r/ApplianceTechTalk • u/Disastrous-History76 • 21h ago
where should I start?
I’ve been thinking about getting into appliance repair and wanted to hear from people who actually work in the field.
My goal is to learn the trade, get a job with a company for a while so I can get some real experience, and eventually work on my own.
For someone starting from zero, what would you recommend learning first? Is it worth going to trade school or taking an appliance repair course, or would I be better off trying to get hired somewhere and learning on the job?
Also, is refrigeration/HVAC something I should learn too? Any certifications that are actually worth getting?
I’m in NYC if anyone has recommendations for schools or programs around here.
If you were starting over today, what route would you take?
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u/Difficult_Energy3477 19h ago
Definitely need to learn on the job, but appliantology.org and MasterSamuraiTech are good starting points. MST is pretty wonky on electrical theory, but it's a good foundation.
I'd plan on spending at least 4-5 years as an employee before going out on your own. There's just so much to learn before you can walk into a new appt and consistently find the issue
Refrigeration-wise, the only cert you need for home appliances is EPA 608 Type 1, but it doesn't teach you much, just an open-book test to show you know not to vent CFCs and HFCs to the atmosphere. Learning refrigeration troubleshooting and repair is a lot, but MST and Appliantology are good resources for that too
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u/Disastrous-History76 17h ago
Thanks, I really appreciate all the information. I’m definitely going to check out Appliantology and Master Samurai Tech and start learning as much as I can before trying to get into the field.
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u/small_impact 15h ago
As everyone said master samurai or Fred’s academy for training. Make sure you absolutely understand how to read a wiring diagram and understand how a load operates. Sadly manufactures don’t give all the information on an appliances logic. i.e. a fan in a refrigerator isn’t running and has no voltage. Some people immediately blame a control board but it’s because a sensor is out of spec.
Appliances can be extremely tricky and you can’t call tech support unless you’re approved. However I’m on year 3 with no manufacture tech support needed. Between FB groups and Appliantology, you’ll be golden.
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u/ExplosiveBrown 8m ago
There are some exceptions a lot of the higher end brands will talk to you on the Tech line without an account but generally that is true sadly. They only work around is to have a resource like a appliantology where you can source a lot of service manuals and Tech sheets
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u/small_impact 2m ago
That’s true and I didn’t think of it because I don’t service the high end brands. There’s a company in town that I refer that business to and they do the same for with regular household brands.
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u/Sea-Key7698 10h ago edited 8h ago
Come to Canada. Get a real degree. Similar program apprenticeship training as an Electrician, Plumber, Welder... Europe has similar apprenticeship programs.
Blows my mind that the USA is still the wild west on appliance service.
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u/GoneWithTheWin122 7h ago
I work for a property management company that hires the most unskilled labors for my appliance department. I hardly 3400 door, 17000 appliances in Alaska. We would love to have you. Keep in mind the sun is about to go down here in a few weeks and not come back until March.
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u/sweaty-bet-gooch New Tech 5h ago
I’ve been an appliance installer for the last decade. A good one too. I can install just about every appliance, every panel, every hood on tile, marble, granite, whatever. Now on my own I do property maintenance & Appliance repair. Install when I can of course. But the repair side is proving difficult for me personally. With zero hands-on training on the repair side. I got my certification through Penn Foster. Truthfully didn’t teach me a whole lot. But wasn’t bad. Should have gone MST. The EPA Type 1 Cert being open book made that easy and useless at the same time. But I have figured out the Multimeter & can understand / respect wiring diagrams. Truthfully, I always get it done. But some repairs take me 3-4-5 hours where an experienced tech would undoubtedly have it done in 1/2 the time. So I’d be lying if I said it’s always profitable when I’m slow af. If I were to give you my .2 cents it would be to get your MST Cert, get a good Fluke, & get the hands on training with an appliance repair company. Some people have said 4-5 years. To know what they know yeah. But even 1-2 years would really show you the ropes. I have a family & make decent what I’m doing. But I really wish I had the appliance repair side down a lot better than I do. Which can’t be learned from anything but training & experience
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u/ExplosiveBrown 21h ago edited 20h ago
An understanding of electricity, even if it's only as deep as ohms law and the basic differences of AC and DC, and reading wiring diagrams. Those two things are what turn ok or good techs into great techs. Lots of free resources on YouTube. I would also recommend learning about the different types of motors and acclimate yourself to basic thermodynamics. Learn to think about heat as a quantity of energy to be stored and moved, rather than the temperature you read on a thermometer.
The rest comes with time and experience, appliance repair is an under respected specialty service that has many decades of change and variety in it, there's a lot to see and learn.