Handy Thought Pattern 2: Yes, You Can!
2 Mar
(Post 3 in a series for DIY beginners)
A few months ago, I met a young single mom putting a finish coat on a hardwood floor, while her young daughter played in the yard. I knew that the house had recently been sold and that it was going to be a rental property. Just to show that I’m still subconsciously affected by old stereotypes, I’ll admit that I assumed that she was either the renter, or was a struggling minimum wage worker hired by the homeowner to do the work. Boy, was I wrong. She was the homeowner.
She told me that there was a time when she suffered self esteem issues and was very nervous about tackling DIY projects. A turning point for her was when she told herself that, instead of assuming that she couldn’t tackle DIY challenges, she should assume that she could. With a bit of research and preparation, she could do almost anything. And here she was – a handy income property owner.
Her comments illustrate, in a nutshell, where I think more people should be. I think of it as the difference between being a victim, (paying exorbitant service call fees that may or may not be reasonable, or putting up with a leaky tap until that handy friend feels like coming over), or taking charge of your life! Of course, not everyone can bring that thinking pattern into existence just by force of will, and that is one of the main reasons that I started this site – to encourage more DIY “can do” thinking.
Here’s what I hope to see happen: You will read some explanation here, like the operation of some device, or how to do a simple repair, and you’ll say, “What? Is that all there is to it?” In my experience, people tend to let the unknowns of life turn into monsters, when they really aren’t! Here’s an example:
Next to every bathroom sink there is, (or should be by most Electrical Codes), a GFCI receptacle. (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, or GFI for short) That’s the one with the “Test” and “Reset” buttons that somehow protects you from shock if, for example, you drop your hair dryer into a sink full of water. That’s gotta be really complicated, right? After all, it’s an electrical thing. Electrical! And it’s got push buttons and some even have lights on them! Way too hard to understand how that thing works, right?
Nope.
This is all you need to know about GFCI operation and troubleshooting: When you use an appliance that is plugged into a GFI outlet, the electrical and electronic circuits inside the outlet measure the amount of current flowing in the two wires that send power to the appliance. Both wires should have exactly the same current. If the GFI senses even the smallest difference, it makes the reasonable assumption that some current is going where it shouldn’t be, and it turns off. That’s it. You don’t need to know how it measures and decides – I’m an electrician, and I don’t know exactly what goes on in there. If it trips, then unplug the appliance and push the GFI reset. If it resets, but trips as soon as you try to use the appliance, the problem is in the appliance. If it won’t reset at all, and you know that the circuit breaker that supplies it is “On,” then it probably needs replacing.
“What? Is that all there is to it?” Yup!
I love doing things, and I’m the “handy person” in my home (the man I live with it’s not very interested in manual things…).
I also love the idea behind this blog… now go on, man… I’m eager to learn!!!
What a great little tip! Looks like this is going to be a really great website.
My only criticism so far is that if you really do want to get away from the patronising old stereotypes of who thinks they can do what, you might want to say Teach a Man (or *woman*) to Fix! I know it sounds really picky, but the idea that the female counterpart to ‘Men’ are ‘Girls’ (not men and women / boys and girls) is part of the same system that’s making women feel that they can’t give DIY a go, and also making men feel inadequate when they’re not sure what to do!
Looking forward to the next lesson!
This is so great! I can’t wait to learn more!
Awesome post! Yes, everything electrical is inherently scary for the un-handy. I should know
Thanks for demystifying the bathroom / kitchen outlet!
Wow! Thank you all so much for the kind words. Jess, you make an excellent point, and I really did struggle with the girl/woman decision. All I can say is that I bounced the idea off of quite a few women, and the opinion is pretty much split down the middle, with some women agreeing that “Girl” gave the site a light, approachable feel. I will certainly be happy to revisit this if I get a lot of negative feedback. FYI, there is a bit of info about gender in the “About” section.
Just want to mention that I will be posting Monday, Wednesday, Friday, just to allow time to let the info sink in … well, ok, the truth is that I still have a day job to deal with. But I’m really lovin’ this!
Thanks again!!
This blog is a great idea! I look forward to reading your tips and information. I am a first-time homeowner at age 45, and need all the help you can give us!!
I love your blog so much! I can’t wait to read more; I’m inspired already!
I have bookmarked this blog and will refer to it every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. My roommate and I are constantly trying to do everything ourselves, but often are nervous when we have no idea where to start. Thank you!
It is useful to try everything in practice anyway and I like that here it’s always possible to find something new.