Being pleased when something "breaks" Floofish Floofery.

last year

Growing up, the bathroom we kids used in my parents house had a shower head that had UNREAL water pressure. It was the best. We used to joke that if you did not brace yourself before stepping into the shower, it would slam you against the opposite wall. Well, of course I moved out and no other shower head has that sort of pressure. I got used to it, as one does.

Well, the other day, I stepped into the shower and was ASSAILED by a tsunami! The pressure regulator in the shower head is clearly malfunctioning. I so was happy! FINALLY a satisfactory stream of water! I do not care if it "broken." And I am NOT replacing it. I love it. A lovely scalp massage every morning before bed. Bliss.

On the same note, if any of you remember my "DIY doofus" thread, its kind of the same thing. Was I thrilled that I had a horrible sewer smell in my house? Not at all. But was I happy for an excuse to replace one of the tired old toilets that came with the house? Absolutely! In the end, it wasn't the toilet itself that was causing the problem, but it was a great excuse to replace it while it was removed to fix the underling issue. It worked okay but but was just really old and annoying. I got a beautiful black one to replace it, with a matching bidet. And with that came the satisfaction of hearing SO say that I was right, as he originally thought I was nuts for ordering a black toilet. Also, the faucet in that bathroom was leaking. You had to do a weird little ritual when turning it off to get it to not leak. Well, as long as I had BIL there, lets replace that too! I let SO pick that out without my opinion involved. It is a matte black waterfall faucet. While not what I would have picked (it looks like an alien creature to me) I am happy to get a new one. The old one was grating my nerves.

Same thing a few years ago with the fridge. The one that came with the house was a side by side. I HATE those. They are weird and inconvenient. Things often got lost and forgotten in the lower shelves. I could not store anything large like a birthday cake or a pizza box. I HATED IT. Was I happy to have to shell out $5500 for a new one? No. But I would be lying if I said I was not SLIGHTLY giddy when it started to go out and the prospect of a new, not annoying fridge was on the horizon. Got a black stainless steel french door, with 2 freezer drawers on the bottom. SO much easier to clean and keep organized. Thing is though, like with most things, if it was still working fine, I would just deal with it.

Yes, I suppose that I can replace things I do not like, but it is not really something I consider doing as long as whatever it is still works. Or works well enough anyway. I do not like to create waste like that. Also, I am not rolling in money. But, I can do a little happy dance when things break, so I can replace them with something I like. Or, in the case of my shower head, enjoy the malfunction.

Do you have any examples of such in your own home?

Featured Answer

wildchild2x2

last year

last modified: last year

Can't you just remove the 'water saver' device from any faucet to get full force?

At one time it was easy. Now they are placing the restrictors deeper so unless one has better than average mechanical skills it's not so easy. Some people drill through them since they can't be removed. Californians can't get the same products as other states. I saw the writing on the wall with all this nonsense when it first began with we're "not banning we're just suggesting". So I bought a several faucets, shower heads, fixtures, incandescent light bulbs etc. online and where I could find them before the bans went into full effect. I was planning to do a wall hung toilet but have since changed my mind. I hate the low water line on new toilets. Now they want to ban gas applinces and so far it's for new builds. But the writing is on the wall. I have a wood burning fireplace that is useless due to most "save the air " being in the coldest months. So I am looking into getting it changed to gas while I still can so it's grandfathered in. So glad we put in an all gas range years ago.

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Comments (15)

seagrass_gw Cape Cod
last year
We built the house we live in as a vacation home in 1991. There was no natural gas available for a gas range, so we put in a JennAir electric range with a downdraft and a grill. It was ok to use on weekends and on vacation, but when we moved here to live full-time I missed our gas range and came to hate the electric JennAir. It only had two burners since one side was devoted to the grill, and we didn't want to shell out the $$ for two additional burners. I was happy when it finally went on the fritz - in a spectacular way with sparks, smoke and a saucepan welded to the burner before we got to the circuitbreaker.

We have a gas range now, with a 50 lb. propane tank in the back of the house. I'm a happy camper. We lose power for several days at a time during coastal storms. We can cook now when the power goes out. Plus, I prefer cooking on a gas cooktop.
amylou321 thanked seagrass_gw Cape Cod
Kathsgrdn
last year
Well, I'm hoping my refrigerator dies sometime next year. I want to replace it but not so quickly. It's perfect looking inside but outside it's looking rough. I'm also a little afraid to replace it knowing what I know about new appliances. My stove is down to three working burners. I don't really care. It does look a little junky but no one who comes to my house has ever cared. At least they never said anything, except my daughter recently. lol.

I did replace the harvest gold range hood with a new white one. I also replaced the sink, with one of those fancy work station ones. I ordered it, wondering if I should wait till Black Friday sales and decided, what's the odds that it will go on sale? Well, it did. I could kick myself. Oh, well. It was such a hassle to get it picked up, waited almost an hour because their stupid app didn't work when I checked in and then got lied to by a store employee about someone being on their way to get it NOW. No one went to get it, so 20 minutes later I call back and their stupid phone system asked me if I wanted to check in for the pick up??? When I buy my fridge I will probably go somewhere besides Lowes.
amylou321 thanked Kathsgrdn
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amylou321
Original Author
last year
YES Kathsgrdn I also recommend ANYWHERE but Lowes. I feel a bit disloyal because one of my siblings is in management there. But my fridge experience with them was AWFUL. First, the fridge I ordered went on sale 2 days after I bought it. I would have liked if the salesperson would have mentioned that a sale was coming up. So I went back and got a price adjustment. Well, the fridge did not come for a month, and when it did arrive, it was damaged badly. It looked like someone had impaled it with the forks of a forklift. So of course I refused the delivery. I got a call the next day telling me that the fridge I ordered was out of stock, and impossible to get, so I could either get a refund or pick out a new one. I have NO idea why I didn't get a refund. I was just exhausted I guess. Anywho, I went and picked out another one, and they wanted the 500 dollar difference in price, saying that I could not get the sale price on THAT one, because the sale was over. I do not like calling in favors, but I called my sibling then and there at the customer service desk. I was not really asking for a favor of said sibling. I really just wanted to know if that was the ACTUAL policy. If it was, I was going to get my refund and go somewhere else. It was not. They honored the sale price that I would have gotten of I had picked that fridge out originally. It was quite a sight when they made the connection of who I was, as in my connection to my brother. It solidified their idiocy in my mind, as we both have the same last name, and it is very unusual, and my name was all over the order. Their attitude changed A LOT when they realized, and the fridge was there in a week. ( My brother is a very popular manager. Always goes above and beyond to help his subordinates at work and away from work as well. It was not fear of repercussion that caused them to change,IMO) When the time comes for another large purchase, I will go to best buy. I had a GREAT experience with them when the TV they delivered was busted. No questions, just a new one delivered and the broken one taken away in a couple days.
Lindsey_CA
last year
"I'm hoping my refrigerator dies sometime next year. I want to replace it but not so quickly. It's perfect looking inside but outside it's looking rough."

Kath, if it's not stainless steel, you should check into having the exterior refinished - as in a new enamel coating.
amylou321 thanked Lindsey_CA
Judy Good
last year
I know what you mean about a shower head Amy. Our house was built in 1964, It still has the original shower head with great pressure. I never plan to get rid of it. Everyone that stays here comments on the great pressure.
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nicole___
last year
I call these "incidents" A BUYING OPPORTUNITY! ha ha Yes! I take advantage of those aaaaaaaaaaaall the time! I gained weight....not a size 2 any more...I'm a normal size 8-10....whah....my wedding rings don't fit....no no....don't resize them....BUY new ones....With bigger stones. :0) YES!
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chisue
last year
last modified: last year
Can't you just remove the 'water saver' device from any faucet to get full force?

DS had his 1920's house re-piped after they bought it -- new copper replacing old iron. Our own 2001 build has great pressure, and hot water in seconds at every faucet, thanks to a recirculating pump at the water heater. (One of my favorite things -- like hotel living.) Our MBA shower head has adjustable force.

I'd like to find someone to resurface my white porcelain kitchen sink. It's an odd shape, cut into the granite, or I'd replace it. I see adds for bathtub resurfacing, but a sink gets a lot more wear than a tub, so IDK if that would work.

I've never liked the electric cooktop (that takes ages to heat) or the built-in oven that's combined with a microwave, but am sure a buyer -- to be a consideration for us in our 80's --would replace *everything* in the kitchen.
amylou321 thanked chisue
foodonastump
last year
I’m at a crossroads with my truck. Mechanically it’s good but rockers are rusting through and in general it’s starting to show its age. I’ve got a few options, and I’ve been stuck for quite a while. I wouldn’t be entirely sad if it suffered a catastrophic failure that springs me into action.
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raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
last year
I was thinking about Kathsgrdn having her fridge refinished (my sister did this to her harvest gold wall ovens with great success) - but then, as soon as she's paid for that, the fridge would decide to die, wouldn't it?

When the front yard Bradford Pear split in two, it hit the house, put a couple of small holes in the roof, dented the aluminum siding, bounced down to the porch and cracked the slab, then landed on the car. So, I got a newer (used) car, a new roof, new vinyl siding, a new porch slab, pillar and ceiling - and only had to pay one deductible (not both car and house), because it was all the same incident. The down side was, the contractor that I hired based on a strong neighborhood recommendation wasn't actually tip top - well, his subs weren't - they took forever to finish the siding, with over 6 weeks with no work being done because they "fit in" other jobs midway, and I had to hire another roofer to fix the leaks that the roofers left.

I won't be said if my dishwasher decides to die. I dislike the racks. I had to have the control panel replace under warranty twice. Unfortunately it has decided to work (for the most part, sometimes it will decide to switch from a short top rack only cycle to the full 90 minutes all on its own) ever since - and my peeves with the racks aren't strong enough to replace it, probably not even if it needs a repair, if it can be repaired for a reasonable cost.

I was sad when my "new" refrigerator gave up the ghost early this year, after just shy of 10 years. I really liked it - but couldn't find the same or similar dimension-wise model - the manufacturer had made the depth a bit longer, and it couldn't fit through my kitchen doorway. I don't like my new new (different brand) one as much.
amylou321 thanked raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
lily316
last year
My dishwasher broke years ago and it was part of my designer kitchen and had panels on the door. I decided to ditch the panels and just go for a black Bosch to match the black soapstone, and I like it much better. The paneled Jenn Air refrigerator is still performing and I will hate when that goes. It's 21 years now and we never had a problem. It's also paneled and built-in. >>The improvement was, a few years ago I stood on my desk chair with wheels( I know, really stupid) to reach washing the very tall windows in my sunroom. Of course it slipped, I was not hurt but fell on the desktop Dell computer and got a new HP which I like so much more.
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rob333 (zone 7b)
last year
last modified: last year
Similar to you! Right before my child moved out, they broke the lid to the commode. Replaced all commode lids in the house with soft close. Ah. So much quieter and cleaner. You touch it with one finger. If they took it, or I had to fix it, I have upgraded every time. The upstairs bed is all new. My toaster oven is new (it has rotisserie and air frying, which I finally figured out how to do). Actually, recently I lost the television and I haven't replaced it. I look forward to doing that during super bowl season. Such good excuses to come up with something better!!!!
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wildchild2x2
last year
last modified: last year
I had a really nice, higher end small Cuisinart countertop toaster oven that bit the dust. After a lot of research I took a chance on a Panasonic Flash Express oven to replace it. I will never go back to a regular toaster oven again. I was wary because you can't use the top element alone and I like to broil buttered English Muffins and top brown things. Now I just put those things on a piece of foil or parchment and it works out fine. No preheating, great for reheating foods or making snacks right out of the freezer and toasts all breads really well.
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Toronto Veterinarian
last year
I have a French door LG fridge that came with the house and is probably about 4 or 5 years old -- it works great, but I HATE the French door access. I would love to get rid of it, but I just can't justify getting rid of an well-operating recent-aged fridge.
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yeonassky
last year
Toronto Veterinarian maybe you could sell it?

Was very happy when my little car broke down finally after 25 years. Love my new bigger car.
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Being pleased when something "breaks" Floofish Floofery.

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Being pleased when something "breaks" Floofish Floofery.

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