I Came... I Sawed.... I Fixed - by Linda

Linda - our New England immigrant - is our resident Ms Fix-It.

Her column is updated every weekday or thereabouts, so check back often for new secrets and tips.

Phony Trouble

If the phone quits working, check out a few things before you go shopping for a new one.

First unplug other phone-related equipment like answering machines, caller ID, etc.

If it still doesn't work, take it to a jack that you know is working.

If the phone still doesn't work you can track down the problem by the process of elimination.

Take a phone that does work to the jack where the phone that didn't work was plugged in; this will eliminate the jack as the problem.

Next, replace the existing phone cord with one that you know works, then replace the hand set cord and so on.

If you have swapped everything around and the phone still doesn't work it's time for a new phone.

Do you have Home Repair ideas or secrets to share or have a question?

Include your first initial and last name and put the words HOME REPAIR in the subject.

I'll try to use your contribution in a future column.

(Please note that these columns are written several weeks in advance so publishing it will be delayed accordingly.)

Hope this helps tame some of your day-to-day little Home Repair beasties.

Linda