Welcome!
I’m Kristen Gismondi, and I’m an Education Facilitator on iFixit’s EDU team.
In 2014, I started my journey at iFixit as Product Photographer. In 2015, I joined the EDU team where I began guiding thousands of students through the iFixit Technical Writing Project. In short, I teach students from over 80 universities across the US about technical writing and the importance of repair. Among other things, I curate content on iFixit.com, manage the EDU website, and help to coordinate the iFixit Technical Writing Symposium.
About Me
I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. After graduating from Youngstown State University in 2013 with a BFA in Photography, I moved to San Luis Obispo, California. I’ve since relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I happily live with my husband Chris and our two black cats, Ziggy and Spike.
Ziggy Pawdust
Spike
So, can you fix my phone?
I mean, probably. But you can also fix your phone—I believe in you!
Honestly, my repair experience was pretty minimal before working at iFixit. I’d mended tears in clothing and hemmed pants, but that was about it. I was never really afraid of electronics repair… I just didn’t know how much was actually possible.
A whole new world opened up for me at iFixit, and I’m proud to say I’ve added a few (mostly successful) repairs to my repertoire.
I have, however, always been diligent about reusing, recycling, upcycling, and basically doing whatever I can to keep stuff out of landfills. Did you know you can even recycle your old clothes? I wrote an article about it!
Fun Stuff
I’m a huge animal lover. Currently, I volunteer at Animal Friends, a local rescue that cares for dogs, cats, and rabbits in search of a loving home. My dream is to open an animal sanctuary for animals with special needs—but, in the meantime, I have plenty of other things to keep me busy.
I’m a movie enthusiast and member of Row House Cinema, a local movie theater. I have an ever-growing to-read list, and I never leave a bookstore empty-handed. I collect vinyl records and go to way too many concerts.
I love to travel. My favorite place on earth is Yosemite. Pictures don’t do it justice, but here’s one anyways.
Mirror Lake
When I’m not talking about eating food, I’m usually cooking or baking. I’m also pretty crafty—I’m into crocheting, cross stitching, and creating art in general. I’ve dabbled in a few printmaking methods—here are some of my favorite creations:
Screenprint
Intaglio
Linocut
Articles:
From Riches to Rags: The Afterlife of Your Old Clothes
It’s Always a Good Time for Repair: Inside a Watchmaker’s Workshop (photography)
Lit By Love: The Volunteers Restoring Point San Luis Lighthouse
Hi Richard,
I'm so glad to hear that you completed this repair with success! I appreciate your helpful comments throughout this guide—it's great to have insight from other people who have completed this repair.
Hey there! iFixit is a community-based platform for people to share information. Unfortunately, we at iFixit don't have all the answers, but anyone that knows how to fix things or where to source parts is welcome to share that knowledge. In this specific instance, it looks like replacement batteries aren't available for this device. However, if this information changes, anyone is welcome to update the guide with a link to the part. I hope this helps!
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We added the relevant battery disconnection steps—hope this helps!
Hi David,
Thanks for checking out our guide! By default, all iFixit replacement guides conclude with "To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order." Our guide is intended to be a basic procedure that works for most fill valves. This particular fill valve is a Fluidmaster, and we do have an adjustment guide currently in the works. We'll also be updating our existing toilet guides, so make sure to check back soon.
We hope this clears everything up!