- 63
- 178 720
Twin Cities Fix-It Clinics - Volunteer Vids
United States
Приєднався 19 лют 2021
I use a camera on my work bench so I can see better and record what I am doing to help me remember how stuff goes back together. Talking about what I am doing helps my thought process. These aren't comprehensive how-to videos, they are more like basic troubleshooting and a record of what I did for the person whose device I worked on. Residents seem to enjoy seeing what happens to the broken stuff they give me, even if they don't want it back.
I have been a volunteer Fix-It Coach at many events. When in-person events were canceled for a few years, I offered to attempt to repair things for neighbors, solicited through the local Buy Nothing Facebook Group.
This account was originally established to share schedules for Fix-It events held in Hennepin, Dakota, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, and Carver Counties. The calendar is current. All counties have restarted in person events. Send an email to TwinCitiesFixit@gmail.com for an automated link to the Twin Cities Area Fix-It Calendar.
I have been a volunteer Fix-It Coach at many events. When in-person events were canceled for a few years, I offered to attempt to repair things for neighbors, solicited through the local Buy Nothing Facebook Group.
This account was originally established to share schedules for Fix-It events held in Hennepin, Dakota, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, and Carver Counties. The calendar is current. All counties have restarted in person events. Send an email to TwinCitiesFixit@gmail.com for an automated link to the Twin Cities Area Fix-It Calendar.
Can I save this dehumidifier? It stopped filling up. Quick assessment
We regularly see dehumidifiers that are "not removing water from the air." This video shares basic information that may be used to decide if repair is possible and tools that help us do that in a few minutes without opening the unit. We assume the unit powers up. Most do.
Most brands of dehumidifiers are made by a few companies.
These are links to dehumidifier recall sites by manufacturer:
Gree - greedehumidifierrecall.com/ProductEntry.aspx
Gree #2 - www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Gree-Recalls-1-56-Million-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Reports-of-At-Least-23-Fires
Midea - www.recallrtr.com/dehumidifier
New Widetech - www.recallrtr.com/nwtDehumidifier/Home/
Older Midea under GE Brand: www.recallverification.com/
Sears Kenmore: www.kenmoredehumidifierrecall.com/
Whirlpool (2002) - www.repair.whirlpoolcorp.com/other-recalls/
LG (Goldstar, GE, Kenmore 2001) - www.easyrecalldehumidifier.com/
Woods (2002) - www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2002/cpsc-wc-wood-company-announce-recall-of-dehumidifiers
Spoiler: I use a power meter and a thermal camera to do this assessment which makes this look like a magic trick.
The same technique is possible without special tools if you listen for the rumbling and feel the vibration of the compressor coming on. Then you need to open the case to see frost forming on the coils. A non-contact thermometer might work in a pinch.
Most brands of dehumidifiers are made by a few companies.
These are links to dehumidifier recall sites by manufacturer:
Gree - greedehumidifierrecall.com/ProductEntry.aspx
Gree #2 - www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Gree-Recalls-1-56-Million-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Reports-of-At-Least-23-Fires
Midea - www.recallrtr.com/dehumidifier
New Widetech - www.recallrtr.com/nwtDehumidifier/Home/
Older Midea under GE Brand: www.recallverification.com/
Sears Kenmore: www.kenmoredehumidifierrecall.com/
Whirlpool (2002) - www.repair.whirlpoolcorp.com/other-recalls/
LG (Goldstar, GE, Kenmore 2001) - www.easyrecalldehumidifier.com/
Woods (2002) - www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2002/cpsc-wc-wood-company-announce-recall-of-dehumidifiers
Spoiler: I use a power meter and a thermal camera to do this assessment which makes this look like a magic trick.
The same technique is possible without special tools if you listen for the rumbling and feel the vibration of the compressor coming on. Then you need to open the case to see frost forming on the coils. A non-contact thermometer might work in a pinch.
Переглядів: 185
Відео
Stamina IN motion e1000 Elliptical Trainer Squeaks and I eat a little crow
Переглядів 2705 місяців тому
Resident Comment: My elliptical machine makes so much noise I can't use it. Someone looked at it, at a clinic. I came in at the tail end and took it home because we couldn't get it open. Spoiler: I got it open. We didn't need to. Akums razor strikes again. Squeak fixed.
Crock Pot Buttons Don't Work It Shuts Itself Off.- Fixed!
Переглядів 2075 місяців тому
Crock-Pot Mdl:SCVT650-PS-A Client comment: "My Crock-Pot died." They were giving it away on my Buy Nothing Facebook group It is probably just me but it seems like more broken stuff is being offered, now that I am repairing and re-gifting the items. Spoiler: This Crock-Pot would only work on "high" and only sometimes. Most of the time, it turned itself off. A 2.2uf capacitor was faulty, causing ...
Shark ICZ362H Vertex Brush Won't Spin - Fixed!
Переглядів 1567 місяців тому
The owner's comment on this one was: "The brush roller won't spin". Spoiler alert, there was a break in the wire. I fixed it. I sped through the disassembly and slowed down to show the fault and fix. Like all my videos, this is primarily to show the owner what was wrong with it, so don't expect a great "how to". This is the cleanest vacuum I EVER got to work on, including my own.
Hennepin Co MN Fix It Clinic 12/09/23 360 View
Переглядів 12711 місяців тому
We set up a camera before starting a Fix-It Clinic session. at the Brookview Golden Valley Community Center in MN. We just set the camera up and let it run. Here are some quick stats: - 131 people attended the clinic. - 178 items were brought in. - We had a repair rate of 77% - 950.7 lbs of items were diverted from the trash. This is unedited 360 degree video. You should be able to spin the cam...
Ramsey Co MN Fix It Clinic 10/28/23 360 View
Переглядів 40Рік тому
We set up a camera before starting a Fix-It Clinic session. at the White Bear Lake Library in MN. We let it run while people started coming in and repairs commenced. I do not know if this will capture the excitement that builds in the room. I hope so. Here are some quick stats: - 38 people attended the clinic. - 46 items were brought in. - We had a repair rate of 91% (which is unusually high) -...
Hamilton Beach Electric Knife Will Not Turn Off
Переглядів 118Рік тому
Complaint: The knife won't shut off. Spoiler: The switch was disconnected and it was "hot" wired. It is fixed and I gave it away.
Hysure Dehumidifier Died
Переглядів 157Рік тому
Problem: This little table top dehumidifier died. No power. Nothing. Spoiler: It is a Peltier driven item. The internal power supply was not working.
Ramsey County MN Board Recognizes Fix-It Clinic and Recycling Volunteers 4/18/23
Переглядів 28Рік тому
This clip of the Ramsey County Commissioners 4-18-23 meeting recognizes efforts of the Ramsey Co Fix-It and Recycling volunteers. Includes comments by yours truly. The award starts at 2:43 following opening ceremonies. The full meeting, and others, can be found here: ramseycountymn.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Kamenstein Kitchen Scale arrived DOA - No Display No Controls. - FIXED
Переглядів 495Рік тому
This arrived from Ebay and did not work. The seller refunded my money. As always, my video is not necessarily a "how to" so much as a "how I did it". Also, I leave my mistakes in because that's life. Spoiler alert! - I replaced 2 faulty switches.
Dynatrap Bug Zapper Fan stopped working after changing the bulb - FIXED
Переглядів 4,2 тис.Рік тому
My neighbor changed the bulb in his bug zapper and the fan cable got disconnected. I fixed it. Thanks to those of you who watch my stuff. I know it really isn't very technical, but I hope it helps anyone at all. Cheers
Blitz Technosystems Espresso Machine - No Steam - FIXED
Переглядів 791Рік тому
This 1990 espresso machine is labeled Caffeitalianio by Eurospirit. It was given away free on Facebook because it was broken. When I received it, the pump would not accept water and the steam boiler would not heat. Unlike many other models, there is no information on the internet about this unit. The manufacturer (Technosystems) does not maintain a web presence that I could find. There is a dem...
CKPSMS Store Gears for Singer Touch And Sew from Amazon
Переглядів 81Рік тому
CKPSMS Store Gears for Singer Touch And Sew from Amazon
PANTRY TOUR - We Turned the hall closet into a pantry
Переглядів 216Рік тому
PANTRY TOUR - We Turned the hall closet into a pantry
OttLite Ballast Died - Converted it to LED
Переглядів 2 тис.Рік тому
OttLite Ballast Died - Converted it to LED
Kitchenaid Toaster Heating Element Repair - FIXED
Переглядів 7 тис.Рік тому
Kitchenaid Toaster Heating Element Repair - FIXED
How to remove the knob on a Kitchenaid Toaster
Переглядів 2,2 тис.Рік тому
How to remove the knob on a Kitchenaid Toaster
Black and Decker weed whip starts and stops when I jiggle it
Переглядів 31Рік тому
Black and Decker weed whip starts and stops when I jiggle it
Shark Liftaway Vacuum - Repairing inside the power switch
Переглядів 5 тис.Рік тому
Shark Liftaway Vacuum - Repairing inside the power switch
Walkie Talkies One side doesn't work Fixed
Переглядів 1,8 тис.Рік тому
Walkie Talkies One side doesn't work Fixed
Emerson Microwave door won't stay closed
Переглядів 565Рік тому
Emerson Microwave door won't stay closed
Country Aire S 10 Fan Died Troubleshooting and repair notes
Переглядів 2962 роки тому
Country Aire S 10 Fan Died Troubleshooting and repair notes
Classic Keurig K60 K65 Doesn't pump - Fixed
Переглядів 3812 роки тому
Classic Keurig K60 K65 Doesn't pump - Fixed
My Fan Stopped Oscillating - Fixed and prevented for the future.
Переглядів 16 тис.2 роки тому
My Fan Stopped Oscillating - Fixed and prevented for the future.
Holmes Dual 8 inch Blade Twin Window Fan - 1 Side Dead
Переглядів 4502 роки тому
Holmes Dual 8 inch Blade Twin Window Fan - 1 Side Dead
Humidifier has mysterious rumble and doesn't use as much water as it did Fixed
Переглядів 662 роки тому
Humidifier has mysterious rumble and doesn't use as much water as it did Fixed
Singer xl1000 Sewing Machine Very Noisy - Bad Motor
Переглядів 5092 роки тому
Singer xl1000 Sewing Machine Very Noisy - Bad Motor
great video. Do we really need ESR meter to check the capacitor? My multimeter also has capacity meter; will this be enough? ESR meter is very expensive
Thank you!!! This fixed my problem. I had no idea 🙏
❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you, I just fixed mine using this video!
I have just picked up a stove, does the needle come with a replacement generator as mine is badly bent?
It has been a while, but as I recall, the kit had everything.
Thank you! I got it working again thanks to you!
I see why it didn't work. How did you fix the main shaft to keep the pair of pawls engaging either the escarpment though ?
It would be nice & maybe even more convenient, fast & elegant, if someone invented nichrome sleeve tube crimps, so that all you have to do is insert the broken wires together into the tiny nichrome butt connector tubes & then mechanically crimp them together with pliers. It might even have some borax inside the tubes to help fuse for a more solid chemical connection. Another idea is to buy proper gauge nichrome wire, make a tiny spiral of it (like a spring you find inside a pen) as a butt connector, pull the broken wires together inside the spiral & then also try to crimp the spiral, but I dont know how long that will last. I just recently found my toaster has also broke the center heating wires. Not only that, but also the mica sheet has broken, so if I am to repair this, I would probably have to do a full disassembly, & there are possibly places in the inside metal frame that are riveted, not screwed, which that itself is going to be a teardown problem in itself. I had already repaired this toaster 6 years earlier, so at least I lengthened its life further. If all else fails, then time to buy a new toaster, heh. 10/25/24
Great video thank you! I have the same toaster but a double and one side isn’t staying down.
Toasters are counting on us !
Just bought a new one. Got it today. The light blinks. I am using it through an invertor on a boat. Ideas?
First thing I would do is try it on dry land. If it still doesn't work, return it.
@@twincitiesfixit Thanks for the reply! It was the inverter. The circuitry in the blanket's controller does not work well with modified sine wave. I had to buck up for a pure sine wave inverter. It works well now, super warm!! Love it!
3:12 🫠🫠🫠 how did you remove the motor head. That wouldve been key to this video
Thanks for the thought. The carpet head just pops off the vacuum. It is a convertible unit.
Why not just throw some coffee beans in it? And I guess you can call it a timer but it's a cup capacity switch.
Hi. Thanks for the feedback. I was just fixing stuff that people dropped off at my house during the pandemic. No beans. No clue really. Just some curiosity and lots of time on my hands. I guess timing would get it close enough but don't coffee purists weigh grounds based on their selected grind?
Omg I cant tell you how long I’ve been trying to fix this damn thing, this is the only video I could find that actually showed the inside mechanism!! Thank you so much
Thanks. Lots of little switches like this are repairable. It is especially helpful when the switch is "special" or no longer available.
Sir, Thank you so much!! I'm going to try this.
What about coating the contact with a film of fresh solder to protect the pad? Next time can just reflow the solder.
Not a bad idea. I was just so excited to finally find something that was fixable inside one of these that I didn't think of it.
Thanks mine had same problem
Bummer. Sounds like they should have protected those wires better. Glad I could help.
This was like open heart bypass surgery. Very impressive!!
Thanks. It is a tedious task for sure. We are not always this successful but most of the time these are fixable.
Thank you. Beans had gotten under my hopper and were holding it up so the safeties were not engaging. Your video helped me find that quickly. Ours does clog up with chunks of ground coffee more frequently now than in the past. Probably the brand we’re using.
It is definitely related to the roast.
Thank you for the video. We have a KitchenAid toaster that is tripping the GFCI any thoughts?
Something has shorted out inside probably.
Sometimes 1 GFCI handles multiple outlets. Try unplugging everything else that goes dead when the GFCI Trips. They tolerate a tiny bit of "leakage" but it is possible your toaster is just the "last straw" with other devices "leaking" just a little as well.
Great information! Good to see some good problem solving techniques.
The logical trouble shooting and learning process is the point of all of these. The fact that we get luck and fix one, once in a while is what keeps us going. Thanks for the comment.
Cannot understand why there would be any negative comments! People can be such a**holes sometimes. We have exactly the same toaster and it worked for about a decade before this started. Anyhow, tried all of this and tested it with the cover off but still connected and it seems to stay down. Woo hoo! However, with the cover back on it does not. I took it apart and tried this again at least 3 times with that same, screwball result. We have another one just like it new in the box. I think I am just going to trash/recycle the old one. Life is too short! On thing on the video, the knob doesn't have to be removed. Thanks! Like that small dog which won't let go of your pants leg, I went back again. It turns out the reason why it worked with the cover off and not when on is that the slot in the cover tends to force the level to the right side. This pulls the metal tab that snicks under the white, plastic hook so that it simply was not making good contact with the hook. I did two things: (1) I removed the magnet/hook assembly - easy to do - just 2 screws and the small wire plug - and using a small dremel tool accentuated the hook's angle. (2) I grabbed the metal tab with a pliers and carefully bent it to the left. These two mod's give it enough solid contact to work again. Best!
Way to keep after it. Nicely done.
well I'm bummed.. I wanted to see how you even got to that switch, what had to come apart and how to put it together again, my switch is stuck in the ON position so the contacts are probably fused, I just don't want to take stuff apart that might lead to pieces flying across the room as I see 2 springs sticking out of the power head
It has been a while, but as I recall, I followed someone else's "how to replace the switch" video. It wasn't too bad a task.
Thank you so much for your video. I just fixed my coffee maker! ❤ I can now have my morning coffee. 😀
Thank you! I had the same issue and your video helped me resolve the issue.
Glad it helped.
Great video...but you left us all in suspense whether or not you could actually brew coffee afterall.
I made this video before someone kindly gave me a bunch of old stale decaf beans that I use for testing.
Yes bc of this video I fen my fan .....thank you alot
Thanks, this totally worked for my grinder problems!
I fixed mine with a fork. Bent the lever over to the left a bit, and that was it! 😊
Glad to hear you fixed it. Be careful sticking those forks into those toasters. Ask me how I know. :-)
Hello. I have a Rowenta VU2631U2 desk fan. The user manual is available on Rowenta. I was attempting to disassemble it to do a thorough cleaning. To do that requires removing the oscillating pin pull knob/handle (which flairs out for grip) in order to slip the housing off. Looking at other repair videos of different fans, many can be removed via a screw or a hard tug. This unit doesn't have a screw. And I have tugged as hard as I could...but to no avail. I called Rowenta. But nobody there has any ideas. And that's where I'm stuck. Just looking for ideas. Maybe Rowenta glues their knobs on. Thoughts?
Sorry for the delayed response... I do not know your specific fan but sometimes I am surprised at how hard you have to pull the knobs that don't have screws, to get them to release. I am always afraid I will break it but then when I am working on them, they are already broken so I go for it. If you do get the back of the fan off be sure to remove the oscillator (a couple screws) and lubricate the back bushing.
@twincitiesfixit Yeah...I went for it...with full aggression/force. No luck. The only solution I could think of was to take a hacksaw to the flared top...converting it to just a post that the plastic housing could slip right over. It worked. Upon getting a look at the insides, it appears this unit utilizes a crank case design. [I have limited, to virtually no mechanic skills. That's the verbiage I settled on...though it's probably incorrect.] It's my guess that because of that, the fan made use of a permanently affixed knob because the manufacturer deliberately wanted to keep people from a full teardown. This unit is different from most of the fans shown on various YT repair videos. [It's also not cheap. Brand new: $80-$100! A 12-inch desk fan!! Maybe it's typical that the more expensive models make use of a crank case. I got it from my daughter. You'd never catch me making such a ridiculous purchase!] The only accessible/serviceable bearing is the front one. Of course it is! But you could not know this for certain...without doing what I did. The back part of the shaft is enclosed within the metal housing of the crank case. A bit of oil from that housing had seeped out over the years. I cleaned that up. Oiled the front bearing. Shaved/filed the black plastic post to make it uniform. Wrapped the worked-on part in black duct tape to improve grip...and make it look pretty. And Bob's your uncle. Works...and looks (a few feet away)...like brand new. Thank you for your reply. I'm going to see if I can find a video of someone mentioning/working on this type of design. In the meantime, I hope this helps someone avoid the hassle I went through.
Thank you brotha i have the same problem with a diffenent air fan
shit maybe even add some stop leak
Putting stop leak in a broken refrigeration system doesn't fix it, any more than fix-a-flat fixes a tire.
Hell maybe next time one is done ill pull a vac and a see how many microns i can get it down to and watch the decay...
so what it leaked its charge put a tap in and refill the leaky unit for another season. ive done this to my 2 units i have like 1 can of r134a per unit a season is cheaper than buying a new unit every time the chinesseium bs leaks its load. lmao.
Yes, It is physically possible to add a tap and "fix" by charging it but it will still leak or leak again. Leaving leaky stuff in service is not okay. We know better than to do that these days. If you're not worried about the environment, what value do you put on your time? It is just not worth it. We need to find and buy better stuff so the market for the "crap" dries up.
WOW...i have that same dehumidifier and the same thing is happening, it runs, but doesn't seem to take moisture out of the air and it just runs and runs and runs. I finally replaced it. Of course i bought it 5 years and 1 month ago, so naturally the warranty is expired
Some companies started including a small print extended "pressurized system" warranty in addition to their standard one year warranty. The longest I have seen is 4 years, so you are still out of luck.
This did the trick for me - thanks for sharing!!
Thanks i picked up a retro onenfor free that just froze this helped
Thanks
could you show how you connect to the hoverboard. Brilliant idea.
I built my attachments from electrical conduit and other scraps round the shop. I got the inspiration from a company that sells a kit for wheelchair use (brilliant!). Check out mooevo.com/kit/
We have two of these blankets. One appeared to have failed (yes tried to reconnect with correct sequence). Tried the blanket with the chord from the second blanket and now neither work. Don't know what happened but am disappointed. These are nice blankets.
Not sure what to say. Than is sad.
Thanks for this. I used this methodology on a different Capresso and it did the trick!
My syringe gets a lot of use. Have used it to unstick pumps and valves besides priming. It also works on clearing partially blocked mineral deposits during a vinegar flush. Someone else came up with the idea, but it is genius.
Does it matter which side the blue wire and the red wire go on on the cord I have a wide Peg and an airplane on the plug-in which side goes to the blue and red blue and red
The wide side of my 110v US plug (neutral) goes to both one end of the heating element and the circuit board. The narrow side of the plug (hot) goes to power the circuit board low and high voltage needs. A red wire runs from my circuit board to the other end of the heating element. Beware: Yours may be different.
Thank you so much!
You're welcome!
One side working on mine the other side that dont work just gets hot. But the blade on the broke side is hard to move the working side not. I wonder if i just need some wd40. My left side as well
A stiff blade needs to be oiled. Good news if it is getting hot, it is still "trying". A few drops of 3-in-1 or some other oil would be best. WD-40 is fine for cleaning and short term lubrication but I would use something else for lasting lubrication. Thy to get the oil on the shaft on both sides (front and back) of the motor. Look for a little "peek-a-boo" hole above the shaft to drip the oil in.
Thank you now I know what wrong with my fan I had it for 21 years
I am curious if you have ever repaired a Cuisinart SS15 (coffee pot brewer with K-Cup combo). The 2 fuses on the coffee pot side work great, heats up as it should. The Keurig side brews only cold water - I can't find another fuse for K-Cup side when disassembled. Any ideas/thoughts?
There is a separate boiler for the Keurig side. There is a thermal switch that turns the power on and off when temp is reached. There also is a water level sensor in many espresso machines to prevent the boiler from boiling dry in the case of a plugged line. One of those things may be at fault
TY, took mine all apart cleaned everything up and it just started working.. still not entirely sure why it wasn't? It was blinking but wouldn't go to four or six it just continually blinked but now it's working!
I wish I had a dime for every time we "fixed" something by cleaning it.
Will you be at an upcoming Fix-It Clinic? We have an electric kettle that we'd love help troubleshooting.
I am at every Fix-It Clinic, unless I am out of town or there is a conflict between counties (I can't be in 2 places at once) but there are lots of talented (smarter than me) folks who volunteer. Bring it in. (Breaking news: I just missed the WA Co clinic due to illness. First time ever)
It’s a kettle, not a teapot, coffee pot.
Actually, I just repeat whatever the client calls it. Most of them we see are being used for tea.