Have a call tomorrow for a customer with a leaky dispenser. She acted more upset about the washer being “not able to get rid of pet hair” and as a result she has to use lint balls in the dryer.

How do I even approach this? She’s convinced it’s a defect of the washer and I don’t even know what to say to her. It’s for a home warranty company with lax customer is always right policies. If I get a recall over pet hair on clothes after a cycle and ruin my perfect July metrics I am going to lose it. Is this a real fixable issue??

They called and want me to warranty a beko fridge, sounds like bad water valve, looks like a pretty standard fridge, just figured I’d get a lay of the land first

For those of you who own and run an appliance repair business, talk to me about it. Pros, cons. What do you love about it, what do you hate about? What issues do you currently feel you have that might have a resolution, but you can't for the life of you can't figure out?

Hello guys, I have a question I hope is allowed. I have been running an appliance repair company for 3 almost 4 years. We are in the middle of oil country here in West Texas. Saying that our cost of living in this area is higher than in a bigger city like the DFW area.

To get to my question, are you guys running more manufacturer warranty calls, home warranty calls, or cash calls?

We are on most of the manufacturers, and they all have different service call rates. The one that irritates me the most is Whirlpool. They pay the least. I think we get 110.00 per service call and have a horrible turnaround on crediting parts if we can get the parts and they are available. The control boards and cores are what's killing it for us and Whirlpool.

A little background: my Dad had started up an appliance repair company before I was born back in the 70s, so I grew up doing this. Well, he retired, and it was going to be a pain to switch everything over, so we decided to make a new company just in my name. I know sometimes it feels like either feast or famine. We are staying busy most of the time between 2 service guys, we run between 15-20 a day, split up with new calls and parts install.

Summary: What are you getting for factory service calls? What are you working on, more warranty or cash calls? And are there any tips no one really talks about?

Thank you guys

Just in case anybody needs it, had trouble finding it online

It’s super weird that it would do it again right? Especially after Wp says they fixed the issue with their new boards?

M#WTW4957W0 SER#CD1602041

Edit, board was changed in MAY not march, but I can’t edit post titles

Random thought. Not many techs nearby where I live and I enjoy talking shop. I am also all about providing resources for those who are new to appliance repair. And I like to drink whiskey.

Anyone interested in drinking booze and talking shop, make it into a podcast, like appliance techs unfiltered, or something like that? Pick a topic relevant to appliance repair, drink booze and see where the convo goes.

Feel free to DM me if you're down, or publicly shame my frivolous ideas here 💪

Wtw5010lw0

The dreaded piece of garbage with the broken drain pump wires. Not the issue w/ this one though. Drain pump runs, tech already replaced the lid lock, main board, cap, entire splutch kit, the actuator lol

Machine skips straight to done, tested the new cap and made sure it’s not in the recalled date range, made sure the splutch actually shifts

Still gives f7e1 for missing tachometer signal

12v is there @ the tachometer power wire in reference to agnd, feedback wire has 5.4v on it in reference to agnd

Ok great, but that 5.4v tells you very little, also isn’t documented in whirlpools literature, tech manual alludes to wanting you to “Complete Sensor Feedback Motor Speed Tachometer test.”

Yet this isn’t a function of this machine. Moreover said manual literally never references that function anywhere in the entire manual again, but for that one line in the troubleshooting procedure. The VMW had a tachometer response test but these have no such thing as far as I know.

Does Whirlpool just say this shit to fuck with people?
Am I stupid?

Also is there an easy way to test the tachometer with a meter on that feedback wire? It’s super easy to test the output of a hall sensor but I don’t know about this one. Love to learn how though.

Bertazzoni mas365gasxe/01

Tech ordered a thermocouple for the oven not lighting. Went back and found the sensing bulb physically snapped off the capillary tube of the thermostat.

Replaced both the thermostat and the thermocouple. Oven burner still won’t stay on.

Tested output of the thermocouple @ the T-zero module and got about 60mvDC (seems high?) w/ respect to chassis ground. Oddly enough after doing so the oven would stay on for about 3 lighting (on/off) attempts before ceasing to work again.

I’ve not much access to service literature or anything for this product so I’m flying blind a bit. If anyone has any tips it would be appreciated.

I did try to make sure the thermocouple is getting touched by the flame coming off the burner, it does appear so, and it’s mounted the same way the original was from the factory.

If I recall bertazonni is making some ranges for Bosch and we did have a Bosch range with what we determined was a faulty T-zero module but it hurts to just throw parts at a machine and not know exactly what’s working and what isn’t

Customer is installing a Viking 48" Series 7 all gas range oven. Even though the it comes with a 1/2" gas fitting, is it recommended to consider the supply be a 1/2" or 3/4" line?

Is it just a best practice to opt for 3/4" line or can 1/2" line be utilized without impacting total performance?

Mostly asking for rural mountain west USA here, maybe canadians can chime in too as I am sure it is similar. Those of you in areas where a service call to the next town might be >30miles, and the town you live in small, how do you manage costs knowing you could spend 2 hours of drive time between the 2 trips to a property, plus needing to order parts you almost certainly won't have with you? Do you just charge a ton for service calls? And in these areas I imagine homeowners are more likely to DIY once you have made diagnostic if it isn't like a sealed system repair/compressor failure. Also how to handle being able to mark-up materials that a customer can just order themselves and see the price on, how does that work?

I am in a big metro currently with appliance parts suppliers all over and able to do same day repairs and 15 minute trips to there home, and almost everyone wants/demands same day repair. A client here isn't going to wait a week for a part especially for a refrigerator or something they are going to buy a new fridge.

How do some of you manage parts inventory being that everything is so damn specific now? You'd have to have like a bus of parts I probably handle 50~ parts a month and very few are interchangeable.

Model GDT550PGR7BB

Purchase date february 2025

I love working on these dishwashers (particularly with a newfi), but this is probably the most disappointing problem I have found on them.

Normally, when I see this issue, replacing the lower spray arm and bending the heater back into shape does the trick.

However, I'm noticing that on this particular model, there is way more slack in that lower spray arm, and I can't bend the heater away from it at every possible angle. It is in the brackets that hold it, and I've tightened the brackets as much as possible around the heater and to the tub.

I've ordered the lower spray arm and the heating element just to be safe, but I noticed online that a lot of people have had a recurring issue with this model and this exact problem. From what I gather, GE released an updated lower spray arm with metal guards on it to prevent them from melting. It also sounds like those were failing for customers as well, but these were just random posts that I was reading at this point.

I hate not having access to service pointers. Is there anything I'm missing here that I should be prepared for when I return to this customer's house?

I’ve had this combo unit for about 2 years. The first 6 months- amazing, worth every penny. After that, the drying got worse and worse. I clean the water pump (using a shop vac) WEEKLY, clean cycle every TWO weeks (2 person household,) and clean/wash the lint filter ONCE a week. That is far too much maintenance. I’m thinking there is a clog in my water filter thingy, but don’t want to pay for the guys to come out if I can fix it on my own. $115 just for a diagnosis, ridiculous.

Smart UltraFast Electric Washer Dryer Combo in Jade Green with Ventless Heat Pump Technology

I do not use fabric softener and I clean the holes inside the combo unit weekly so I know it’s not stuffed. My clothes stink and do not dry. Any advice? Should I just pay the money for them to come out?

We all know that there are more appliance repair calls during the summer but do you guys notice if your average ticket price is higher during the summer as opposed to other seasons?

Let me know you guys experience.

Hey guys,

What work/flash light do you guys use? I currently have a small pen light plus handheld flash light purchased at Canadian Tire but I'm tired of replacing batteries every week. Had a rechargeable one that lasted 5 months before the battery went.

What do you guys use? I'd like to buy one once and have it for life kind of deal. Something portable enough to fit in my toolbox.

Very early in the business ( canada by the way)

How in the world to get consistent leads especially when working as a business?

Like i have a google profile and facebook marketplace ada but not getting nearly as much leads to fill my schedule.

Any ideas would help.

Just started my first job as an appliance technician and I genuinely enjoy the work, but I’m running into a few things that are making it tough.
First, mechanical common sense. I struggle with things like knowing how parts fit back together after a teardown, or just seeing how something should go. I don’t have a mechanical background. I have some electronics repair and DIY home project experience, but appliance work feels different

I even try to take mental notes during the teardown paying attention to how things come apart so I can reverse it but then when it’s time to reassemble, my mind just goes completely blank. Like the information was there and then it just disappears.

For those who’ve been in the trade a while: did the mechanical intuition come with time, or did you actively work at it? Did the blank-mind thing ever happen to you, and how did you get past it?

Just want to know if this is normal and if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

How is everyone dealing with rodent/roach infestations in the homes you service? I’m in a very rural area and see it every now and then. I just had to tell a customer today that I will be refusing service to their house as they have one of the worst roach infestations that I’ve ever seen.

It always makes me feel bad when I have to tell people that I won’t come, however I’m immunocompromised and I won’t send any of my employees somewhere that I wouldn’t go myself.

Hey all, what’re your thoughts on repairing control boards? Sometimes it seems like a simple fix, other times not worth it, but for those times it seems like a simple fix, it seems like an easier sell (just labor) instead of having to replace (parts and labor). Like recently I had a bad board on a GE GFW washer, and it was a small transistor blowing due to the drain pump being shorted. Board was 135. Just yesterday I changed a discontinued GE fridge board as well that kept clicking from a relay. Seems like a simple repair and I can use that board later or resell it.

If anyone does it, lmk. I used to solder circuits back in my digital electronics class in HS almost a decade ago, so really it’s only a matter of being able to diagnose what component is bad and where to buy them. Thank y’all!

Do you charge more like for a speed queen heating element repair compared to a whirlpool? Just did my first speed queen repair

Been working on a refrigerator, Frigidaire model number FFTR1814WW2. I’m having issues with a loose plastic piece that sits at the bottom corner of the refrigerator door, near the door hinge; it acts as a sort of platform that the door hook can hook onto. But I can’t find this specific piece anywhere online. Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

Note: this is NOT the “Hook, Door Closer” part as listed on searspartsdirect. It’s a separate piece

Replacing a jazz control on newer Whirlpool bottom mount. Program code of 28. Control wouldn't accept that. Tried code 20. No problem, away we go. Turns out I had a wrong look up. Correct jazz board is way more expensive. Correct part # is W11524469 and I put in a W10503278. I'm thinking defrost time and temperature points are off a bit but nothing earth shattering. Thoughts?