When I was a kid, my Dad was always fixing things himself. Whether it was the car, the washer or the plumbing, if it broke, he fixed it. I remember being surprised to find out that a lot of people called a repairman for such things. Didn’t everyone’s Dad know how to fix stuff?
Over the years, I learned my way around a toolbox and often acted as Dad’s assistant during repair projects. I picked up a few things along the way and as Dad would say, “I know just enough to be dangerous.” Add that to the fact that my Mom was the sort to jump right into just about any do-it-yourself project and you wind up with me: The girl with the do-it-yourself attitude and just enough knowledge to get herself in over her head… My IT staff and my Dad have both had to bail me out on such occasions. Still, there are some times when it works out.
When my washing machine wound up with a few busted pieces, I found the schematics to my washer online and figured out what parts needed to be ordered. (Finding a good place to actually order them was an ordeal that I’d rather forget, but if you are ever in search of appliance parts call up Central Appliance Parts. They had all of the parts that I needed in stock and they did indeed ship out the very day that I placed the order. The pricing was exceptionally good as well!) Now, the manufacturer of my washer stated on their website that replacing the agitator on my model is not a do-it-yourself job. They also offered to set up an appointment with a technician. I’m cheap and stubborn, so I wasn’t about to give up that easily. Besides, my Dad has tools. Everyone needs a Dad with tools they can borrow for these sorts of situations!
The last part that I needed arrived today. I decided to try tackling it myself, after turning off the water and unplugging the washer! I reasoned that if I couldn’t do it myself it wouldn’t really matter that I had a half-disassembled washer, since I couldn’t use it at the moment anyway. If I got stuck, I could wait for my IT staff to get home and help me figure out what to do next. Surprisingly, it wasn’t terribly difficult. Once I got the right socket (courtesy of the bucket of tools borrowed from my Dad) it was pretty easy to get the old agitator out and the new one snugly in.
I cannot express how happy I am to have a working washing machine once again! The fact that I fixed it myself will probably have me grinning for the rest of the evening too! There is just something satisfying about doing it yourself, isn’t there? I’m so thankful that I had a Dad who taught me the difference between a socket wrench and a pipe wrench, and always lets me borrow his tools.
