How to Repair a Stereo Amp

Repairing a stereo amplifier, though an intimidating task, can be tackled once you have properly diagnosed the problem. Typically, there are only a handful of issues that can cause your stereo's amplifier to misbehave. However, it can be difficult to figure out which issue is causing it to give you problems, as often any number of problems will all result in the same affect: The stereo will simply shut down completely


Step 1
Locate the fuse housed in the amplifier unit to check if it has blown out. Typically, the fuse is a brightly colored plastic tab (usually yellow, red or green), and is plugged into the amplifier somewhere near the terminals where the amplifier wiring is connected. Pull the fuse from the unit with a firm tug, and hold the tab side of the fuse up to an exposed light. You should see a thin wire running through the tab. If the fuse is not blown, this wire will be undamaged, but if the fuse is blown, then the wire will be broken. If you find that the fuse is blown, replace it with another fuse of the same wattage.


Step 2
Open the hood of your car and find the line running from the red, negative (-) terminal of the car's battery to the amplifier's power terminal (the battery's location can vary with the make and model of your car, but is found typically against the left or right wall of your car). The line should not be difficult to locate because it should be the only cable attached to the car battery's negative terminal. Once you find this line, locate the fuse built into the line and check it as you checked the fuse in Step 1. Replace the fuse if it is blown


Step 3
Locate the red power wire connected to the terminal on the amplifier labeled "Power," and connect one of the lines from your voltmeter to this terminal. Connect the remaining second line to any exposed metal surface, and turn on both the voltmeter and the car. If the voltmeter indicates that you have completed a circuit (typically indicated by lighting up and/or beeping), then you have correctly wired the amplifier's power. If the meter does not indicate a completed circuit, however, then there is a fault in the power line. You can fix a faulty power line by running a new power wire, preferably along the same route that the original wire has been run.




Step 4
Locate the black wire connected to the terminal on the amplifier labeled "Ground" and connect one line of the voltmeter to this terminal. Connect the remaining line of the voltmeter to any exposed metal and turn on both the car and the voltmeter. The voltmeter should indicate that you have not completed a circuit. If the meter indicates a complete circuit, run a new ground wire from the same ground terminal on the amplifier and connect it to any exposed metal in the car.


Step 5

Old Fashioned Amplifier image by Yali Shi from Fotolia.com
Amplifiers are typically designed with several exposed terminals.Use short lengths of electrical tape to cover all of the exposed surfaces of the amplifier's terminals. This will prevent any of the wires connected to the terminals from making contact with each other and avoid a short circuit at the terminal

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How to Repair Sliding Glass Door Rollers

Every time we go out our sliding glass door and hear that grinding under the rollers, and have to use excessive force to open it, we say to our selves, "I'm gonna fix that one of these days"! But then we realize, "HOW"? Well, it's really quite simple, but there are a few tricks; so let's get started.


Removing the door panel: On a sunny day with mild temperatures, purpose to "fix that sucker", and do it expediently. Sliding glass doors are heavy and awkward, so get some help to remove the panels if you need. Usually, the operable panel of a sliding glass door will come out on the inside of the structure. Sometimes there will be sag in the header above the unit, so it may be necessary to remove the fixed panel from the outside first. Take your small Phillips screw driver and find the roller adjustment holes at the bottom of the door. Insert the tool into the hole and engage the roller screw. Lower the door down as much as possible, by doing forward and back rollers. Now try to lift the door up and swing the bottom into the room to remove the door



Removing the rollers: Rest your door on it's edge, and locate the roller adjustment hole. JUST ABOVE that hole is another hole. This is the hole that has a frame/roller screw in it. You must completely remove this screw to remove the old roller.( Be careful not to separate the frame from the glass when doing this procedure)Use the large Phillips screw driver to remove this screw. Pry out the old roller. Secure the door.

Go shopping: VERY IMPORTANT; TAKE THE OLD ROLLER TO THE HARDWARE STORE. You must get the identical roller. Examine the new roller and match it in every way to the old. Double check by getting a clerk. BUY TWO ROLLERS. Save money by NOT making a return trip.


Installing new rollers: Insert the new roller in the frame you disassembled, and screw it back together. Flip the door over and do the other side. Put the door aside and prepare the sliding glass door frame track.



Cleaning the track: Lay paper towels on your carpet to protect it. Vacuum and brush out the track all the way across. Now spray the roller track with the WD-40 and let it soak in. Wear safety glasses and use the tooth picks to gouge out all the dead bugs, leaves, dog hair, alligators, and rhinoceroses out of the track. And stay at it until you can see shiny aluminum at the very bottom of the crevice. Use toilet paper or more paper towels to mop up the sludge.

Re-installing the door: Bring over your door and put it back in. First insert it in at the top, and then swing the bottom into place and down onto the track. Use the small Phillips screw driver to adjust the new rollers. Slide the door over to the closed position, but leave a 1/4" gap top to bottom. Adjust the rollers so the gap is parallel to the frame vertically. Congratulations, your door slides very nicely now, and you can say, "I did it myself"! Thanks to Ken Swanson



Optional Extraction: Sometimes lodged doors have to be removed from the outside. Even to the point of grinding off the screen guide. To do the panel extraction, remove the top and bottom fixed center screws on the fixed panel.(see picture)Pull the fixed panel out of the side frame, lift the panel up, and swing the bottom out and away, and take out the fixed panel. Now the operable panel will swing outside and be

Read more: How to Repair a Broken Plasma TV eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4618534_repair-broken-plasma-tv.html

How to Repair Credit After Bankruptcy

Repairing your credit after a bankruptcy can be hard, but it can be done. Your focus should be on gaining positive accounts on your credit report that will "age" as your bankruptcy does. So, while your bankruptcy gets further into the past, your good accounts get older as well and you will have positive, recent credit history built up. It is important to remember to wait to get new credit until your situation (the one that caused you to file for bankruptcy) has changed


Step 1
Get a secured card. With this kind of card, you will send the company a deposit and they will send you a card with your deposit amount as the credit limit. The card will work like any other credit card and you will receive your deposit back (assuming you don't default) when you have build enough history with the company.

Step 2
Apply for a store card. These can be easier to get than regular credit cards, so it is your best bet after having a secured card or two for about a year. If you cannot get approved for a store card, then you are probably not ready to apply for an unsecured credit card after your bankruptcy.

Step 3
See about qualifying for a car loan or small personal loan to repair your credit. With the way FICO scoring is set up, you need variety on your credit report. Besides positive revolving accounts, you also need some positive installment accounts. A car loan or small personal loan will be easiest to qualify for.

Step 4
Try for a credit card. Once you have successfully established history with a secured card, store card, and installment account, you are ready for the big leagues. This is the best time to apply for an unsecured Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express credit card. If you are denied, let your accounts age for another six months and try again. Before you know it, your bankruptcy will be a distant memory.
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Read more: How to Repair Credit After Bankruptcy eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2098871_repair-credit-bankruptcy.html

How to Repair a Broken Plasma TV

A repair technician may charge hundreds of dollars to repair a plasma TV, but you can save time and money by repairing it yourself. You can fix internal plasma TV problems such as dead pixels, screen burn and other distortions. You can also master fixing a broken plasma TV that has an external problem or physical damage, such as a bent screen or TV frame.




•Step 1
Connect your external DVD player to your plasma television and turn the power on. Use an external DVD player for this process, even if you have an internal DVD player on your plasma television.

•Step 2
Access the television's main menu and navigate to Display Options and change your settings to the highest resolution available for your set.

•Step 3
Put a Pixel Corrector DVD (see Resources) into the external DVD player. Access the main menu and choose the repair functions that you need, or let the wizard run all of the tests concurrently.

•Step 4
Let the repair wizard run the DVD and evaluate the improvement. Watch the washes, pixel corrector and other tests as it repairs your plasma screen, and rerun the repair wizard for problem areas that do not self-correct.




•Step 5
Use your repair and protect DVD on a regular basis. Use the DVD on other flat screen television sets to keep the plasma screens in good condition and protected from damage.

•Step 6
Tap on the TV frame if your plasma TV has physical damage. Tap above the broken area on the screen on the TV frame and continue to tap until the dead pixels or screen distortions dissolve. Continue to tap and bend until you fix your screen (see Resources for a demonstration).



Read more: How to Repair a Broken Plasma TV eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4618534_repair-broken-plasma-tv.html

How to Repair a Running Toilet

•Step 1
Remove the toilet-tank lid and place it out of the way on the floor.

•Step 2
Investigate the ball cock. It's a valve attached to the float (which is either a metal or plastic ball on the end of a long rod or a plastic canister that slides up and down a vertical plastic pipe). If you can see or hear water coming from this valve, it may need to be cleaned or replaced.

•Step 3
Reach down into the bottom of the tank and press down on the edges of the tank flap (a black or red rubber cone that fits into the tank's hole). If the sound of water running into the bowl stops, you know that the flap may be deformed or worn from age and needs to be replaced.

•Step 4
Get ready to work. Turn off the water supply for the toilet (this valve is most often found coming out of the floor or wall near the toilet; turn the handle in a clockwise direction). Flush the toilet to drain some of the water and make the work easier.

•Step 5
If you need to replace the diaphragm or tank flap, take it with you to a hardware store or plumbing supply house to make sure you buy the correct replacement.

Cleaning or Replacing the Ball-Cock Diaphragm
•Step 1
Snap off the cover of the ball cock and put it out of the way.

•Step 2
Remove the four screws holding down the top plate of the ball cock, using a screwdriver. The float-control arm is attached to this and may be spring-loaded. You'll see a rubber diaphragm.

•Step 3
Remove the diaphragm carefully, noting which side is up, and check its condition. Sometimes a piece of gravel or rust or a hard-water deposit can get lodged under the diaphragm and cause a leak, or the diaphragm can become misshapen or worn through with age.

•Step 4
Replace the diaphragm or clean it by rinsing it in the tank's water; flush the valve itself by turning on the water supply for the toilet just enough to get a flow of water for a couple of seconds.

•Step 5
Replace the top plate and secure it with its screws.

•Step 6
Turn the water supply back on, allowing the tank to fill, and replace the lid.

Replacing the Tank Flap
•Step 1
Remove the tank flap. Some have a clamp-type assembly, while others hook to short posts that stick out from the overflow pipe; all attachments are fairly easy to remove by hand.

•Step 2
Install a new tank flap.

•Step 3
Turn on the water supply and replace the lid.

Read more: How to Repair a Running Toilet eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_330_repair-running-toilet.html

Audio Repair Tips

•Modern audio sound systems are modular, with different components for each function. The receiver tunes in radio signals; the amplifier creates strong current to power the speakers; an equalizer balances the sound between high and low notes; and the speakers generate the audible sound. Audio systems may also have different components for playing recorded music: a turntable for albums, CD player for compact discs, tape player and an Mp3 player for digital sound computer files. Repairing an audio system usually involves first pinpointing the source of the problem and then replacing the malfunctioning part in the individual component.


Cables

•Cables are often a source of problems for audio systems. As each component must be connected to the amplifier and often to other components, cables carry the sound signal from component to component and then to the speaker. Always begin a repair effort by checking the cables. This is done by replacing the cables to and from each component one at a time. If a particular replacement solves the problem, then replacing that individual cable completes the repair.


Speakers

•Speakers physically vibrate at different rates to generate sound. The speakers have lightweight cones of paper or composite material to create the sound. Speaker cones can fail at any time whether the speaker is new or old. If the amount of power to the speaker is too high, it can damage the speaker. Test the speaker by disconnecting the connection wire to each speaker cone to find the damaged part. Replacing a speaker cone is a simple process of finding a replacement with the same watt and Ohm rating, disconnecting a wire from the old speaker and connecting it to the replacement.


Receivers

•An AM/FM receiver must have an antenna to receive the signal. With some audio systems the antenna is part of the power cord plugged into the wall receptacle. Other systems have wires connected to antenna leads for receiving the signal.



If the receiver has only a very weak or no radio signal, check the back of the receiver for antenna leads and see if there is an antenna connected. If there are no antenna leads, then check the power cord. If it is coiled and secured with a twist tie (often done to keep all the wires and cables manageable), stretch out the cord to its full length. This may be enough to improve the signal. If the wall receptacle is directly behind the audio system, it may be necessary to plug in the receiver to a more distant receptacle with an power extension cord. This will stretch out the internal antenna for better reception.


Amplifier

•Amplifiers handle significant electrical loads in order to power other components. If the amplifier fails it could be something as simple as the fuse being damaged. Check the back of the amplifier for a small round plug labeled FUSE. Remove the plug and the fuse. Examine the small wire inside the fuse. If it is burned through, then replacing the fuse with an identical type will repair the amplifier. Be sure, however, to only use the exact same type of fuse. Using a larger, more robust fuse will not improve performance but will allow too much electricity to course through the amplifier and possibly do serious damage. The fuse burning out protects the amplifier from power surges and other electrical disturbances

How to Repair a Roof Sag

Roofs are a major part of a house, and among the most expensive parts to maintain. Roof jobs run into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars, so it is smart to keep the roof in good repair. Leaky roofs can cause serious interior and other structural damage very quickly. Saggy roofs should get immediate attention when they are noticed. Sag is a big indicator that the roof has structural damage in the trusses or the sheathing, or perhaps foundation issues. The first two problems are the most common


•Step 1
Enter the attic and go to the point you were able to see the sag as you viewed the roof from the outside. Use a strong flashlight and carefully inspect the entire roof truss. Shine the light into the corner of the truss, and move it slowly across the entire truss.

•Step 2

attic window image by green308 from Fotolia.com
Angle iron bolted into place properly will reinforce the compromised timberRepair any broken, split or damaged trusses instead of trying to replace them. Drill three or four holes into one side of a 3-foot piece of 90-degree angle iron that is 2 inches on each side. Drill an equal number of holes into the other side, being sure to stagger or offset the holes.

•Step 3
Place the drilled angle iron on the damaged rafter so the damage is in the middle of the angle iron. Drill through the holes of the angle iron into the rafter on the bottom and on just one side of the damage.

•Step 4

Do it yourself image by Hedgehog from Fotolia.com
Lag bolts and washers will give a much stronger hold than nails or spikesInsert 3/8-inch diameter lag bolts and washers. Use bolts at least 2 inches longer than the space between the end of the angle iron not bolted down yet and the rafter. (For instance, if the gap is 1 inch between the loose end of the angle iron and rafter, use a 3-inch lag bolt.) Bolt the 2 by 2 angle loosely into place on one side of the damage.

•Step 5
Repeat the same procedure for the other end of the angle on the other side of the damage, using the same length bolts. Use a ratchet and work the bolts alternately on both sides of the damage, gradually bringing the damaged rafter back into alignment. Tighten down all six or eight bolts once the rafter is re-aligned.

•Step 6

new construction house image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
Sheathing is difficult to patch, so replacement is the best repair choiceRepair broken or rotting sheathing by replacing it. Locate any edges of the damaged piece. Drive nails at four corners of the broken sheathing, between rafters, up through the sheathing, from the attic. Locate the nails driven through from inside the attic, and mark the damaged area on the roof's shingles with a chalk box.

•Step 7
Remove the shingles and felt within the nailed off area using a scraper. Pull all nails from the sheathing. Use a reciprocating saw and make the vertical cuts on sheet of broken sheathing, avoiding the rafters. Pry off the sheathing with short pry bars and hammers. Replace the sheathing, felt and shingles


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