Jack of All Trades: Can You Fix It?

The leak, the squeak, the dead outlet and the lawn mower that will not start. Diagnose it, fix it, and know when to call a pro.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

GuideWes DunbarNov 6, 20266 min

Your window's stuck. Find out why before you reach for a hammer

Paint, swollen wood, dirty tracks or dead hardware: four causes, one right order, and about thirty dollars in tools.

The multimeter worth owning is rated CAT III 600V

From the Can You Fix It archive

Older stories

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Fix a Dryer That Runs But Never Gets Hot

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Patching Drywall Without Making It Worse

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Your Furnace Won't Fire. Check These Three Things First

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

A Dripping Faucet Tells You Which Part Failed

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

A Dead Outlet, Diagnosed in the Right Order

Can You Fix It on video

Worth an hour of your evening

From channels we rate. Plays on YouTube.

RepairClinic.comMay 1

Top Reasons Lawn Mower Not Starting — Lawn Mower Troubleshooting

ChickanicDec 26

How to fix your lawnmower that won't start in 10 MINUTES with a $13 part!!

Steve's Small Engine SaloonApr 25

Top 5 Ways To Fix A LAWN MOWER That WON'T START (Fix It In Minutes)

Jimmy's GarageJun 14

How to Fix A Lawn Mower That's Been Sitting For Years!

JENSEN DIYApr 29

How to fix a running toilet. The two most common causes.

Roger Wakefield Plumbing EducationJun 10

How to Fix A Running Toilet GUARANTEED | DIY Plumbing Repair

Home Repair TutorFeb 9

Fix a Running Toilet...Fill Valve Replacement -- by Home Repair Tutor

The Home DepotFeb 22

How to Fix a Leaky Toilet | How to Stop a Running Toilet Tank | The Home Depot

Hacks by DadApr 9

How to Fix a Running Toilet for Beginners | Basic Life Skills

seejanedrillJun 4

How To Stop a running TOILET in SECONDS

The Home Depot CanadaJan 6

How to Fix a Running Toilet

Roger Wakefield Plumbing EducationJul 11

FIX a Running Toilet (Canister Flush Style)

TightWadDIYMar 23

FREE and EASY: Toilet Won't Stop Running

Roger the Pipe GuyFeb 23

3 Reasons Your Toilet KEEPS Running - And The PERMANENT Fix For Each One!

Extreme DIYSep 8

How to Fix a Running Toilet w/ Complete Fill Valve Replacement - DIY

JENSEN DIYAug 9

How to Fix a Randomly Running Toilet

Can You Fix It quizzes

Quiz yourself, then your friends

All quizzes

GuideWes DunbarOct 9, 20267 min

The mower you can fix yourself outlasts the one you can't

Most mowers die of a ten-dollar problem nobody could get a part for. Buy the one with a parts diagram and a socket set's worth of screws.

StoryNina CastellanOct 7, 20265 min

Every Wrong Gray Starts at the Paint Counter

Twelve lines heard over the shaker machine, and the paint lessons that'll save your walls, your weekend and your trim.

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

The Doorknob Hole in the Hallway, Fixed the Way It Really Goes

A patch nobody can find later takes three coats, two days and one door stop you should've installed in April. Every step, honestly.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

5 min read

Replacing a Toilet Flapper Takes Ten Minutes and Two Trips

The cheapest plumbing fix in the house, written the way it really goes, including the second trip to the store nobody plans for.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

The Bathroom Sink Clog Is Always Hair, and It's Always Gross

Skip the bottle of drain cleaner. A plastic strip, a bucket and twenty patient minutes clear almost every slow bathroom sink in the house.

GuideWes DunbarOct 3, 20267 min

Hang a Pre-Hung Door So It Doesn't Drift Open at 2 a.m.

Most bad door installs get decided before the first nail. Diagnose the opening, set the hinge side first, and the latch takes care of itself.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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GuideWes DunbarOct 3, 20267 min

Sweating a Copper Joint Is Mostly About Getting the Water Out

The torch is the easy part. A dry pipe and clean metal decide whether the joint holds, and most first-timers skip both.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

A warm fridge is usually dirty coils or a dead fan

Work the problem in order, with a thermometer, a nut driver and a shop vac, and you'll fix most of them in an afternoon for under fifty bucks.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Straightening a Leaning Fence Post Without Tearing Out the Fence

Most leaning posts don't need replacing. Find out which kind you have with a screwdriver, then fix it in an afternoon for under fifty bucks.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

What to check when the hot water quits

Start at the breaker or the pilot light, not at the parts counter — a step-by-step diagnosis for gas and electric tanks, and the point where you stop.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Fix a Flat and Dial In the Brakes on Every Bike in the Garage

Four bikes, one Saturday morning, about sixty dollars of tools. Diagnose the flat before you patch it, and never skip the brake check.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Unclog a Drain With a Plunger, a Snake and Ten Minutes

Skip the caustic bottle. Diagnose the clog first, then work through the stopper, the plunger and the trap in that order.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Your Mower Won't Start. Check Spark, Fuel, Air In That Order

Most no-start mowers come down to five dollars of parts and forty minutes. Work the order and you'll find it before lunch.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20267 min

Reglue a Wobbly Chair So It Outlasts the Rest of the Set

Squirting glue into a loose joint buys you about four months. Taking the chair apart and cleaning it properly buys you thirty years.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

6 min

Your Garbage Disposal Hums But Won't Spin

6 min

Why Your Garage Door Stops Halfway and What to Fix First

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Fix a Sticking Door Before You Reach for the Plane

Nine times out of ten it's a loose hinge screw, not a swollen door. Find the rub, then fix it in the right order.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

6 min read

Your Dishwasher Won't Drain. Do This Before You Call Anyone

Four inches of gray water in the tub is almost never a dead machine. Work the blockage points in order and most of these fix themselves in an hour.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

Older articles

Older Can You Fix It stories

Jack of All Trades: Can You Fix It?

Your window's stuck. Find out why before you reach for a hammer

Fix the Water Outside Before You Patch the Crack Inside

Your squeaky hinge needs grease, not a quick spray

Nobody has improved on the plunger, and plenty have tried

Miracle sprays and magic tapes fix the demo, not your house

The multimeter worth owning is rated CAT III 600V

From the Can You Fix It archive

Fix a Dryer That Runs But Never Gets Hot

Patching Drywall Without Making It Worse

Your Furnace Won't Fire. Check These Three Things First

A Dripping Faucet Tells You Which Part Failed

A Dead Outlet, Diagnosed in the Right Order

Worth an hour of your evening

Quiz yourself, then your friends

The mower you can fix yourself outlasts the one you can't

Every Wrong Gray Starts at the Paint Counter

The Doorknob Hole in the Hallway, Fixed the Way It Really Goes

Replacing a Toilet Flapper Takes Ten Minutes and Two Trips

The Bathroom Sink Clog Is Always Hair, and It's Always Gross

Hang a Pre-Hung Door So It Doesn't Drift Open at 2 a.m.

Sweating a Copper Joint Is Mostly About Getting the Water Out

A warm fridge is usually dirty coils or a dead fan

Straightening a Leaning Fence Post Without Tearing Out the Fence

What to check when the hot water quits

Fix a Flat and Dial In the Brakes on Every Bike in the Garage

Unclog a Drain With a Plunger, a Snake and Ten Minutes

Your Mower Won't Start. Check Spark, Fuel, Air In That Order

Reglue a Wobbly Chair So It Outlasts the Rest of the Set

Your Garbage Disposal Hums But Won't Spin

Why Your Garage Door Stops Halfway and What to Fix First

Fix a Sticking Door Before You Reach for the Plane

Your Dishwasher Won't Drain. Do This Before You Call Anyone