DIY Gratification

[PharmGeek]

Well, so I know this will sound pathetic (really pathetic, lol)...but I felt pretty accomplished last night.

I got the replacement blower fan for my furnace from Atwood under warranty. It had bused in early spring from something (I suspect from sucking in a scrap of aluminum I found later - a reminant from the building process) and I got around to getting the new part...

I took off the broke fan earlier this year and in the process unplugged the sail switch and the little "off/reset" breaker in that area as well.

Now, as I went to put it all back together I realized.."oh crap, which ones go where?"....I was going to go over to my neighbors house with the same exact airstream and just look at theirs the next day, but got out the manual, found the wiring diagram, and actually, it showed exactly what I needed to know....hooked it all up...turned on...all is working perfect now.

It took me an hour maybe 1.5 hours because I sat scratching my head and thinking about it for a while...but next time I will know.

And now that I have fiddled with this process now, I am full aware of how to replace the circuit board (prone to failure), the fan, the sail switch (atwood sent me an extra one btw).

And so, a small victory, but signifies progress in understanding how my Airstream works, and how to do some minor repairs.

The hardest part was putting on the little stiff circular clip...man that was a tight spot..had to find the smallest pair of pliers I had to manage that and even then it was tedius. But having done it now, I could replicate it with much greater ease.


I had forgot how long the fan runs after you turn off the furnace...for a moment there I thought it would never stop running and that I had messed something up..it did turn off...probably 60 seconds I would guess delay.

yeah, its no big deal...pathetic even...but progress none-the-less....and somehow it was very gratifying to hear the fan first kick on...then the furnace...

Now, make fun of me

[Panama Red]

It's never pathetic when you figure it out for yourself! So many would have just taken their trailer in to the shop and payed to have the repair done. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

-Red

[AWCHIEF]

It always pays to have a good thinking chair for those scratching head moments. I have this thing about paying someone to do a job I can do myself. Unfortunetly as grow older I find that I am having to call on others more often. There is certainly a well deserved pat on the back for a job well done.

[msmcv51]

Good for you. There is nothing wrong with feeling good about using skills that God has given you. That is always something that you can pass on to your kids. Just a couple months ago I passed on some electrical knowledge to my youngest and he is 31.

[noreen&sal]

Originally Posted by msmcv51

Good for you. There is nothing wrong with feeling good about using skills that God has given you. That is always something that you can pass on to your kids. Just a couple months ago I passed on some electrical knowledge to my youngest and he is 31.

I taught my 2 sons everything I know a long time ago. It took me 5 minutes. Sal

[PharmGeek]

lol

well, I am age 31....my dad is a mechanic....but parents seperated when I was young and I did not have the fullest opportunity to learn some of his skills as a result...only learned basics, changing oil, did brakes a couple times, air filter, could do a fuel filter if access reasonable...can service my AC coolant if it is low...and a few other odd and ends....but by far am NOT a mechanic...probably a "drugist" is as far from a mechanic as you can get

I bug him off and on with issues that he talks me through....wish he lived closer and we all had more time to just sit around and tinker with cars for fun....life just is too busy really.

[idroba]

have your kids around when you do things like that, and show them what you are doing and involve them if you can. It is a great way to establish relationships.