Announcing Fixitnow.com Appliance Repair Radio

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subscribe to our podcastYep, we not only jumped on the podcasting bandwagon, but we got all tangled up in the wheels and now the bandwagon rolls with a peculiar thunkety-thunk sound.

We started a podcast about the world of major appliances: industry news, tech tips from the manufacturers, product reviews, purchasing information for consumers, and we answer listener emails. We call it Fixitnow.com Appliance Repair Radio, or FARR, for short. In case you’re wondering who the “we� refers to, the lovely and gracious Mrs. Samurai co-hosts the show with me.

You can subscribe to FARR either at our podcast website or through our iTunes listing. Give a listen, we’d love to hear your comments, good or bad, no matter, just so long as it’s honest. Tell us what you liked… or didn’t as well as suggestions for improving the show.

Nanny-State Alert: New Hampshire Contemplates Licensing Requirements for Gas Fitters

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There’s another Nanny-bill up for hearings in Concord.  This is House Bill 1711 which, in keeping with the current fashion trend, is named after a little girl, Amilia’s Law.  The bill seeks to require licensing for tradesmen who work with natural gas or propane. The language of the bill is broad enough to include any tradesman whose work involves gas in any way: plumbers, appliance repair techs, construction crewmen, excavators, and carpenters to name but a few.

The gist is that the Luhrmanns were having some remodeling done. As part of the demolition and cleanup, a carpenter accidentally cut a propane line while doing some demolition (it’s not even clear he was aware the line was cut because the gas was off at the time and the noisy, dirty nature of doing demolition work). Family comes up (from Massachusetts), turns on the gas and the furnace and BOOM.  Everyone escaped except their little daughter. For more information read, “Parents call propane bill a lifesaver,” by Kathryn Marchocki, in the Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 edition of the Union Leader [link].

The story is tragic but the solution is, yet again, moronic. Even if this bill were in force at the time of the accident, it would NOT have prevented this disaster! The carpenter doing the demolition would have had no reason to seek such training. And, as mentioned, it’s not even clear that he was aware that he had cut the gas tube.  

The sponsor of the bill, Bonnie Mitchell, was on Against the Grain with Gardner Goldmith on WNTK Talk Radio, 99.7 FM, 1490 AM. I called in while she was on to speak with her.

Mitchell confirmed that this bill, opportunistically named Amillia’s Law, would not have even prevented the Luhrmann tragedy. Yet this bill is named after the Luhrmann’s daughter who was killed in a house fire caused by the cut gas line. Mitchell also stated that some members of the Legislature have been trying to pass this law since 1990 and that it’s been regularly defeated. So what’s really going on here is that some politicians in Concord are exploiting the Luhrmann’s tragedy to use it as an emotional vehicle to attempt to pass, yet again, a hugely unpopular and stupid bill.

So what’s really behind the push for this bill? Well, let’s see: what do bureaucrats and politicians love above all else? That’s right: Money! And, as you’d expect, this bill is all about increasing revenue for the state bank account– more money for them to spend on other feel-good programs. HB 1711 includes testing “fees” (read: taxes) for both Master and Journeyman gas fitters as well as annual licensing “fees” (taxes). The exact amount of the license tax is to be determined by the State Fire Marshal who, not surprisingly, supports this tax increase.

Anytime government messes with the free market, it produces “unintended consequences.” The unintended consequence of this bill will be to restrict the number of servicers that customers may call for gas service. It will also result in longer delays in getting service for simple things like converting an appliance from natural gas to propane. And these services will become more expensive and a lot less convenient.

And here’s another point:  I carry one million dollars worth of liability insurance.  If we have a clear and present danger from bad propane connections lurking in every household, then why hasn’t my insurance company required me to have a gas fitter’s certification as a condition of my insurance policy?

Hearings on House Bill 1711 are on Feb 9. You can read the text of the bill here.

If you live in New Hampshire, contact your representative and ask him or her to dump this bill. HB 1711 is bad for business, bad for consumers, and bad for New Hampshire.

Delayed Thanks

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..found an intermittant leak, apparantly beneath and behind our 20+ year old Kenmore washer, and checking out the horriific replacement prices, I found your web page last year. I found the courage to start taking it all apart, expecting the main bearing to have failed,… ( worst case is end up with a leaky, unassembled pile of junk, right, and it’s easier to carry out pieces than the whole beast..) . Good news was that it was really an old kids sock lodged in the filter/trap, and the ” leak” was found to be the deteriorated plastic washer coupling midway up the tank to a (drain or relief pipe?), probably leaked only on high water cycles. The dreaded project became a simple inspection, clean up, WD 40, new hose clamps and GE silicione II for a few nights after the day job. Compared to the OLDS Acheiva fuel system rebuild I was conducting, this was way less $, quicker, and the machine will be in use a lot longer than that car ever will be. .. thanks this very important service for ex middle class survivors…

After an unscheduled P.C. change last year , different browser changes, IP provider I’ve been searching for this site for quite a while to add to the beer fund thanks…( after Googling DIY, appliance, and ninja, finally remembering the …unique ‘samurai’ syntax. Thanks. However, now the 16 year old dryer seems to be only 1/2 efficient…

Thank You

1 Reply

I used the website to fix my Kenmore side by side refrigerator and only needed to buy a 10 dollar part to do so. my compressor starter relay/capacitor/ shut off switch went bad and i replaced it with the universal supco part and it came right on. i then learned about the adaptive defrost that the unit has and how and why it works as i noticed the compressor was not coming on for a while and it was the result of the system cycling throught the defrost cycle. Lets put it this way. I am a senior mechanical engineering student with much background in mechanics, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics and this site helped me to problem solve very quickly. I found all the info on this site and will definately be back here when my other appliances go BOOM. Thanks All!!

I donated to the beer fund and feel good about saving money. i suggest you do the same if this site helped you. a buck or two aint going to kill ya. no i was not paid to say this. lol.

If i can help anyone out with a problem please email me as i am pretty good at trouble shooting.

Thanks again,
LTU_Engineer
www.ltu.edu ME student

Lint Filtering

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I have an ancient GE Filter-Flo washer that just died. Since GE discontinued the Filter-Flo system of lint trapping over a decade ago, what new washer can I purchase that does as good a job as the Filter-Flo at keeping lint off my clothes??? Thanks. – Nunya

The Samurai Makes Housecalls!

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Broken appliance? Tired of dealing with know-nothing, parts-changing monkeys? Wouldn’t it be great to find expert service you can trust?

If you have the supreme good fortune of living in New London, NH, or in one of the adjacent towns, then, yea verily, the pot-bellied, buck-toothed, cross-eyed Buddha hath grinned down upon you because the Samurai makes housecalls!

Call
(603) 526-7129

  • Professional services are rendered flat rate. My fee is a flat $125 for most repairs. The fee is higher for some installations or appliances but, if this is the case, I would quote this up-front. In addition to my professional service fee, I also charge $25 per trip, including the first trip. And, of course, there’s the charge for any parts that are used, which you can look up ratcheer.
  • If, in my expert, professional opinion, the repair is not worth doing or if the needed parts are no longer available, then you would only pay the trip charge.
  • I can usually schedule a two-hour window for my arrival at your house so you’re not waiting around all day.
  • All repairs are fully guaranteed for 90 days, parts and labor.
  • For your convenience, we accept checks, cash, gold, silver, platinum, palladium and winning lottery tickets for payment.

Call (603) 526-7129 anytime for service.

Speed. Skill. Honor.

Samurai Appliance Repair Man Sponsors Gardner Goldsmith’s ‘Against the Grain’ on WNTK Talk Radio

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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NEW LONDON, NH. Fixitnow.com Samurai Appliance Repair Man is the newest sponsor of Gardner Goldsmith’s radio show, Against the Grain on local radio station, WNTK, 99.7FM in the New London, NH area. The show sports other spiffy monikers such as the Free Market Lunch and the Gardner Goldsmith Experience.

Gardner’s show has been dubbed the smartest show on radio by Samurai Appliance Repair Man, the brains and gluteus maximus behind Fixitnow.com, the wildly successful do-it-yourself appliance repair website with a huge cult following.

“Gardner’s show is the smartest show on radio,” the Samurai told network reporters, while opening another can of Old Milwaukee, “Ol’ Gardner is right there in the trenches every day educating the sheeple about liberty and fighting the battle against this nanny state we live in, this gubmint-on-acid, this ‘damn, dirty ape’ police state.

“In an endless ocean of pro big-gubmint propaganda advocating either socialism or fascism (both of which are collectivist economic systems), Gardner’s show is on the vanguard of an emerging renaissance of radio and Internet shows carrying the message of liberty to the masses.

“People are so steeped in a collectivist paradigm that they are unable to see that many of the tenants they blindly accept are anathema to individual liberty. Things like a national income tax, a broken government education monopoly that we’re forced to pay for, foreign wars of aggression, and government regulation of what we may or may not put in our own bodies vis-a-vis recreational or medicinal drugs are all examples of anti-liberty government programs.”

The Samurai hopes that by supporting pro-liberty broadcasts, such as the Gardner Goldsmith Experience, more people will come to view all government, but especially the Feral Gubmint, as an intestinal parasite which must be excreted out by the cleansing laxative of Truth.

Against the Grain with Gardner Goldsmith can be heard Monday through Friday, 12 to 3 p.m., Eastern Time, on WNTK, 99.7 FM. You can also listen via their web stream (need Real-Player). Gardner’s website is LibertyConspiracy.com.

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Thank you!

1 Reply

I would like to take a moment and thank everyone for posting their advice, comments, hints and tips… if it were not for this site I would have thrown my Frigidaire front-load washer into the trash and purchased a new one for over $900 CAD… your site (special kudo’s to KDOG for the sears tip) gave me the chance to purchase the entire drum assembly from Sears Canada ($150 + tax) and complete the repair in under 4 hours (keeping in mind I’m a banker with limited hand-eye co-ordination) … Thanks a bunch and I’ll be sure to deposit some of my savings into the beer fund !!!

KENMORE DOOR LOCK ERROR

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Accidentally entered door lock on key pad.

Can not clear to use oven.

Get “LOC” on pad

ADDED INFO:
Kenmore/ Whirlpool model 790.46803992
Manufactured 2000 in Canada
Replaced PRC Electronic Oven Control Aug 2005

Accidentally hit the door lock conrol on key pad.

Get”LOC” on screen.
Can not clear to use any oven contols on key pad.
Closed breaker for several hours, same problem when reengerged.

help

Thank you!

1 Reply

I would just like to thank you for your website. I am a single mother who cannot afford a repairman. Unfortunately, I do not live close to any of my relatives or high school friends. I just repaired my Whirlpool washer using your website for reference and I found valuable information. I am not sure I could have done it without you. I am now working on getting my GE dryer back in properly working order.

Thank you so much for being here. I know I will continue to find valuable help and information and enjoy a few laughs along the way.

Thank you!

GE Dryer Overheats

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My GE dryer is overheating. I just replaced the element about 6 months ago, and ever since then I cannot dry my clothes properly. The element was bad and had been for a while. I have since moved twice and check my ventilation regularly.

Now if I run the dryer on high (which I don’t) my clothes come out smoking. I mean it, my clothes are smoking and smell burnt. I clean my lint trap after every use and have vacuumed out the duct work (both inside the dryer and from the dryer to outside the house). I am sure my ventilation is good.

Even on medium, the clothes get too hot. I cannot touch them to take them out of the dryer and fold them.

So I run the dryer on low, and it takes almost two hours to dry a regular size load of clothes. I don’t dare try to fill my washer because my dryer cannot dry a large load in a reasonable amount of time.

Yes I now know that GE is not the appliance to buy. I have had this dryer for an amazing 8 years. The matching washer died about 6 years ago and was repalced with a Whirlpool. Unfortunately, I just can’t afford to replace my dryer at this time so I must fix it myself.

I appreciate any and all help I recieve.

Thank you!