this might actually help my laptop? Is there anything else I could/should try? I'm so tired and frustrated with it not working -- it hasn't been reliable for about a year and a half now. It would be so nice if it could actually be even slightly reliable.

My fridge is busted!

clarahamster — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:03:02 -0800

Do you have any recommendations for fridge repair in Seattle? My refrigerator started making a buzzing noise off and on in the last week. Last night when came home, it was buzzing every few minutes and never going into a cooling cycle. From some Googling, it sounds like the problem is probably the compressor relay. The fridge is a few years old, and past the warranty at this point. Can anyone here recommend who to call in the Seattle area (near downtown) to come take a look at it?

how to tell if phone jack is functional

giddygirlie — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:40:31 -0800

is this thing on? Phone jack not working. Is there a simple/easy/cheap/free way to tell if the phone jack in my bedroom works? I get a dead line when I plug in a phone, and I have already asked the phone company who had no idea and wanted to send out a technician for $150 and hour to figure it out.

Basically, I'm not sure if the jack is non-functional OR it was previously set up to have its own telephone number (thus, it doesn't work along with the rest of the jacks in the house).

If there's a way to find this out for less than $150, I'd be interested to know!

I Can Has Camera Repair?

ZakDaddy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:12:17 -0800

DSLR is broken. Repair or replace? Our beloved and not-too-old but not-too-new (about 6500 shutter releases to date) Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D has begun exhibiting a tendency to stop tripping the shutter when it warms up. Focus works, all other functions seem to be fine, just push button = no clickie. Once it has achieved this state, it cannot be recovered by any other method than just turning it off and walking away from it for a while.

Cursing has proven to be unhelpful.

So, given our relatively hefty investment, we'd like to try to have it repaired. Is the above-described behavior a "known issue" among the Maxxum D5 loyalists that can be fixed at home, or do I need a recommendation for a reputable camera repair facility in the Nashville, TN area?

Thanks in advance for your wisdom.

Vaio gives "system timer error"

daksya — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:58:44 -0800

My laptop gives a "system timer error" and so I probably need some guidance in replacing my laptop's CMOS battery I've an 8 yr old Sony Vaio laptop, model PCG-F590 (a.k.a PCG-9201), which for practical purposes, stopped working 3 weeks ago. The computer boots into XP, but during the login screen, or shortly after logging in, freezes altogether, not responding to any input. Occasionally, it gets stuck during POST itself, displaying "KEYBOARD ERROR" and "SYSTEM TIMER ERROR". Some web browsing tells me that it's likely that the CMOS battery has a lifespan of around 10 years and that could be the issue here.

Before I replace the battery, is there something else I should look into? There was no physical trauma inflicted on the laptop, and I guess the system timer hardware itself hasn't gone kaput. This initially happened all of a sudden while watching a video (the sole purpose of the laptop) 3 weeks ago.

I searched online and this store indicates that the battery is NiMH 2 cells with a mainboard connector. How specific do I have to be with the battery purchase besides the voltage and the connector type?

Most importantly, before I open my laptop, I'd like to know where the battery is located and how I should go on about replacing it? Despite my best efforts, I can't find a motherboard schematic for this laptop. The laptop's way past warranty and besides I'm not the original owner. Repair businesses here charge exorbitantly, so I'd like to do it myself.

Looking for a jewelry repair store in Toronto.

The Card Cheat — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:50:10 -0800

Can anyone recommend a jewelry repair business in Toronto? (more inside) My uncle died last summer and left a ring to me. It's a plain gold ring with three emeralds set into it, one of which has fallen off. I'd like to get it reattached, so if anyone could direct me to a reputable jewelry repair business here in Toronto (anywhere in the GTA, although close to downtown would be best), I'd appreciate it.

Mac Pro DVD troubleshooting

Zonker — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:20:37 -0800

Can / should I troubleshoot the optical drive on my Mac Pro? Within the last month or so, the optical drive on my Mac Pro (a Pioneer DVR-112D) has become unresponsive. It still opens when I hit the eject key, but it doesn't close that way. If I push the tray closed, it doesn't mount the disc. The machine's working fine in every other way, and passes its self-tests when I reboot it.

Googling hasn't been helpful, I see plenty of hits on how to force an eject (which is the one thing that works for me). I've checked the Apple site and some documents I found there, but nothing that's really addressed my problem. I don't believe I got the AppleCare plan, and while I could do that I'm wondering if it is possible to resolve this myself, either by some sort of DIY troubleshooting guide or by simply getting a new DVD drive. I'd really rather not lug the thing in to the local Apple Store. Any advice?

MacBook with dead logic board: how to proceed?

sparrows — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:51:38 -0800

Logic board died on my friend's two-year-old MacBook (one year out of warranty). Should she pay for repair ($700 + labor), or sell the carcass for parts and buy, say, a used iBook? She's kept it in flawless condition and the screen is perfect (no bad pixels), so maybe she could get a decent amount selling it for parts? She does not have an eBay account and is not in an active Craigslist area.

I don't know the exact specs, but it's whatever was the least expensive new white MacBook in early summer 2006. (Its HD is 80GB, and I know she got the stock drive, if that helps.)

She does not have much money and this is her only computer (in fact this is her FIRST ever computer). The 700+labor quote is from an Apple Authorized Repair Center (she's a long drive from the nearest Apple Store).

Ugh. :(

Is it car abuse?

MayNicholas — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:19:48 -0800

A few months ago my car was hit (hit & run) while parked on the street (ahh, city living). I filed the police report, and went to my insurance company. They assesed the damage and gave me a check (made out to me) to get my car repaired. I still haven't gotten it repaired. It's an older car (2000) and I won't sell it ever (plan to drive it till it dies- which should be about 10 more years because I rarely drive). Would it be fraud for me to say heck with repairing it and keep the check? Will I regret not having it repaired? I could really use the money for rent & bills and I don't care what my car looks like. I would just hate to shoot myself in the foot if the damage is going to cause more trouble down the road.

FWIW- The bulk of the damage was done to one of the front doors. The metal on the front (closest to the tire) was bent back about 1.5 inches wide x 5.5 inches long exposing the door hinge. The hinge sits pretty far into the door, doesn't look too exposed to the elements and looks to be painted the same way the rest of the car is.
Thoughts?

Testing a Hunter attic fan controller?

notsnot — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:27:37 -0800

How do I test a Hunter attic fan controller? I want to be thorough before I climb in the attic. My mom's old (1980 ish) attic fan won't go at any speed beyond low. I pulled the controller, put in a regular light switch, and it still ran at the same low speed. I told her it was probably the motor (pain in the ass - tiny attic in a 1.5-story house), but she asked if I could test the controller itself. Not thinking much, I agreed to do so.

I got it home, and figured, hey just test the resistance at various settings on the knob. I get no resistance whatsoever across the terminals no matter what setting I put the knob to. Then I recalled, hey, the cover plate said "solid state" which means, well, if there's one thing I can't wax lengthy about, it's electricity. I suppose to test it I'd have to have 110V across the terminals, and a load (i.e. the fan motor) on the neutral leg of the controller? I'm not sure how to set this up in a test situation, without effing up my own house electric, and I'm not sure how the hell the fan changes speed.

The Hunter web site doesn't even list attic fans. I guess they aren't cool any more.

Please help me replace and adjust the belt on my front load washing machine.

dirtdirt — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:56:48 -0800

Please help me replace and adjust the belt on my front load washing machine. The machine is maybe 3 years old. It's a Kenmore but I understand it was manufactured by Frigidaire. A few months ago it stopped working, we got a repair guy out here who diagnosed a slipped belt, put it back on, charged us $175 and went away. The whole thing took 15 minutes

A month ago it exhibited the same symptoms. I opened up the back and, indeed, the belt had slipped again. I found it interesting that the spindle on the motor had grooves that matched the belt, but the other part, the wheel that spins the drum, was smooth. A bit of maneuvering and I had the belt back on. Everything seemed OK.

Then it slipped again. I re-seated it again. I repeated this process a few more times until finally, the belt slipped and somehow got caught in the works, melted some of the plastic on the drum housing, and tore. Bummer.

So, bottom line: I have a replacement belt that I am buying tomorrow, but what can I do to help keep it seated? The thing held on for 3+ years - is it just a part that wears out? Also: I'd have thought there would be a way to adjust the tension between the motor and the drum but it doesn't seem like it. The motor is bolted directly to the same plastic drum that the wheel is on, and there just doesn't seem to be any way to adjust it. Any thoughts or advice?

Dead Marshall Amp

hutta — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:56:00 -0800

Guitar amp problem: Marshall MG100DFX won't turn on. I stuck this (solid-state) amp in the corner and neglected it for a while, and when I came back to it, it refused to turn on. When I give it power and flip the switch, it acts exactly as if it's unplugged. The power LED does not come on, the fan doesn't spin, and it definitely doesn't amplify a guitar.

It worked fine the last time I used it, but I was switching between two amps, so it's very possible that I left it on the last time I touched it, which would have been weeks ago. It was also plugged in to the wall directly, so I suppose a power surge might be possible. It was bought second-hand, and Marshall's FAQ says the warranty isn't transferable.

I'm guessing (read: hoping) it's a fuse, but I'd like to know whether this is something I can service myself. I've been searching with Google and on the documentation on Marshall's website, trying to find information about what kind of fuse is in there, or some sort of information about where to find it when I open the thing up.

What's the surest way to repair the broken handle of my favorite mug?

Riverine — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:43:12 -0800

What's the surest way to repair the broken handle of my favorite mug? While dishwashing, the handle of my favorite cup broke into three pieces. MeFi, what suggests do you have for glues, gluing techniques, or other things I should keep in mind? Or do you feel that repaired handles will never be trustworthy again?

Good auto glass repair shop in L.A.?

scody — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:55:41 -0800

Anyone have a recommendation for a good auto glass repair shop in L.A.? The front passenger window in my Hyundai Elantra was smashed in a few years ago (I had cleverly left my iPod out as an enticement). I got the window replaced, but within a week had problems with it coming off the track and getting stuck whenever I rolled it down. I had to have it fixed again, twice (so don't want to go back to the original auto glass shop, obviously); since then, the window has come off the track slightly a handful of times, but I could always guide it back in while lowering/raising it slowly.

This week, though, it's come off the track worse than usual. I've managed to get the window all the way up, but it's clearly not aligned where it should be (it's partially on the outside of the weather stripping), and is rattling when I drive.

Any recommendations for an auto glass place that does good, affordable repair work? I don't need the glass itself replaced -- just need it to be put back on track. (I live near North Hollywood/Studio City and work in Miracle Mile, so neighborhoods reasonably close by either area are preferable.) They're automatic windows, not manual, if that makes a difference. Thanks!

Help me find my old hard drive.

DulcineaX — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:28:02 -0800

Why would my hard drive show up in the BIOS, but not in Windows? My boyfriend's main hard drive seems to have failed. When we tried to boot it yesterday, it gave us the message that the "self monitoring system has reported that a parameter has exceeded its normal operating range" and would not boot into windows. I ended up putting in a new hard drive and installing Vista to that drive, so now we can at least get the thing booted. But now, once in Windows, it only sees the new hard drive and the old storage drive (that didn't have Windows on it).

I'm trying to figure out how I can just see the original hard drive in order to get data off of it. It shows up in the BIOS, but once in Windows it's not listed in My Computer. I've also looked under Computer Management in Administrative Tools, and it's not listed there either.

Other random info:
- There are four hard drive bays in the computer.
- These are SATA drives.
- I have more familiarity with this stuff than any of my friends/family, but I'm not exactly a guru or anything.
- I'd like to avoid taking the drive somewhere if possible, because I'm a little paranoid about my data getting erased. I know that the information might just be gone, but I'd like to keep Geek Squad etc. as a last resort.

If there's any more information that I can provide please ask; I'm getting a little desperate at this point...it's finals week of senior year in college and could really use some of that data! Thanks so much for any advice.

Shoe repair recommendations in Portland, OR?

thinman — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:10:45 -0800

Shoe repair recommendations in Portland, OR? The girlfriend's beloved 14-eye Docs need insole repair. Anyone know of a good shop?