Ohght Oh! I gotta fix that before Mom gets back!

What do you do when you need to fix something quick?

True and personal story.  My wife was off on a ski trip this week and I was batching it with the kids (7 & 9).  I was making microwave popcorn last night and broke off the plastic handle opening the door.  She had been complaining about the crack on the bottom of the handle for some time but I put off the repair.  I did however do my due diligence when she began inquiring about what had to be done to fix the problem.  I found the replacement part online for about $125 but it was discontinued by the manufacturer and apparently no longer available anywhere.  The way the handle broke, I need to replace the whole door.  By the way, plastic is a bad idea when you have all that heat under the microwave oven.  Over time, it causes stress cracks.


Conundrum.  The old microwave oven was a cheap, white plastic one provided by the builder back in 1994 when our house was built.  I never liked the builder grade choices when we bought the house.  Over time, we've been replacing fixtures, knobs and other things as the break with better quality custom choices.   My wife and I had discussed a full kitchen redo including modern stainless steel appliances but now was not the time.  We had pretty much decided to replace all our 16 year old white appliances with stainless steel in about two to three years.  So my problem in making this repair was what kind of microwave oven should I choose to replace the original one and where could I get it before she returned the next day at 3 PM.

After sleeping on the thought, I began my research the next morning at 6 AM.  Since I couldn't get the replacement part, my only choices were to replace the oven with a similar cheaper white plastic for around $200 or go for the stainless for a hundred more.  I found what I wanted online at the major hardware stores but upon arrival at 8 AM, they informed me all they had was the cheaper white one.  Due to modern "Just In Time" inventory control measures and floor space constraints, they only showed some of the display models they carried and stocked only the cheaper frequently sold items in the stores.  If I wanted the stainless, I would have to pick it up from the warehouse Monday of they could have it shipped arriving Tuesday or Wednesday.   That just would not work.  I wanted my wife's return to be more than just a homecoming.  I wanted it to be a plus.  The plus is that I had the house clean and fixed the problem I created.  I decide to find a local scratch and dent store which opened at 10 AM.  After a leisurely breakfast with the kids, we stopped by the Giant Discount Appliances on North Lamar in Austin.  After walking the in the front door of the warehouse, I found the rack of "in stock" units right away.  No more than 30 seconds after walking in, Scott approached and asked if I needed help.  I told him I needed a cheap stainless steel microwave oven in perfect condition.  Expecting that they only carried slightly damaged appliances, he informed me of a new LG unit ready for pick up.  The price tag was $269.  I bought it on-site and after he explained the purchase policy, they were loading it up in my truck.  I was out of there in 20 minutes.  

It took me about an hour to pull the old unit off the wall and install the new one.  All in all, when Momma got home, she was not only surprised but very happy.  Her only comment to me was "I love it but it doesn't match any of the other appliances."  My reply, "I guess this is the official start of our kitchen remodel."  Now If I can just put off the whole remodel until I have enough cash to pay for the whole thing, We'll be in good shape.  Till then, she is happy just knowing I can take care of business in crunch time.

Regardless of they type of house you have, there are some necessary tasks you will have to do stay on top of things.  Learn more and keep up with your house with a free My Healthy House.com profile.  Stay tuned and make your house the best it can be.
 

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