Finding Parts for Broken Stuff
Author: Dan Ramsey

Why is it that household things break so easily? Some
weren't meant to last more than a year. Others are dropped
or misused. Oops! What can you do to fix these broken
things? You'd like to help the economy -- your economy --
and the environment by not tossing broken stuff. But how
you can find replacement parts?

It's a good thing that many parts are standardized and
interchangeable. You may be able to pick up many of them at
a nearby hardware store. Standardized parts include screws,
bolts, nuts, fuses, wire, cords, connectors, etc.
Manufacturers use standardized parts not to make repairs
easier for you, but to keep their manufacturing costs down.
They can then buy millions of a specific screw at a
fraction of a penny each.

Some parts are unique to the make and model of the product.
It may be because the manufacturer couldn't find a low-cost
standardized part--or because the manufacturer wants to
corner the market on replacement parts. You must buy
replacement ink cartridges from the manufacturer if you
want to be sure you're getting one that fits. Coffee
machines, for example, often have replacement pots that are
nearly as expensive as the new machine. Even car
manufacturers know that the replacement parts market is
profitable--if they use unique parts that you can only buy
through them.

Some parts are relatively expensive, such as motors and
controllers, costing half or more of the price of a new
appliance. In some cases, the cost is because the parts are
unique and fit only a limited number of models. In most
cases, however, they are expensive because they are
complex--and necessary to operation. You won't find a
replacement motor for your hair dryer at the hardware
store. And if you do find one through the manufacturer's
service department, it may cost nearly as much as a new
hair dryer.

Some parts are designed not to be replaced. They are sealed
or otherwise installed so you can't replace individual
parts. That's okay for things like circuit boards because
you're not going to replace components on them. You'll
simply pull the errant circuit board and install the
replacement. However, some gadgets, such as cellular
telephones, are difficult to even open (except the battery
compartment); internal parts are not intended to be
replaced by the owner. But even on an item like a cell
phone, you can do a few things to fix or at least extend
the life of the item.

Where can you get parts when you need them? Most local
hardware stores carry numerous replacement parts. You can
also check with the manufacturer. And internet sites offer
millions of replacement parts for thousands of items.
Simply use one of the search engines (Google, Yahoo) to
find dozens of sources for nearly any part for anything
manufactured in the last 30 years.

What can you do if the bad component is soldered? Soldering
is simply attaching two objects together with a metal
alloy, called solder, that melts at relatively low
temperature, then hardens into a metal joint. The type of
solder used depends on the job: joining copper pipe,
electronic parts, or other components. Some solders require
a cleaning agent first, called a flux. Other solders have
the flux combined with the solder.

To remove a soldered part, first choose a soldering tool
(iron, gun), solder, flux, and other tools based on the job
you want to do. Read the instructions that come with the
soldering tool. Typically that means heating the work
(pipe, electrical connection, etc.) with the soldering
tool, then touching the solder wire to the work (not the
soldering tool) until the solder melts to form a union.

By doing a little research and finding the replacement part
you need you can not only give new life to old things, you
also can save money and minimize waste. Best of all, you
can brag "I fixed it myself!"


About the Author:

Dan Ramsey is president of http://www.FixItClub.com ,
offering simple instructions and tips on troubleshooting
and repairing or recycling household things that break. Dan
also is the author of "Common Repairs Made Easy!" and 90
other how-to books.