A few days ago, our bathroom exhaust fan decided to stop working. I could actually hear the motor coming on, but the fan blades were not whirring. I asked my husband, Joe, if I should call the repair person and he said he would see if he could fix it first.
Although he has never fixed a bathroom exhaust fan before, he's pretty good at figuring things out...with the help of past experience and YouTube videos. So, he went to work watching the videos and proceeded to try some of the fixes.
After about an hour of watching instructional videos and making tweaks, the fan still wasn't working. That is, until he watched one last video and the person said to try using a leaf blower to blow any debris out that may be causing the issue.
It could get humid in the bathroom so he was fairly certain it was some gunk that was preventing the fan from working properly...and he felt certain this last fix would do it.
I had to leave for an appointment before he proceeded.
A few hours later, I returned home. Lo and behold, the fan was working!
Joe said, "I'm so glad you were not here. The leaf blower is super powerful so it blew gunk, dust and debris all over the bathroom. It was a huge mess and I didn't think it was even going to work after I created it. But after I blew it out, I just lightly tapped my finger on the blade and it began spinning
again!"
So, I was happy. Not only did he fix the issue and thoroughly clean the mess, but he also saved us what would have likely been at least $300 to $500.
Now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes, we're not so lucky. There have been some home repairs he has attempted in the past that have not worked...and we had to call the repair person after unsuccessful attempts.
There are other home repairs that he would not even consider trying to fix on his own, leaving anything he was not comfortable with up to the professionals.
Last year, our Keurig wasn't working and after nearly taking the whole thing apart (after watching countless YouTube videos), I got it to work...and a year later, it's still working great.
Yes, we could have gotten a brand new Keurig at that point, but I have to admit there was definitely some glory in my mind and
heart after I was able to fix it myself.
I bet my husband felt that same glory once the fan began whirring.
So, how do you decide whether to attempt to fix it yourself or to call a professional? Here is the criteria we use in our home:
Attempt to Fix it Ourselves
1. We're confident that we have a good chance of fixing it ourselves.
2. We don't have to do anything dangerous to attempt the repair. We always ask, "What could happen if I mess up?" If the answer is death, serious injury, or substantial property damage, we call the pros right from the get-go.
3. We have the time, energy, and patience that's always required.
4. We're willing to give up before we make the problem worse than it currently is.
Call a Professional
1. It is something that poses a danger to us or our home if we do something wrong. Some jobs are best left to the professionals.
2. We've given it our best shot, but the problem isn't resolving...or is getting worse.
3. We don't have the time, energy, or patience that it's going to take to figure it out.
On this same note, I would love to hear your stories on this topic. I'll include them in future editions of this newsletter...so please reply!
On a final note, as home repairs are needed, don't allow them to linger without you rectifying them, whether you do so on your own, or you make a call to a repair company (or your landlord if you are renting.)
Neglecting problems only results in two problems popping up...and then three, four, and more. Just like anything else, handle issues as they come before they
turn into bigger issues.
