There's no such thing as an open and shut case when it comes to home maintenance, but a faulty garage door opener must go close.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For many years I've enjoyed automatic entry and exit to my double garage via the wonders of automatic door opening technology.
Not so much magic, but definitely a touch of Merlin in my case.
It's also helped to remember to keep the remote in the car, the batteries from going flat and which button opens which door.
Otherwise you get a bit of a "blinking" garage effect when you pull up in the driveway that hints at lack of concentration or ability on the remote.
Sadly all good things come to an end, like clutch plates in your garage door motor, apparently, and suddenly you're faced with the prospect of either repair or replacement.
These epochal moments of renewal rate right up there with having to get a new fridge, dishwasher or washing machine in terms of emotional damage, once you get a quote.
The initial steepness of which can bring out the best in futile home hack repairs.
It doesn't seem that long ago I got a garage door motor up and running, after what seemed End of Days, using a fish hook.
One of the widgets was a little loose following a robust attempt to manually over-ride the door release during a blackout.
I say robust because bits and pieces of the motor had fallen off in my hands.
The door had then refused to re-engage once the power was back on and I remember fidgeting and fussing with little or no idea what I was doing until I stumbled on a solution - said fish hook.
Not saying it was "the" solution.
I think that had something to do with the little spring washer that flicked into oblivion at one stage during my poking and prodding.
But it worked and ever since, I've kept one or two fish hooks in my tool box in case every other technical problem I encounter could be similarly solved.
Sadly that hasn't proved to be the case.
I found an extra washer revived my hedge-trimmer one time, and plain bloody-minded frugality kept my pool cleaner on the go for many years, despite various parts degrading off and being sucked up into the skimmer box.
You couldn't say it wasn't totally working on that basis, although that's pretty much what the pool technician said when he had a look.
About the pool pump, actually, which was making noises, he said, akin to a pool pump death rattle.
Sure enough, the pool pump expired shortly after and we were back to one of those epochal replacement moments that jar the hip pocket.
Sometimes I blame that pain in my hip on my ankles, which transfer all the force up to my dodgy knees and you know, there's a theme going on here.
Things wear out and when they do, you've got to put the fish hooks away and get reel, I mean real.
Not that I didn't try and jag another fish hook garage motor restoration miracle.
Unfortunately it turned out to be definitely a case of neither open nor shut until I replaced the motor. Kaching!