Sunday, February 17, 2013

Microwave Door Latch Repair $160

This morning the microwave door wouldn't stay closed. It's less than three years old. First we looked on the internet and read a broken spring mechanism in the door latch is a common problem with a Samsung microwave. We called a repair person and they said they didn't work on Samsung appliances because they were too complicated and prone to breaking. We called another repair person who said it would cost one hundred sixty dollars to fix it.  We looked on the internet again and found out the part is less then three dollars. On an appliance repair forum Gary read he could drill a hole in the plastic part which holds the latch and reattach the spring. Five minutes later our microwave was fixed. If you need your microwave door latch fixed Gary is willing to fix it for a small fee, much less than one hundred sixty dollars.

Above is some citrus shrimp we had the other day. For a vegetarian meal you can also make citrus vegetables. Saute the vegetables of your choice. I used shallots, ginger, mushrooms, celery, red bell pepper, and carrots. When the vegetables are soft (remove and saute shrimp and then add the vegetables back in and then) add the juice of one grapefruit (or juice of two oranges) to which you've added one tablespoon of cornstarch and one teaspoon of brown sugar. Stir over medium heat till thick. Just before serving I added  half a cup of chopped cilantro. I served the citrus shrimp over rice. Oh so good. Our tender plants are covered because a hard freeze is expected tonight and tomorrow night. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

18 comments:

  1. You can buy a lot of shrimp for $160.00 ! It's good to be handy.

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  2. Hi Dennis, thanks, so glad repair forums are on the internet nowadays, the microwave new was $300 so half that to fix the door, what a rip off.

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  3. For $160.00 it would be cheaper to buy a new one. Ingenuity rules!

    The shrimp dish sounds yummy and looks gorgeous. Your plate is perfect for the dish.

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  4. Hi Suzi, thanks, we thought of that too, but the thought of removing the old one and getting a new one, three years old and it broke?, so glad I discovered the appliance repair forum, sometimes the internet is a real life saver.

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  5. It seems like everything you buy today has a short life expectancy! The internet is a great resource for repairing stuff.
    To think you had record high temps this week and now you are expecting freezing temperatures... strange weather everywhere.

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  6. What a lovely dish on a lovely dish...I'm sure it tasted great too! Microwaves are among those "disposable" appliances now on sale. So glad to know about the repair site, in case I need it.

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  7. Our tender plants are covered with three inches of snow. I am so ready for this winter to end!

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  8. So nice you yourselves could repair it. Shrimp looks very good.

    Hugs

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  9. The same thing is going on with my microwave right now! Thanks so much for the tip, as I was about to go out and buy a new one today!

    That shrimp dish looks divinely delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!

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  10. You've inspired me to cook shrimp, too. I think I'll stir fry them with broccoli. Pink shrimp and bright green broccoli. Very pretty.

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  11. It's a crying shame that repairs are so expensive. It just causes people to throw stuff away and buy new stuff leading to more waste.

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  12. Glad to know that Gary is good at fixing. My husband repairs almost everything at home, too, at the fraction of the charge for a repairman. Your dream made me laugh. :)

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  13. We had the same problem with our three year old microwave. We rarely used it. It was a replacement for the other three year microwave that actually went POOF!
    P.S. Your boat is looking so nice! And the shrimp-yummy!

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  14. At $160 for a repair it's no wonder so many end up in land fills. Good for Gary for fixing it!
    This sounds delicious, since citrus is in season we should make this soon.

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  15. Mmmm... that looks good... and even better on a leafy platter.

    They don't make things to last anymore. Our first fridge (over 35 years old) which was secondhand when we got married still works well but we gave it away so that we could have a pretty modern fridge. We buy a new fridge every 3 or 4 years now because they just don't work properly for long and the seal always goes first. Wish we didn't give the first one away!

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  16. Gary's definitely worth his weight in shrimp! And thanks for the warning; I didn't know Samsung was prone to breaking. I have a three-year old Whirlpool. A couple of weeks ago, a slight crack appeared in the handle, the old built-in obsolesce trick!

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  17. My Frank would love your shrimp recipe and what a blessing he is so handy...what a savings.!

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  18. Hi Michele, thanks, yes all the new things made today only last a short while, planned obsolescence.

    Hi Barbara, thanks, so much can be found on the internet nowadays, thank goodness.

    Hi Joanne, thanks, I think snow is a good insulator.

    Hi Elna, thanks, glad we could repair it too, don't need any more bills.

    Hi Marguerite, thanks, the molding on the door had to removed gingerly but then it was very easy to fix.

    Hi Gigi, thanks, oh the more colorful the better I think.

    Hi Ms. Sparrow, thanks, I think in this county folks aren't expecting repeat business either or maybe they know things will break and they're are assured of repeat business.

    Hi Midori, thanks, the dream was very realistic, strange our fears come out in our dreams. Ha.

    Hi Charlene, thanks, Gary likes to cook his oatmeal in the microwave. I tried to tell him that he could cook it simply on the stove, but he wouldn't hear of it. Ha.

    Hi Lori, thanks, believe me we were tempted to send ours to the trash heap, thank goodness we didn't.

    Hi Robyn, thanks, I know what you mean about those old appliances, the new ones were supposedly made to save energy but if you have to keep replacing them how much energy is being saved. not much.

    Hi Kittie, thanks, we also had a refrigerator at our last home and it was Samsung and it broke right after the warranty ended and we ended up having to junk it and buy a Whirlpool.

    Hi Dee, thanks many times Gary isn't that handy but necessity is dictating that we learn how to fix things nowadays instead of hiring others to do it which we can't afford.

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I love suggestions, questions, critiques, thanks for your comment