My Re-Built Dryer costed me $120.

     This blogging is all new to me.  Today's story is about saving money.  Starving authors/bloggers with dreams must be frugal to survive in this economy.  Today, I'll write about how I saved money fixing my dryer.

     A couple weeks, my dryer broke.  The heating element was shutting off after only a few minutes.  So the first things you check is the dryer vent.  The build-up of lint is the reason for household fires and also is a common reason why a dryer won't heat.  Well, that wasn't my problem;  my dryer vents were clean.

     Instead of calling an appliance place to come out and fix it.  I turned off the gas, and cut the copper line.    I took the dryer to a good friend, a  Mom and Pop outfit in Hastings, MN called Judge Appliances.  I used to have a few beers with Tom Judge and he got his #1 service worker, Rookie on the project. 

     I could spend $400 for a new dryer, or re-build the old one.   Since, I brought the dryer in;  I skipped paying a $85 service charge.

     With-in a day, Rookie re-built the entire dryer and my bill was just over $100.  New belts; everything.

     So for $100 I have a new dryer.  I picked up the dryer with my Jeep and had my horse betting friend, Terry Gilbertson, a air conditoning/furnace/water heater/ guy who hooked up my gas line.  It was easy to pay Terry because we won $100 on the Preakness horse race.  Yes, we bet Schakelford.  It was $20 to hook up the gas line--I'm sure that was just for a new copper line.

     About 5 1/2 years-ago Terry hooked up my gas water heater.  That's another story--how to drain and how discourage the build-up of minerals in The Land of The Spiral Bridge's hard water.  Hastings has very hard water--a water softner is recommended.  If you don't have a water softner like me, and want keep the lime from building up; lower your water heater temperature to 120 degrees.  According to Terry--the higher the temp, the more the minerals will build-up.  The build-up of minerals begins at 122 degrees to 125 degrees Farhenheit.  From my past experience when I was a salesman for O'Connor Plumbing and Heating selling waterheaters/furnances/ and air conditioners,  I learned that a water heater lasts about 15-17 years.

     From the Land of the Spiral Bridge---we are just trying to save money!  I recommend Judges Appliances and Terry Gilbertson.