After the dust has settled...

[mrph]

Well, the builders finished on Saturday. I have my house back. This is a good thing.

There are also a few things that I definitely don't have. A working cooker, for example (dangerously kaput), or a working washing machine (...still under warranty, thankfully...).

At least the sink is working. :)

Comments

[jorune.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your appliances. I must have a look at the latest stage of work at some point.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

The work's pretty much done, for the moment - the alarm system gets updated tomorrow, and there's an external cover to be fitted on an extractor fan, but that's it...

They're suggesting I leave it three weeks before I start painting anything, which is fair enough. Might need to plan that carefully to avoid accidentally painting a cat, though. :)

Make do and mend

[aoakley.livejournal.com]

Fitting a new cooker yourself is ludicrously easy. Built-in worktop hobs are a challenge simply due to the carpentry required, but built-in ovens or freestanding all-in-one cookers are a doddle, no more difficult than wiring up a plug.

Built-in ovens are pretty much standard sizes and easy to replace. Turn everything off (ideally at the fuse box). Open the over door(s) to reveal the mounting screws around the edge. Remove the screws. Gently, with a strong friend helping you, ease the oven out of the recess. Use towels or cushions to support the (usually glass) front of the oven as you lay it gently on the floor. Then measure the recess (DEPTH can be important, as well as width/height, hence my advice to take it out of the recess before measuring!). There'll be one big thick cable running from the wall switch to the back of the oven. There'll be a few screws around where the cable enters the oven, undo these and underneath you will find something very similar to the insides of a mains plug (neutral, live, ground). Job done.

Replacing a broken thermostat or fan in an oven is also not that difficult, there are various videos on t'interweb showing you how. Requires a lot more disassembly, and some fairly intense wire-threading, but I replaced the thermostat on my 400 quid built-in oven for about 35 quid. I've also freed up gunked-up fans without too much hassle; once you've worked out how to unscrew the back plate (usually by taking off the inner sides first) the fan is usually bolted onto an axle which comes straight out of the motor. Undo a few bolts, get the fan blades out, clean the gunky grease up with white vinegar or lemon juice, job done.

Replacing a broken element is much harder, I scrapped and replaced my oven when the element(s) died. In particular, elements tend to melt into other things around them when they die, so taking them apart may not even be an option, and even if you do successfully replace an element, you can never be confident that it isn't rubbing up against something that has already melted or warped out of place.