kimfisher•1mo agoProlific Poster

Appreciation post: A customer in a small town near Fresno gave me a tip I still use

I was on a call for a noisy dryer at a ranch house, and the older guy who lived there watched me work. After I found the worn idler pulley, he said, 'You know, a dab of that white lithium grease on the glides every six months keeps 'em quiet.' I'd been just replacing them. That was five years ago, and I still pass that advice on to folks. What's a simple maintenance tip you've picked up from a customer?

4 comments

4 Comments

wade2501mo ago

Wait, you were just replacing the whole pulley every time? That seems like such a waste of money and parts. That old guy saved you and your customers a ton of hassle with one sentence. What's the most surprising thing a homeowner has taught you?

jadej501mo ago

Had a lady once show me how to fix a sticking door with a bar of soap. She just rubbed it on the hinge pins and the frame. Worked better than any spray lube I had in the truck. Makes you wonder how many simple fixes we overlook because we're trained to replace things. Sometimes the best tools are already in the house.

rowanhernandez1mo ago

Ever try that soap trick on anything else, like a drawer slide or window track?

max_brown1mo ago

That pulley story is a perfect example. How many other jobs have a simple fix like that, something a pro would never think to try? It makes you question the whole "replace, don't repair" mindset.