Mar 11
3
Every job has its drawbacks. I’m sure even Warren Buffett could tell you some things about his daily work that are less than desirable, although having a bank balance with 10 digits and three commas would tend to make things better.
As a technical writer, I have written procedures detailing how to repair all sorts of equipment-both military and commercial. I have described the overhaul of diesel engines. I have written detailed troubleshooting procedures for night vision equipment. I have developed repair procedures for HVAC systems, computers, optics, hydraulic jacks, and all sorts of other equipment.
So when something in my house fails, I feel like I should be able to repair it. It just seems logical, right?
Well, one section that goes into almost every technical manual that we write here at Allard is a table listing the necessary tools and equipment to accomplish the repair procedures. I have a lot of tools, but it seems like every project that comes along will require at least one trip to Home Depot.
Another prerequisite for repairing things is the ability to acquire a suitable replacement part. That’s often easier said than done. I have spent a lot of time searching eBay for some random part to repair something in the house. For example, my in-laws complained that the racks inside their dishwasher had basically rusted to the point they were disintegrating. I figured this would be something really easy to fix. I mean, there aren’t any tools involved, and the replacement parts should be really easy to find. At least you would think so.
After writing down the model number for their dishwasher (which was not really all that old), I headed to eBay confident that I would be able to find a perfect replacement at a very reasonable cost. It turns out dishwasher racks are a very complicated thing. I did actually locate a seller on eBay that had the racks needed. But the prices commanded for these things were nothing short of shocking. Suffice to say, it would be cheaper to trip out to Sears or Home Depot and buy a new dishwasher.
But once in a great while, you find yourself with the right tools and the right replacement parts, and things fall into place as they should. The Technical Writer will surely triumph this time. Probably my greatest achievement in home appliance repair involved one of my most prized possessions – my 46-inch Samsung HD television. While it wasn’t pretty, I did manage to get it fixed and it still works fine to this day, but the battle was tough and casualties were incurred.
I’ll fill you in on the gory details in my next post.
