10 Quick Fixes to Try Before Calling a Repairman
There are absolutely times when you need to call a professional. I’m not messing around with electricity I don’t understand, climbing onto a roof, or taking apart something that could turn a small problem into a very expensive one. I know my limits.
But I’m also not paying someone to come to my house before I check whether the problem has a simple fix.
Living in an old house has taught me that a surprising number of household problems come down to one little thing. A loose screw. A worn seal. A dirty vent. A $10 part.
So before you reach for the phone — and your wallet — start with the super simple.
1. Try the Simple Fix for a Clogged Toilet
Before calling a plumber, add a good squirt of dish soap to the bowl and let it sit for several minutes. Follow it with hot — not boiling — water, then give the toilet another try with a good plunger.
For an ordinary clog, sometimes that’s all it takes.
And if it doesn’t work? Fine. You tried. Call the plumber. But I’m giving the dish soap a shot first.
The frugal win: You may solve the problem with something already sitting beside your kitchen sink instead of paying for a plumbing call.
2. Stop the Draft Around a Door
If you can feel cold air coming in around an exterior door, don’t immediately assume you need a new door.
Look at the weatherstripping first.
Weatherstripping gets compressed, torn and worn out over time. Replacement seals are inexpensive, and depending on the door, replacing one can be a very manageable DIY job.
Also check the sweep along the bottom of the door. If you can see daylight underneath it, you’ve probably found at least part of your problem. And if I can see daylight through my door, I’m pretty sure my heating dollars can find their way out too.
The frugal win: A relatively inexpensive seal can make the room more comfortable and keep you from paying to heat the outdoors.
3. Clean the Dryer Vent When Clothes Take Forever to Dry
If your dryer suddenly seems to need two cycles to dry a load of clothes, don’t immediately assume the dryer is dying and start shopping for a new one.
Start with the lint screen. Then check the vent and ductwork.
Lint buildup restricts airflow, which makes the dryer work harder and longer. Clean the accessible venting and make sure the outside dryer vent isn’t blocked.
This one isn’t only about saving money. A clogged dryer vent can also be a fire hazard, so it’s something you really do want to stay on top of.
If you’ve cleaned what you can safely access and the dryer is still taking too long, then it’s time to investigate further.
The frugal win: Better airflow can reduce drying time, electricity use and unnecessary wear on the dryer. I’d much rather clean a vent than buy a dryer.
4. Check the Flapper on a Running Toilet
If your toilet keeps running, take the lid off the tank and look inside.
Sometimes the chain is tangled or too tight. Sometimes the flapper isn’t sealing properly. If the flapper is worn out, replacements are inexpensive and usually pretty simple to install.
Don’t ignore a running toilet. That water is going somewhere — and guess who’s paying for it?
The frugal win: A small inexpensive part can prevent a surprising amount of wasted water.
5. Patch Small Nail and Screw Holes Yourself
You don’t need to call someone every time a picture comes off the wall.
For small holes, use lightweight spackle. It isn’t expensive, a little container lasts a long time, and you’ll get a proper repair instead of trying one of those toothpaste tricks floating around the internet.
Use the toothpaste for your teeth.
Apply the spackle, let it dry, lightly sand if necessary and touch up the paint.
The frugal win: This is one of those basic home-maintenance skills worth learning once and using forever.
6. Investigate That Rattling Heat Vent
A rattling vent doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong with your heating system.
First, check the vent cover. Is it loose? Are the screws tight? Is one edge vibrating against the floor or wall?
Sometimes tightening a screw or putting a small felt pad where two surfaces are vibrating against each other is enough to stop the noise.
The frugal win: Diagnose the $2 problem before assuming you have a $200 problem. No need to financially catastrophize before you’ve tightened the screw.
7. Don’t Ignore a Dripping Faucet
That constant drip…drip…drip may be caused by a worn washer, O-ring or cartridge.
If you’re comfortable doing the repair, shut off the water supply under the sink before taking anything apart. Look up the make and model of your faucet so you know which replacement part you actually need.
And take pictures as you disassemble it. Trust me on this one. Future you will appreciate knowing exactly how everything goes back together instead of staring at three leftover pieces wondering where they came from.
The frugal win: A small replacement part can save both the cost of a service call and the cost of wasted water.
8. Fix a Loose Cabinet Handle Before It Becomes a Bigger Repair
Cabinet knobs and handles loosen over time. Don’t keep twisting them and hoping for the best. Hope is not a repair strategy.
Open the cabinet, hold the handle in position and tighten the screw from the back. If it repeatedly loosens, the screw itself may need replacing.
The important part is catching it before the loose hardware damages the cabinet door.
The frugal win: Maintenance is almost always cheaper than repair.
9. Track Down a Squeaky Floorboard
Old houses squeak. Mine certainly does. Frankly, at this point I consider some of it personality.
If you can access the floor from underneath, look to see whether the subfloor is moving against the joist when someone walks over it. Sometimes the fix is simply securing something that has worked loose over the years.
If you can’t see what’s causing it, don’t start randomly driving screws through your floor. Some noises are annoying but harmless, and knowing when not to “fix” something can save money too.
The frugal win: Investigate first. Spend second.
10. Always Start With the Super Simple
Years ago, I worked in the maintenance department of a hotel.
One day my crew was trying to figure out why one of the hardwired hotel phones wasn’t working. They changed the phone.
Still didn’t work.
They tried another phone.
Still didn’t work.
They were troubleshooting the system and changing out phones, trying to figure out what on earth was wrong.
The problem?
The line between the phone and the wall.
Nobody checked it.
They had skipped right past the simplest possible thing and gone straight to changing equipment.
I’ve remembered that lesson ever since.
If something suddenly stops working, don’t start with the most complicated explanation. Start at the beginning.
Is it plugged in? Does the outlet work? Did the breaker trip? Are the batteries dead? Is a connection loose? Is the filter clogged? Is there a reset button? Is the cord damaged?
If it’s an appliance, try a known-working outlet. If it’s battery-operated, put in fresh batteries. If something has a filter, check the filter.
Start with the super simple and work your way up.
Because sometimes the highly technical diagnosis is: the cord is bad.
The frugal win: Don’t replace a $100 item because a $5 cord failed.
The Real Frugalist Rule: Diagnose Before You Spend
Being frugal doesn’t mean refusing to hire professionals.
We’ve hired plumbers, electricians and repair people plenty of times. There are jobs that require expertise, special tools or simply aren’t worth the risk of doing yourself.
The frugal part is knowing the difference.
Before I call the person and write the check, I want to know what I can about the problem. I look at it. I check the obvious things. I search the model number. I look up the symptoms. I watch a couple of videos.
Sometimes I discover I can fix it myself for $10.
Sometimes I discover I absolutely need a professional.
And sometimes I discover that what looked like a major problem was one bad cord.
Before you spend money fixing something, spend ten minutes figuring out what’s actually wrong.
That’s not being cheap.
That’s being capable.
And if those ten minutes end with, Nope, I’m not touching that?
Call the professional and write the check.
At least you’ll know why you’re writing it.
Have you ever called someone — or almost called someone — only to discover the problem was ridiculously simple?
