I have 10 minutes to kill and I used to be an appliance repairman.

[Symarip]

I'm opening up the floor to your questions.

[redqueen]

1. OK

Someone I know has a fridge that won't get cold anymore. Service tech says it needs the adaptive defrost control & defrost thermostat replaced... and that this cost about $350. She's considering getting a new one instead.

Which would you suggest?

[Symarip]

3. Most of her woes are in labor

But! I will say this. There is no way both parts are bad. She's being lied to. If one was bad, there's no way of knowing the other is bad, also. The chances of both failing are almost impossible.

That being said, both parts should be relatively easy to replace yourself. I suggest ordering the parts online, like on ebay or an appliance repair store. Turn of the fridge the day before (always makes life easier) and replace the part with the fridge UNPLUGGED. Most hardware on a unit uses the following tools:

a phillips screwdriver
a quarter inch driver
a 5/16th inch driver

I'd wager to say the parts only cost between 50 to 120 dollars, combined.

[redqueen]

8. Gracias!

:)

[TZ]

2. What did you fix?

I'm assuming you weren't very good at it since you aren't doing that anymore...:P

[Symarip]

4. I was too good

They feared my knowledge.

[TZ]

5. Can you answer a question about computer and internet hookups though?

Cause I want to know why the fuck my laptop is pretty fast here on the hotel wireless network but at home it constantly loses connectivity and is slow as molasses..I imagine its cause of Comcasts sucky modem that doesn't work right....
edit for funny freudian slip..I typed "manassas" instead of "molasses"

[Symarip]

6. I'd first see how many packets you are sending and receiving from your router

Your modem might be just fine. I'd also turn off your wireless capabilities on your laptop and try a hard connection through CAT 5 cable. Both tests should point you in the right direction.

[Kali]

7. now this I could use help with!

5 year old Hotpoint/GE cheapo (want model #?) gas range, *&%&#&*89ing electronic controls

oven won't hold temp at mid to higher cooking temps - have to constantly restart and set 25 to 50 degrees higher than desired temp. Not often, but occasionally it goes hotter than set. It is worse than using a wood stove in terms of having to fiddle with it all the time.


Thermostat, ignighter, pressure valve, contol panel? each around $90 which do I try first? or is it something else?

(top) broiler seems ok, though I don't use it much

[Symarip]

9. With the hotpoint cheapies, it's almost always the thermostat

They're relatively easy or retardedly hard to replace, depending on the model. Hotpoint is never kind of easy or kind of hard. Full bore one way or the other. But there may not be anything wrong with your unit at all. See below.

You can program your electonic controls to offset for the 25 degree difference you are experiencing. Most people don't know this but on all GE ovens, there's a key sequence you can press to enter maintenance mode, and you can then set the oven temp to compensate one way or the other. I'd look up your model online.

[Kali]

10. yeah, already know about the reset

this is something else - it won't hold at any setting above say 250. set it at 350 and it will beep its little announcent that it is hot, but it will be 275 or something and then just keep dropping. It restarts every 5 minutes or so to heat again as temp naturally dissipates, but never stays on long enough to even get back to the too low temp it hit originally. If I turn it off and restart it at say 375 - 400 it will usually climb to the 350 I want, but I have to keep restarting it every 20-30 minutes to keep it there.

[Symarip]

11. I know this sounds insane

But forget about the beeping and let it heat up for about a half hour to 45 minutes. See where the temp is with a decent oven thermometer (most are complete shit). If you want I can explain what's going on but it's really hard to spell out without the help of a pad and paper.

[Kali]

12. I can double check but pretty sure from past experience with the darn thing

it doesn't go on up - the gas certainly shuts off when it beeps 'ready'

I appreciate this and if you are out of time - no problem we can continue later (if you are willing), this has been going on more than a year for sure and I'm not testing no oven during the afternoon!:rofl: (no air conditioning)