c/offbeat-repair-stories

My washing machine was clicking for 6 months before i found the penny

I spent way too long listening to this rhythmic click every time the spin cycle hit max rpm. Turns out a single 2012 penny had wedged itself between the outer drum and the housing after falling through a hole in my shirt pocket. 6 months of annoyance solved in 30 seconds with a pair of tweezers. Has anyone else found random coins causing weird appliance noises?

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rose_grant78•4h ago

My fridge ice maker stopped making ice for 2 years until I found a sock in the vent

I kept blaming the water line or the filter, spent maybe $60 on replacement parts over time. Then last month I pulled the fridge out to clean behind it and found a little sock my kid had stuffed in the air intake vent on the bottom. plugged it right back in and the ice started dropping within an hour. Still can't believe a sock was the issue all along. Has anyone else found something dumb blocking a major appliance like that?

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williams90•15h ago

That $60 dehumidifier I bought off Facebook Marketplace...

I found this dehumidifier listed for 60 bucks, looked clean in the photos, guy said it worked great. Drove 45 minutes to pick it up, got it home, plugged it in and it barely pulled any water out of the air after three days. I thought maybe it was just old and slow, but then I read online that some people refill those units with R-410A refrigerant on their own. Turns out the coils were probably shot or it was low on gas, and fixing it would cost more than a new one. So I basically paid 60 bucks to haul someone's trash to my basement and waste an afternoon. Has anyone else gotten burned on a used appliance that looked fine but was secretly broken?

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drew_patel57•2d ago

Old timer at the hardware store told me to use a potato for a stripped screw

I had this brass screw on a hinge that was totally stripped out and spinning in place. Some retired contractor named Gary at Ace Hardware said to jam a raw potato on the screw and back it out. I honestly thought he was messing with me but I tried it and it worked on the first try, the starch gave it just enough grip. Has anyone else had that weird trick actually work for them or did I just get lucky with a shallow screw?

3 comments