Youtube is great for this. When my hot water heater went out, the plumbing company wanted $800 to replace it. I looked up how to install a new one, including how to braze pipes. It took me longer than it would have taken a pro to do it, but I was out only the price of the water heater and some tools, less than half the price they quoted me.
I am a guy who knows how to fix things. I've fixed things professionally for most of my adult life. And as such, I also know that I don't know how to fix EVERYTHING. Youtube is a great resource for learning how to fix things that you don't already know how to fix. And it can also be a horrible place if you don't know enough to filter out the people who don't know what they're doing.
It saves sooooo much money! Like even with buying the tools and parts. My house is over 100 years old and EVERYTHING breaks. But you also gotta know your limits, don't try to reroof the house by yourself or do foundation work alone.
before the Internet, before YouTube, my fix-everything handyman Dad had a shelf full of volumes of The Practical Handyman's Encyclopedia in his garage shop. we've always had help.
Yup, had a KLR-650 rear shock not adjusting. An Aussie had a YT vid on how to remove and rebuild. Worked like a charm. So many things around the house are not junk because of YT.
Needed to hire a guy to fix a busted pipe. My wife said, "why can't you fix it? You've fixed it every time before." I said, "That's precisely why we need to hire a pro! Obviously I don't know enough to fix it properly and it breaks every year!" Basically came down to fixing it properly would require buying tools I'd need exactly once and the pro was less than the tools in cost.
My dad would have just said some vague bullshit until he got around to saying something about how the Jews deserved it (it being the Holocaust), so for me it was DIY books from the library
I am lucky, I can call my Dad and he would not call me an idiot. I'd tell him what's happening, what my plan was to fix it or ask for advice. He'd let me know if it made sense and what to double check in case I missed something, or just the actual fix. And he's humble enough to admit when he don't know 100%, but if he knew a guy who would know, he'd go ask them and get back to me.
That's how it is with my father-in-law too. He was a heavy machine mechanic for 50 years and has worked on every type of engine of every size possible. There hasn't been a problem or DIY project I couldn't call him and get advice on
And lord knows I've broken things. In fact, the circuit board on the portable hydraulic lift failed during this while it was raised. I can't express the level of anxiety we both felt using jacks to lift it higher to remove the lifts and seeing the car wobble in mid-air.
I mean, I'm very competent at repairing cars... But if there's a video on the exact thing that I'm about to do, I definitely watch it first just to like make sure that I can do it quickly and efficiently.
im pretty good at fixing and building things, but I CANNOT do it while my partner is home. she never did anything like that with her parents, so she just hovers around terrified saying, "Are you SURE that's how it's supposed to work?!?"
In my house, any random task, from cleaning to DIY repair, can be done by either partner. We're both competent, skilled workers. It is more efficient to let either of us do it alone, and the other fuck off. Working together is 4x the frustration, time and second-guessing.
I grew up helping my dad fix things, whereas my husband's family didn't fix anything - but I need his muscles to fix the bigger things... I'm jealous that you can fix things on your own without the unwanted commentary.
This is 100% the hardest part of my damn job! I go through this all day with customers and then when I come home. I appreciate what you are saying, amigo.
My wife quit doing that. She would ask me if I knew what I was doing, and I would smile and say, "Don't have a clue. But that's never stopped me before!" Then laugh maniacally. She has stopped bothering me when I'm doing things.
Yeah fixing things with others around is a no-go. Was recently at my parent's place and their grill had stopped working, so I'm thinking alright that has like 4-5 parts there could be something wrong with so just need to troubleshoot to identify where the fault is and then should be fixed by the end of the day. Not five seconds into casually gazing at it I get asked if I've figured out how to fix it yet, and I immediately conclude they should just give it away and buy a new one.
I was trying to fix something once and it kept not happening. Would not go back together. My dad kept hovering and offering "advice" until the item being repaired was in two pieces across the room and I was declaring I was going out to buy a new one.
Same. If you're genuinely interested in learning about it, I love to teach/train people. If I'm teaching/training someone, I will happily talk about each step and go into more detail than anyone wants. But I hate management types that just hover and ask concerned questions because they don't understand and are stressed out and trying to stress me out alongside them. Get tf out of my way and let me hyperfocus. I'll fill you in on the details when I'm done.
Youtube is such an amazing resource for DIY. Have a 1965 Whirlpool clothes washer that somehow isn't draining? Guaranteed some old dude on YouTube has taken the whole thing apart step by step and shown you what to do.
I bought a one man tent for camping. It had "no knot" guy lines for the fly, but didn't have instructs on how to use them. Spent an hour figuring them out. Did a crappy YouTube vid. That thing blew up with folks thanking me. Then there's some dude "video quality sucks". Folks expect primo studio quality shit these days.
Yes, but the influencers lie. When I started woodworking I accepted that my first few projects would be at best, weak; but I got so stressed out that I couldn't even keep the sawdust under control. Before anything gets recorded in some little garage workshop like 6 people go through and clean everything. Or stuff is made somewhere else (with sawdust everywhere) and the pretty garage workshop is just used for recording.
there are some things that method should not be applied to though. We have a "maintenance team" at my job that works for the company instead of being 3rd party that we had to ban from working on certain things, mainly hvac and power lift equipment because it was taking weeks to fix and failing regularly. The 3rd party for the power equipment produced the machines anyway so we just had them take back over.
Honestly no, it's better than nothing, but it sucks so much. A 45 minute tutorial for a 12 minute auto repair aicks, ky sucks so much. It may work well fit something like drywall,but otherwise it's clunky and difficult to parse. I hate it. Some things that could have been a geocitirs page with three nlavk and white pics take a half hour to find relevant parts.
DIY YouTube is up there with Wikipedia in terms of being what the internet was originally supposed to be. There are so many people out there who have unmonetized channels that are just sharing what they know with an audience of a few hundred people. It honestly makes me so happy to think about it.
I had a dishwasher making noise. I googled the model and noise and there's a YouTube of someone who not only records the noise (it matched) but tore the whole thing down to find out why (shitty gasket) and then provided cost benefit analysis of repairing it vs getting a new one, and then ended with a polite rant about planned obsolescence and cheaping out on key parts when otherwise there was nothing wrong with the device.
Fixed using these videos: pool heater, 4.0 vortec engine with a misfiring error, lawnmower tractor drivetrain and engine (it was carburator), clothes washer, dryer multiple models, propane stove, auto-ignite fireplace, my dads jaguar (that one was a pain in the ass), best thing youtoob videos are for!
Dude, youtube saved me so much money when I realized I wouldn't have to go back to the car dealership for a new car key clicky button thing, I could just order one online for like $25 bucks!
100% Also for arts, crafts, gardening, general knowledge... So much. I have conflicting opinions over social media bands on children from accessing such a marvelous resource.
I used a YouTube video to find out which part of my old dryer had failed. I bought the $30 part, replaced it, and it's working again. I thought I was going to have to go out and buy a brand new dryer.
That was the next thing that shit the bed on my samsung. Had to replace a relay on the ecu. Bedded with silicone or some potting compound. Was a mess but solved the problem. Thanks youtube
Yep. A small bit of basic understanding of how to use tools and basic toolkit to match can solve a lot of problems around the house.
My samsung drier had problems. Maintenance man was $$ & Youtube said $15 thermistor. Heres how to replace with a screwdriver. Done in 30 mins. Thanks redneck guy in wisconsin for taking the time to make a video about it.
I have a playlist called fixy the washy and fixy the driah. (I don't know why I called them that) but there were two videos from a guy from new Zealand that taught me how to fix my washing and dryer machine. Exact make and model. Just truly amazing
Make sure to use something like yt-dlp to download those videos, just in case they're gone from YT one day. I download every tutorial I might need again along with my favorite music videos and other stuff I'd miss if I no longer had access to it.
YouTube has helped me repair my dryer, my refrigerator, my shower tile, my car, my lawn mower, and my air conditioning. With its help I've done electrical and plumbing work, lawn and gardening revamps, minor woodworking (made my own stand-up desk), installed a new vanity with faucet, cut up a downed tree with a chainsaw, caulking, paint, drywall, trim, and more. Oh yeah, not to mention gamedev and art.
Good for you, me too. It’s amazing being a capable person. You get to be a hero a lot too. Doing and learning stuff is great for mental health. There was a video going around a while ago, that I can’t find anymore but it was a compilation of diy jobs and problems with a narrator talking about get off your ass and make your shit nice.
When I was younger everything looked really hard and mysterious, and there were no resources for DIY except some thin Time Life books. So many tools, so many words I didn't know! But now the information is out there and it's a lot easier than you might think.
Honest I know how dumb it sounds but that's how I learned to replace mt windshield wipers, the headlight bulbs, even how to put on the spare tire. Felt pretty proud even though its basic maintenance.
That's not dumb! No one just knows how to do these things out of nowhere. You didn't know how to change a spare tire because no one taught you how to do it when you were a kid, so you sought out how to do it as an adult. That's smart, not dumb.
Becker37
Nothing wrong with a little guidance.
EMHPicardo
YippeeKayakOB
The full video shows him covered in shit, trying to use the level to unclog the toilet
sevenfingerman
The internet is a tool just like anything else.
ALTEFFFOUR
Youtube is great for this. When my hot water heater went out, the plumbing company wanted $800 to replace it. I looked up how to install a new one, including how to braze pipes. It took me longer than it would have taken a pro to do it, but I was out only the price of the water heater and some tools, less than half the price they quoted me.
Nine years later, it's still going fine.
hamulusrex
Is it really fixed if you finish the job and haven't broken anything you weren't expecting too?
Sixsystems
I learned to change a carburetor for a Honda lawnmower, and the belts on a Troy-Bilt Snowblower thanks to the Youtubes
trythebleucheese
I'm just super thankful we have youtube!
Frozenspokes
I am a guy who knows how to fix things. I've fixed things professionally for most of my adult life. And as such, I also know that I don't know how to fix EVERYTHING. Youtube is a great resource for learning how to fix things that you don't already know how to fix. And it can also be a horrible place if you don't know enough to filter out the people who don't know what they're doing.
grayone64
I do this but I'm not in this video. He's young, fit,good looking and has a hot wife.
Hellbat666
100% accurate
DYLANLEE79
It saves sooooo much money! Like even with buying the tools and parts. My house is over 100 years old and EVERYTHING breaks. But you also gotta know your limits, don't try to reroof the house by yourself or do foundation work alone.
ThrowAwayAcct0000
Need to remove all the popcorn ceiling? Hire a professional. I tried to do it myself, finished a closet and said screw this crap!
DYLANLEE79
Aww yes, I was a houspainter in my early 20s, FUCK popcorn texture!
pineapplecatastrophe
Fixing stuff is just having the courage to try 95% of the time. The other 5% involves a lot of cursing and begrudgingly calling a handyman
cattlegrazer82
If it was me it would have ended with him plopping down in front of the TV after the walkthrough. I can fix things, I'm just lazy.
arewenotkingsandqueenstogether
As a wife I much prefer a man who admits he has no idea. We watch the video and if one of us gets stuck the other one can usually figure it out.
ChickenChickenBurningBright
before the Internet, before YouTube, my fix-everything handyman Dad had a shelf full of volumes of The Practical Handyman's Encyclopedia in his garage shop. we've always had help.
tarask
DIY = Described in Youtube
theskepticinme
Gotta learn somehow. YouTube is great for diy
LLavaLLord
Hey guys ! Its chrisfix here .. rofl (no its not me)
lonelyrangerofthedreams
He is searching for a plumber that can make emergency service
Ttoften
Why are American houses built with 4meter tall rooms?
ardtay
Yup, had a KLR-650 rear shock not adjusting. An Aussie had a YT vid on how to remove and rebuild. Worked like a charm. So many things around the house are not junk because of YT.
OtterlyMagnificent
...If my husband ever did that to me, I'd be taking my tools out of his hands and teaching him how to actually use them...
I grew up renovating and flipping houses. But I definitely want my husband to be able to help me with that once I have the money to invest for it.
devasto
Always trust someone who is willing to consult expert resources more than someone who assumes that they know everything
southflhitnrun
Agreed. But, there are fewer and fewer actual "expert resources" on social media platforms.
Draygen
Needed to hire a guy to fix a busted pipe. My wife said, "why can't you fix it? You've fixed it every time before." I said, "That's precisely why we need to hire a pro! Obviously I don't know enough to fix it properly and it breaks every year!" Basically came down to fixing it properly would require buying tools I'd need exactly once and the pro was less than the tools in cost.
Sphinct182
I do admit it's profoundly satisfying to have the know-how from the start of a project, but the best way to get there is👆
swedeonamoose
It is either google/youtube or swallow your pride and call your dad so he can talk about what an idiot you are while explaining what to do.
AIisAbutnotI
My Dad would have BS'd with the utmost confidence. He was never right, but he was Never wrong
somerandomusernamebecauseididntlikemyoldone
My dad would have just said some vague bullshit until he got around to saying something about how the Jews deserved it (it being the Holocaust), so for me it was DIY books from the library
FishieStardust
My dad redirects me to YouTube
CannonFolder
I am lucky, I can call my Dad and he would not call me an idiot. I'd tell him what's happening, what my plan was to fix it or ask for advice. He'd let me know if it made sense and what to double check in case I missed something, or just the actual fix. And he's humble enough to admit when he don't know 100%, but if he knew a guy who would know, he'd go ask them and get back to me.
SewerRanger
That's how it is with my father-in-law too. He was a heavy machine mechanic for 50 years and has worked on every type of engine of every size possible. There hasn't been a problem or DIY project I couldn't call him and get advice on
DigitalDruid255
Guess it's youtube then...
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
http://youtube.com/dadhowdoi
GravyEducation
gonzar09
Literally standing here watching my dad watching a youtube instructional video for the purposes of doing car work... on my car...
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
it can save you from doing it inefficiently or even breaking things
gonzar09
And lord knows I've broken things. In fact, the circuit board on the portable hydraulic lift failed during this while it was raised. I can't express the level of anxiety we both felt using jacks to lift it higher to remove the lifts and seeing the car wobble in mid-air.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
as an EE, I'd prefer something as simple as a hydraulic lift to have simple switches and valves
Evenmoreuselessname
I mean, I'm very competent at repairing cars... But if there's a video on the exact thing that I'm about to do, I definitely watch it first just to like make sure that I can do it quickly and efficiently.
gonzar09
I typically rewatch just to make sure nothing has changed, but I also know well enough that I'm gonna run into a problem I haven't seen before.
GravyEducation
Get off your phone and hold the flashlight
gonzar09
But what if my phone is the flashlight?
GravyEducation
Dad can sense you typing
StewedTomaters
Put your phone in your mouth and hold it with your teeth, like a professional. Hands free
nikinnorway12
im pretty good at fixing and building things, but I CANNOT do it while my partner is home. she never did anything like that with her parents, so she just hovers around terrified saying, "Are you SURE that's how it's supposed to work?!?"
welcometothedystopia
I wonder if you came prepared with an encyclopedia response to every possible question next time?
Like read up on everything about the next problem and give a full on 10 minute explanation for every question.
Maybe just be mansplaining every thing you do the entire time. This might also be bad advice and reasons I'm single.
chaylar
yeah, i work and drive best when alone.
ArchSchnitz
In my house, any random task, from cleaning to DIY repair, can be done by either partner. We're both competent, skilled workers. It is more efficient to let either of us do it alone, and the other fuck off. Working together is 4x the frustration, time and second-guessing.
chickenoodlesoup
I grew up helping my dad fix things, whereas my husband's family didn't fix anything - but I need his muscles to fix the bigger things... I'm jealous that you can fix things on your own without the unwanted commentary.
BigFatBobbie
This is 100% the hardest part of my damn job! I go through this all day with customers and then when I come home. I appreciate what you are saying, amigo.
MaintenanceGuyHere
Yup. Same with mine
ardtay
Involve her, make her hold the light and tell her it's in the wrong place like our fathers did while laying under the car.
bottledham
"Shouldn't we just call someone to come fix it?"
nobuduno2
My wife quit doing that. She would ask me if I knew what I was doing, and I would smile and say, "Don't have a clue. But that's never stopped me before!" Then laugh maniacally. She has stopped bothering me when I'm doing things.
Colopty
Yeah fixing things with others around is a no-go. Was recently at my parent's place and their grill had stopped working, so I'm thinking alright that has like 4-5 parts there could be something wrong with so just need to troubleshoot to identify where the fault is and then should be fixed by the end of the day. Not five seconds into casually gazing at it I get asked if I've figured out how to fix it yet, and I immediately conclude they should just give it away and buy a new one.
ArchSchnitz
I was trying to fix something once and it kept not happening. Would not go back together. My dad kept hovering and offering "advice" until the item being repaired was in two pieces across the room and I was declaring I was going out to buy a new one.
bladderinfection
I wish my wife would hover and ask, that way I could rant and tangent like I’m on the spectrum.
BarryTheCyborg
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1OXZzOGswbmkxeDI3em90dmc2eDhraTY0bWg1Y3lyOTg3Z3NuMmhxYSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/8ZbdmH3LGTfz8HqK1A/200w.webp
nikinnorway12
ahh, see, I'm a little bit on the spectrum. That's why I can't stand the hovering.
theshinobi23
Same. If you're genuinely interested in learning about it, I love to teach/train people. If I'm teaching/training someone, I will happily talk about each step and go into more detail than anyone wants. But I hate management types that just hover and ask concerned questions because they don't understand and are stressed out and trying to stress me out alongside them. Get tf out of my way and let me hyperfocus. I'll fill you in on the details when I'm done.
DontNeedAWeatherManToKnowWhichWayTheWindBlows
Youtube is such an amazing resource for DIY. Have a 1965 Whirlpool clothes washer that somehow isn't draining? Guaranteed some old dude on YouTube has taken the whole thing apart step by step and shown you what to do.
MarcUK
Sounds like a pump issue. There's no need to take the whole machine apart. :)
sadurdaynight
I bought a one man tent for camping. It had "no knot" guy lines for the fly, but didn't have instructs on how to use them. Spent an hour figuring them out. Did a crappy YouTube vid. That thing blew up with folks thanking me. Then there's some dude "video quality sucks". Folks expect primo studio quality shit these days.
StephenDaniels
Yes, but the influencers lie. When I started woodworking I accepted that my first few projects would be at best, weak; but I got so stressed out that I couldn't even keep the sawdust under control. Before anything gets recorded in some little garage workshop like 6 people go through and clean everything. Or stuff is made somewhere else (with sawdust everywhere) and the pretty garage workshop is just used for recording.
jayman0123
there are some things that method should not be applied to though. We have a "maintenance team" at my job that works for the company instead of being 3rd party that we had to ban from working on certain things, mainly hvac and power lift equipment because it was taking weeks to fix and failing regularly. The 3rd party for the power equipment produced the machines anyway so we just had them take back over.
astrangehop
Honestly no, it's better than nothing, but it sucks so much. A 45 minute tutorial for a 12 minute auto repair aicks, ky sucks so much. It may work well fit something like drywall,but otherwise it's clunky and difficult to parse. I hate it. Some things that could have been a geocitirs page with three nlavk and white pics take a half hour to find relevant parts.
FancyFeastAdvocate
I fixed my car with YouTube three times now, probably saved nearly $1000
Eddafred
I fixed my washer a couple weeks back doing exactly this. Turned out to be a really simple fix :)
FlatPlutoSociety
DIY YouTube is up there with Wikipedia in terms of being what the internet was originally supposed to be. There are so many people out there who have unmonetized channels that are just sharing what they know with an audience of a few hundred people. It honestly makes me so happy to think about it.
BigFatBobbie
I work with appliances, mostly Whirlpool/Maytag. Those older units were built so freakin well. I am glad you are going to keep her going. 😊👍
Bobbobbobobbananafanafobob
I had a dishwasher making noise. I googled the model and noise and there's a YouTube of someone who not only records the noise (it matched) but tore the whole thing down to find out why (shitty gasket) and then provided cost benefit analysis of repairing it vs getting a new one, and then ended with a polite rant about planned obsolescence and cheaping out on key parts when otherwise there was nothing wrong with the device.
11/10
Marsupialmessiah
Fixed using these videos: pool heater, 4.0 vortec engine with a misfiring error, lawnmower tractor drivetrain and engine (it was carburator), clothes washer, dryer multiple models, propane stove, auto-ignite fireplace, my dads jaguar (that one was a pain in the ass), best thing youtoob videos are for!
GodHelpMeToBeGood
A lot of service industry use it for training too.
ThrowAwayAcct0000
Dude, youtube saved me so much money when I realized I wouldn't have to go back to the car dealership for a new car key clicky button thing, I could just order one online for like $25 bucks!
thedill2000
100% Also for arts, crafts, gardening, general knowledge... So much. I have conflicting opinions over social media bands on children from accessing such a marvelous resource.
imgurmage
I used a YouTube video to find out which part of my old dryer had failed. I bought the $30 part, replaced it, and it's working again. I thought I was going to have to go out and buy a brand new dryer.
Jittergur
I kept my dryer going for another couple of years after soldering a blown connection on the circuit board, thanks to a YouTube video
StarscreamAndHutch
That was the next thing that shit the bed on my samsung. Had to replace a relay on the ecu. Bedded with silicone or some potting compound. Was a mess but solved the problem. Thanks youtube
StarscreamAndHutch
Yep. A small bit of basic understanding of how to use tools and basic toolkit to match can solve a lot of problems around the house.
My samsung drier had problems. Maintenance man was $$ & Youtube said $15 thermistor. Heres how to replace with a screwdriver. Done in 30 mins. Thanks redneck guy in wisconsin for taking the time to make a video about it.
Mycologics
I have a playlist called fixy the washy and fixy the driah. (I don't know why I called them that) but there were two videos from a guy from new Zealand that taught me how to fix my washing and dryer machine. Exact make and model. Just truly amazing
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
Make sure to use something like yt-dlp to download those videos, just in case they're gone from YT one day. I download every tutorial I might need again along with my favorite music videos and other stuff I'd miss if I no longer had access to it.
Neurisko
YouTube has helped me repair my dryer, my refrigerator, my shower tile, my car, my lawn mower, and my air conditioning. With its help I've done electrical and plumbing work, lawn and gardening revamps, minor woodworking (made my own stand-up desk), installed a new vanity with faucet, cut up a downed tree with a chainsaw, caulking, paint, drywall, trim, and more. Oh yeah, not to mention gamedev and art.
Juddyouclown
Good for you, me too. It’s amazing being a capable person. You get to be a hero a lot too. Doing and learning stuff is great for mental health. There was a video going around a while ago, that I can’t find anymore but it was a compilation of diy jobs and problems with a narrator talking about get off your ass and make your shit nice.
Neurisko
When I was younger everything looked really hard and mysterious, and there were no resources for DIY except some thin Time Life books. So many tools, so many words I didn't know! But now the information is out there and it's a lot easier than you might think.
IlluminaBlade
Don't credit youtube, credit youtubers. Youtube is actively trying to make those videos harder to find.
FlatPlutoSociety
It is endlessly funny to me that I learned how to set up a self-hosted Google Photos alternative by watching YouTube videos.
StealThisRepost
Honest I know how dumb it sounds but that's how I learned to replace mt windshield wipers, the headlight bulbs, even how to put on the spare tire. Felt pretty proud even though its basic maintenance.
Colopty
Learning how to fix stuff using available resources doesn't sound dumb at all, that's a smart person skill.
StealThisRepost
Thank you.
FlatPlutoSociety
That's not dumb! No one just knows how to do these things out of nowhere. You didn't know how to change a spare tire because no one taught you how to do it when you were a kid, so you sought out how to do it as an adult. That's smart, not dumb.
StealThisRepost
Thank you.