Owners and managers save yourselves some money! Before you call the electrician or plumber, go check out the issue for yourself! If you are not local have a friend go by just to double check that there is truly a problem that requires a professional. Sometimes it is just simple user error or a very easy fix.

It may be as simple as the TV box being tuned to channel 3 for the cable to work, pushing the reset button on an internet modem or my last service call, the dishwasher came unplugged! This call came from a guest stating that the dishwasher was not working at all. It was working fine for the first few days but now it is out. The minimum service call for appliance repair in our area is about $75. I decided to take a look for myself and pushed a few buttons on front of the machine and made sure the handle latched securely. Still no life from the unit. I opened up the cupboard beneath the sink and noticed that the trash can and cleaning supplies had been pushed back and forced the power plug away from the outlet. I pushed the plug back in and “tada” the dishwasher powered on with no problems!

I would venture to say that there are more than a few appliance repairmen who have been on calls where the fix was incredibly easy. Some have probably been truly embarrassed to say what the actual problem was. Anything from not plugging in the appliance, operating the wrong tv remotes or channels, not knowing how to plunge a clog properly or putting the wrong keys in the wrong locks. Even if the problem is painfully easy to fix - we still get charged the $75 service call.

Service calls can be expensive, however, misdiagnosis can be really expensive. Case in point - I received a call from a vacation renter that the air conditioner was not cooling. I went up to the unit and checked it out for myself. Yep, not working. I called 3 HVAC contractors and received 3 different recommendations. The first contractor told me that it could not be repaired, that the unit was absolutely shot and need to be replaced for $4500. The second contractor told me that the unit was old, out of production and parts were not even available - replacement the only option at $5500. The third contractor, found that the fan motor had indeed burned out, found a replacement part after checking 3 parts stores and repaired the problem for $188!

Lessons learned- Put your eyes (or someone you trust) on the problem right away as it may be a very easy fix to begin with. Secondly, get at least 3 estimates to remedy the problem. Even though I was in a hurry to fix the AC right away it paid big to get three bids! Had I gone with the first bid (and I have to say they were pretty convincing about it being completely shot and unrepairable - Academy awards are in order!) I would have spent thousands needlessly!

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