As I posted a little while ago, my iPhone 4S stopped working. I got a new phone, but I still wanted to see if the iPhone was salvageable, so I spent a few bucks and bought some tools on Amazon to open the 4S up to take a peek. Since the phone is dead, I might as well take a look inside for the slim chance that I can find where the problem is. Given how popular iPhones are, instructions on taking the phone apart are easily found online. I followed this set of instructions and managed to remove the logic board from the phone. The iPhone 4S and all the innards I took out can be seen in the photo below. The parts are tiny, but the disassembly is doable with a little bit of patience and organization (so you don’t lose the screws). Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the problem, and chances are the phone needs a new logic board, so I just put the whole thing back together and stuff it on a shelf for now. It was a good little exercise.
Speaking of taking stuff apart and then putting them back together without making any repairs, I also took my washing machine apart. The last couple of weeks I noticed that the washer leaves soggy clothes after the spin cycle. The tub spins as far as I could tell, so I took apart the washer to check for clogs in the hoses. I have a pretty common Kenmore direct drive washer, so disassembly instructions were easy to find. The process is actually pretty easy. I went as far as taking the pump out to check for clogs, but I didn’t find anything. The funny thing during the whole process was that I was able to take the washer apart and take the hose clamps off with a small pair of pliers, but then I found that I couldn’t put the clamps back on with my pliers. I ended up having to buy a pair of tongue-and-groove pliers the next day in order to put the hose clamps back on. Below are a few pictures of my washer with its cover off.
I didn’t repair or replace any parts on the washer, but for some reason the next time I washed my clothes, the clothes were not soggy after the spin cycle. Maybe all the washer needed was to be moved around a little? Hopefully it’ll stay in working order… until I decide to buy new ones. Since I live on my own now, it’s good to learn some DIY skills so I don’t feel completely helpless when things break down, as they unavoidably will.