[masraum]

I think a lot of folks freak when an appliance stops working right, and many just get replaced.

I've been surprised at how simple they usually are and often, how easy (and cheap) they are to fix. Years ago, there were a couple of websites where you could either post to forums or just post a question to a professional who would provide common issues that caused your symptoms, troubleshooting to narrow down or confirm the specific failure, and then would sell you the parts at what seemed to be wholesale prices. I've fixed refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers and ovens like that. I'm screwed on our current oven because it's too old for parts to be available. The thermostat for the oven is bad. I found a universal, but it was $200 which is more than we're willing to spend on this oven. I've got a thermometer in the oven. The missus doesn't want to buy a range until she's ready to renovate the kitchen, so I'm stuck with this 30 yo oven with dementia.