gained some skill points in "engines"
When we purchased our house back in November it came with an old front loading washing machine, and, out in the shed, another similar one that they said is "for parts". The washer worked well enough that we have been using it, but some months back something changed such that it was no longer possible to open the door by pushing the door-opening button. Instead we have needed to insert a small screwdriver through a narrow slot in the machine and push up to get the door to pop open. Sometimes this works on the first try, others it takes a few minutes of fussing with it to get the angle spot on such that the door opens. Oddly enough, the process did not become easier over time--whether it worked straight away, or after much fussing always seemed to be random.
In addition to the door issues the noise the machine made when spinning has recently started to become very loud. Like loud enough that even I (with my hearing problem) sometimes noticed it while I was upstairs (it is in the basement), and lord_kjar commented that the sound indicates that something is NOT right with the machine, and assures me that it didn't sound like that when we moved in. He is quite good at fixing stuff, and we have both been wanting him to fix it for a while, but other things have been higher on the priority list, and the machine was still cleaning the clothes, so we have been putting that project off.
This morning I commented that it is frustrating that so many things on the list are things that I need his help with to do (or things that he just plain needs to do) and I listed the washer as one of the examples. I commented that it would be nice if I could just do some of them on my own if he were busy with something else. He said I should go for it with the washer, so downstairs I went.
First I took off the back, and, much to my surprise, it was no where near as dusty/dirty back there as I expected. However, other than being cleaner than I would have expected, there isn't much to see in that part of the machine--the belt that attaches the motor to the machine was visible, and when I tried moving it the belt moved smoothly. So I did a quick clean of such dust was in that part, and then went and asked him what I should do next, since I couldn't tell what might be the problem.
He came down and looked, and when he moved the belt he pointed out the sound that indicated that the bearings were in bad shape. Sound. Others tell me it is so useful, but I would never have noticed that sound, had he not insisted it was relevant.
Since he was downstairs we then both set to work opening up the rest of the machine, which was every bit as dirty inside as I had expected, so I happily set to cleaning the insides while he continued to open up new areas.
Eventually, I had most internal surfaces cleaned, and he had finally opened up enough that we could reach the mechanism that controls the door opening (which is, of course, in the hardest part of the machine to access). Once he could see it it commented that there should be something connecting this part with that part, so I looked down to the corner bottom of the machine under where the mechanism is, where I hadn't yet gotten in to clean, and, sure enough, I could see a small metal rod and a small washer shaped thing down there, in the dust. It turns out that my arm is *just* skinny enough to reach in there to clean out that dust and rescue those parts--no way could he have gotten his arm in there.
Once we pulled the pieces out it was easy to see where the one had broken off from the main mechanism, which explained why the door no longer opened when we pushed that button. So we went out to the shed, to look at the parts washer. Someone had removed the engine from that one at some point before we bought the house, and it was sitting on a shelf near the machine. He picked it up, and spun the rod in it, and determined that it didn't make any bad-bearings noises. Therefore we put forth the hypothesis that the reason it was out was that at some point in the past someone had already swapped the engine from the one into the other, and this one had something else wrong with it other than bearings.
Then we opened up the parts machine, and found that the door opening mechanism was still intact, so we removed it, and brought both it and the spare engine into the house. Then we swapped out the door opening mechanism with the good one, and put back together most of the machine (doing some last few bits of cleaning as we went). After that we took both engines into the shop, where he opened them up and confirmed that yes, one of the cases of bearings in the engine we have been using sounds very, very bad, but both of them in the other engine sound fine. So he swapped over the rod and bearings into the one we have been using (since there may be something wrong with the rest of the other one) and he put it back together. Then I put back together the spare one, and am confidant that I could have assembled the good one, too.
Then it was a simple matter to put back the engine, turn the electricity back on, and test the machine, which now works fine--no more unpleasant sound, and the clothes are quite clean. Best of all, the door opens when I push the button!
Why, yes, I do lead an exciting life, why do you ask?
In other news, I finished reading the Swedish translation of the Hobbit a week or so ago, and have just started reading the Swedish translation of the Clan of the Cave Bear. I am now 44 pages in, and am delighted to report that I am understanding nearly all of it. This probably reflects more upon how many times I have read that book in English over the years than it does my ability to understand Swedish, but it feels good nonetheless.
The plan for this week includes taking the test for a Swedish driving licence. This is something I should have done the first year I was in Sweden, but I have been busy and haven't gotten to it. I don't need to drive often, but it is now well enough past the one year one can drive on a foreign licence that I am not driving at all, so it will be good to get that done. I sure hope that I manage to pass the test on the first try. The practice test on the web page is full of difficult questions on topics the learn to drive book doesn't actually cover (e.g. what % of pedestrians are killed if they are hit by a car going 50 kph?). I don't remember the test in Alaska (which I took more than 30 years ago!) being that hard, and in Australia I passed the written test on the first try, and I don't recall even reading the book. Perhaps this is why they won't let me just trade in my licence, but require that I take the test.
Another reason I am looking forward to getting my licence is that the new, improved, spelling of my name has gone through, so that will give me an ID with the correct name on it. Ok, I already have a Uni ID card with the correct spelling of my name, since I got that on Friday.
In addition to the door issues the noise the machine made when spinning has recently started to become very loud. Like loud enough that even I (with my hearing problem) sometimes noticed it while I was upstairs (it is in the basement), and lord_kjar commented that the sound indicates that something is NOT right with the machine, and assures me that it didn't sound like that when we moved in. He is quite good at fixing stuff, and we have both been wanting him to fix it for a while, but other things have been higher on the priority list, and the machine was still cleaning the clothes, so we have been putting that project off.
This morning I commented that it is frustrating that so many things on the list are things that I need his help with to do (or things that he just plain needs to do) and I listed the washer as one of the examples. I commented that it would be nice if I could just do some of them on my own if he were busy with something else. He said I should go for it with the washer, so downstairs I went.
First I took off the back, and, much to my surprise, it was no where near as dusty/dirty back there as I expected. However, other than being cleaner than I would have expected, there isn't much to see in that part of the machine--the belt that attaches the motor to the machine was visible, and when I tried moving it the belt moved smoothly. So I did a quick clean of such dust was in that part, and then went and asked him what I should do next, since I couldn't tell what might be the problem.
He came down and looked, and when he moved the belt he pointed out the sound that indicated that the bearings were in bad shape. Sound. Others tell me it is so useful, but I would never have noticed that sound, had he not insisted it was relevant.
Since he was downstairs we then both set to work opening up the rest of the machine, which was every bit as dirty inside as I had expected, so I happily set to cleaning the insides while he continued to open up new areas.
Eventually, I had most internal surfaces cleaned, and he had finally opened up enough that we could reach the mechanism that controls the door opening (which is, of course, in the hardest part of the machine to access). Once he could see it it commented that there should be something connecting this part with that part, so I looked down to the corner bottom of the machine under where the mechanism is, where I hadn't yet gotten in to clean, and, sure enough, I could see a small metal rod and a small washer shaped thing down there, in the dust. It turns out that my arm is *just* skinny enough to reach in there to clean out that dust and rescue those parts--no way could he have gotten his arm in there.
Once we pulled the pieces out it was easy to see where the one had broken off from the main mechanism, which explained why the door no longer opened when we pushed that button. So we went out to the shed, to look at the parts washer. Someone had removed the engine from that one at some point before we bought the house, and it was sitting on a shelf near the machine. He picked it up, and spun the rod in it, and determined that it didn't make any bad-bearings noises. Therefore we put forth the hypothesis that the reason it was out was that at some point in the past someone had already swapped the engine from the one into the other, and this one had something else wrong with it other than bearings.
Then we opened up the parts machine, and found that the door opening mechanism was still intact, so we removed it, and brought both it and the spare engine into the house. Then we swapped out the door opening mechanism with the good one, and put back together most of the machine (doing some last few bits of cleaning as we went). After that we took both engines into the shop, where he opened them up and confirmed that yes, one of the cases of bearings in the engine we have been using sounds very, very bad, but both of them in the other engine sound fine. So he swapped over the rod and bearings into the one we have been using (since there may be something wrong with the rest of the other one) and he put it back together. Then I put back together the spare one, and am confidant that I could have assembled the good one, too.
Then it was a simple matter to put back the engine, turn the electricity back on, and test the machine, which now works fine--no more unpleasant sound, and the clothes are quite clean. Best of all, the door opens when I push the button!
Why, yes, I do lead an exciting life, why do you ask?
In other news, I finished reading the Swedish translation of the Hobbit a week or so ago, and have just started reading the Swedish translation of the Clan of the Cave Bear. I am now 44 pages in, and am delighted to report that I am understanding nearly all of it. This probably reflects more upon how many times I have read that book in English over the years than it does my ability to understand Swedish, but it feels good nonetheless.
The plan for this week includes taking the test for a Swedish driving licence. This is something I should have done the first year I was in Sweden, but I have been busy and haven't gotten to it. I don't need to drive often, but it is now well enough past the one year one can drive on a foreign licence that I am not driving at all, so it will be good to get that done. I sure hope that I manage to pass the test on the first try. The practice test on the web page is full of difficult questions on topics the learn to drive book doesn't actually cover (e.g. what % of pedestrians are killed if they are hit by a car going 50 kph?). I don't remember the test in Alaska (which I took more than 30 years ago!) being that hard, and in Australia I passed the written test on the first try, and I don't recall even reading the book. Perhaps this is why they won't let me just trade in my licence, but require that I take the test.
Another reason I am looking forward to getting my licence is that the new, improved, spelling of my name has gone through, so that will give me an ID with the correct name on it. Ok, I already have a Uni ID card with the correct spelling of my name, since I got that on Friday.