Refridgerator Repair 101: Don't try this at home.

One of the last projects Dad and I tackled together was refrigerator repair.

The treatments had stopped and Dad was home.  He had had a scare with his heart and was now confined to his chair or bed for the most part.  But Dad had not given up on life or living.

Pain Chaud via photopin cc

Mom left the house to run errands and Dad suggested I pull out the fridge so that I could look at the back and see if I could pull off the one little part that he figured was the reason the ice maker no longer worked.  

Just looking at things didn't seem like a bad plan at the time.  

Dad shouted directions from his chair around the corner and I did the work.  

We were a wonder team of creative problem solving and brainstorming.  Can't find the right tool, no problem we can fix that with a rubber band.  

There was a point in there when we questioned whether attempting this was really a good idea but by that point we were in too deep emotionally.  

Soon dad couldn't resist coming around the corner and sitting on his chair to watch the action.  It wasn't long after that before he was on the floor next to me.  

Then mom came home and caught us.  

We managed to get the suspect part off and I took it to the repair store for testing.  Unfortunately the part tested out just fine which meant we had solved nothing.  I came home and put the part back on.  

Here was where things went a little pear shaped as the British would say.  

I put the part on and Dad insisted on inspecting it to see that I had done it just right and he agreed it was good.  So we plugged it in and let the water flow.  Mom got to do the honors of trying to get a glass of water from the water dispenser (which worked perfectly at the beginning of the day).  

She pushed, no water.  

Dad and I could hear and feel the water running through the pipes at our end so we figured she needed to push longer. 

Note to any of you at home who may plan on attempting foolhardy refrigerator repairs at home, when you can hear and feel the water rushing in and it isn't coming out the proper location, holding down the button longer in hopes of a miracle may not be the best plan.  

Soon mom had left the room cause this clearly was not the place for the faint of heart, and dad and I were lying on the floor on opposite sides of the fridge.  

It was around that time that I managed to give myself a nice electric shock and soon after that that all the water that we wondered where it could possibly have gone made its appearance on the floor.  

Clearly it was time to retire to the comfy chairs for some creative problem solving.  

After talking through the situation, we decided that no one really needs to get water from the fridge door anyway and we unplugged the offending part and put the fridge back in it's place.  

We pulled out the ice maker and now Mom has more space in the freezer.  

Win-win right?  

We tried to convince Mom that this whole project was undertaken out of our deep love for her and desire to provide her with the ice cubes she craves, but I'm not sure she was buying it.