c/appliance-repairers

A customer in Cleveland taught me the hard way about sealed bearings

Back in March I did a routine washer repair for a lady who had a loud grinding noise on spin. I pulled the drum and found a sealed bearing that had gone bad after only four years of light use. She asked me why I was charging her $180 for a part and labor when the machine was still under the extended warranty she bought. I explained that the warranty only covered the motor and control board, not the bearing assembly. She showed me the fine print and there it was, sealed bearings excluded because they consider them a wear item like belts. That interaction stuck with me because I used to assume all bearings were covered under any appliance warranty. Now I check the exclusion list before I even quote a job. Has anyone else run into warranty language that left a customer stuck with a big bill?

0 comments

the_laura•4d ago

I finally switched from a universal control board to OEM after 3 weeks of headaches

I was cheaping out on a Frigidaire washing machine with one of those $45 universal boards from Amazon, kept getting false error codes and the spin cycle never felt right. Then my buddy in the shop over in Toledo told me to just spend the $128 on the genuine part, and man, the difference is night and day. The machine runs quieter and the load sensing actually works now. Has anyone else fought with those knockoff boards and regretted not doing it right the first time?

0 comments

alicecooper•5d ago

Wasted $450 on a used compressor that was DOA, my mistake

Picked up a 'tested working' compressor off Facebook Marketplace in Phoenix, got it home and it wouldn't even kick on. Should've checked the windings before handing over cash, has anyone else gotten burned buying used parts like this?

1 comments

karen_west59•9d ago

Found a burnt compressor relay in a 20 year old fridge last Tuesday

Customer in Tacoma said the freezer was warm but the light worked. Pulled the panel and the relay had that classic scorched smell, sure enough it was melted on one side. Replaced it with a hard start kit for $35 and told them it buys time, but at that age the compressor is next. Anyone else see these old fridges keep running forever if you catch the relay early enough?

0 comments

julia557•9d ago

Had a dryer vent fire scare in a condo unit yesterday

Went to a job in Tacoma for a loud dryer, pulled the vent line and it was packed solid with lint. The heating element was glowing red by the time I got there. I cleaned the whole run with a rotary kit and showed the owner the pile, maybe 3 pounds of buildup. How often do you guys find vents this clogged on routine calls, and do you push a maintenance contract after? I think I lost out on that revenue for years.

1 comments

terry_jones•10d ago

Just hit 1,000 dishwasher drain pumps unclogged and my back is asking questions

Crossed 1,000 service calls for clogged dishwasher drains in the last 3 years, mostly in old apartment buildings near downtown. The kicker is I've started recognizing the exact same gunk buildup patterns by the smell alone before I even open the panel. Anyone else keep a tally of repeat offenders or am I just weirdly proud of this?

1 comments

charlie_ellis•11d ago

Still picking my old analog multimeter over the fancy digital one on compressor checks

Tbh, after 20 years in this trade, I grabbed my beat-up Simpson 260 for a start capacitor test on a 20-year-old fridge last Tuesday and it read true where my $300 Fluke gave me a flaky number. Has anyone else stuck with older gear for specific jobs, or am I just set in my ways?

2 comments

allen.ivan•11d ago

Saw a tech skip the dryer vent brush, left a lint bomb behind

Went to a job over on 5th and the previous guy had "cleaned" the vent but never pulled the line off the wall. I popped it loose and a solid 3 inch plug of lint fell right out, like a fuzzy snake. Homeowner said the dryer had been taking 2 hours a cycle, makes sense now. How do you guys handle it when you spot sloppy work from another repairer, do you fix it and charge or just tell the customer?

1 comments

williams.kim•12d ago

That 2am dishwasher call on Maple Street last week

Last Tuesday I got a call from a rental property on Maple Street, nothing wild, just a dishwasher that wouldnt drain. I figured it was the usual gunk in the filter or a clogged hose, but when I pulled the pump out, the impeller was completely snapped in half. Turns out a fragment of a wine glass had been rattling around in there for months, and the tenant said the noise had been going on since March. I had to order the part on a Wednesday, wait two days for shipping, and go back Friday morning to finish the job. My question is, how do you all handle tenants who ignore obvious grinding sounds for weeks? Do you charge extra for the second trip or just eat the gas money?

1 comments

williams.kim•13d ago

A customer's 3-word note changed how I check dryer vents

Had a lady in Columbus hand me a sticky note that said 'lint is alive' after I cleared what I thought was a solid blockage. Turns out there was a second buildup deeper in the line, almost caused a fire. Now I run a camera scope on every dryer job over 15 feet, anyone else add extra steps after a close call?

1 comments

anna_ross19•17d ago

Finally ditched my FLIR for the cheap thermal gun, here's why

I used to swear by my infrared camera for finding fridge seal leaks, but after a job in Denver last month I gave up on it. The FLIR was great for pictures but useless when I needed a quick temp read under a counter. A $40 infrared thermometer gun gave me the same data in 3 seconds without the app sync hassle. Comparison is night and day when you're doing 5 calls a day. Anyone else made the switch back to basic tools for speed?

1 comments

robinj29•17d ago

Why I stopped taking that 'always replace the board' advice

Every repair forum I read says swap the control board first, no questions asked. Last spring I had a Whirlpool washer throwing an F5 error, and my buddy Mike swore the board was toast. I almost ordered a $240 replacement, but I checked the lid switch wiring first, 45 minutes of work and a $6 connector later, it fired right up. That experience made me realize most techs push parts because they don't want to trace a simple short. Has anyone else saved a big bill by ignoring the board-first crowd?

1 comments

the_robin•19d ago

A quick chat with a landlord changed how I check dryer vents

I was swapping out a heating element in a dryer yesterday and the landlord stood there watching the whole thing. He mentioned he had three tenants complain about long dry times in the same unit over two years, and every time he just replaced the element. I asked him if he ever pulled the vent line off the back, and he said no, that the duct looked fine from outside. So I checked it, and there was about a pound of lint packed in the flex hose, nearly a full blockage. That one simple look probably saved him two more service calls and the tenants from a potential fire hazard. Has anyone else found that landlords skip the vent check more than homeowners do, or is it just my area?

1 comments

emery_young13•23d ago

Old-timer in Tucson pointed out my voltmeter habit and it bugged me all week

I was checking a dead microwave for the third time, testing continuity the same way I always do. This retired guy, 30 years in the trade, watched me for a minute and said 'you trust the beep too much, you never test the leads themselves.' He showed me how a bad set of leads can give you a false reading, costs you a return trip and half a day. I swapped in his $8 test leads and suddenly a capacitor I thought was fine showed open. Has anyone else gotten burned by cheap leads or am I the only one who skipped that basic habit?

1 comments

graceblack•25d ago

Visited a laundromat in Detroit last week and saw a washer from 1987 still running

I was in Detroit for a family thing and stopped at a laundromat on Grand River. There was this old Whirlpool washer from 1987 with a handwritten sign on it saying 'still runs better than the new ones.' The owner said he's only replaced the belt twice in 38 years. Anyone else find these older machines way easier to work on than the new computerized stuff?

2 comments

patriciareed•25d ago

My expensive mistake with a 'universal' washing machine control board from an online seller

Last summer I tried to save some cash by buying a $90 universal control board for a Whirlpool washer instead of the OEM part. The website claims it works with over 40 models and had good reviews. I spent a whole Saturday installing it, and the washer just kept throwing error codes. I tried resetting it three times and even called their tech support line that went straight to voicemail. After two weeks of back and forth with the seller, they finally refunded me, but I still lost $30 in shipping fees and wasted about 6 hours of my time. Then I had to buy the OEM board for $210 from a local supplier in Cleveland and it worked perfectly in 20 minutes. Has anyone else had bad luck with those cheap universal boards or am I the only one who learned this lesson the hard way?

2 comments

mia748•25d ago

Watched a 12-year-old Kenmore dryer go from loud to silent after a simple roller swap

Pulled apart a customer's dryer last Tuesday in Naperville and the drum rollers were basically square at this point. Replaced them with a $25 kit from the local supplier and the thing runs quieter than my own unit. Has anyone else noticed these older machines are way easier to fix than the new ones with all the sensors?

2 comments

ryan_gibson84•26d ago

PSA: Stop replacing control boards right away on Samsung fridges

I kept seeing everyone say to swap the main board on Samsung RF models when the fridge side stops cooling. Tried it on 3 units last month and wasted about $450 before I realized the issue was the evaporator fan connector getting loose. That little clip pops off after a few defrost cycles. Now I check that first and it saves me an hour of troubleshooting. Anyone else find a common fix that goes against the usual advice around here?

2 comments

hunt.quinn•28d ago

Took me 6 years to figure out I was over-tightening compressor bolts

Had a call last month on a 3-year-old fridge with a seized compressor and when I pulled the old one off I noticed the gasket was completely flattened. You ever pull one apart and just stare at the damage you've been doing the whole time?

2 comments

fox.derek•28d ago

Used to replace belts without checking the drum bearings first

Back when I started doing dryer repairs I'd swap the belt, button it up, and within 2 weeks the customer would call back about that same squeaking noise. Took me burning through 3 belts on one machine last year in Phoenix to finally realize the drum bearings were shot and the new belt was just rubbing against a wobbly drum. Anyone else learn this one the hard way?

2 comments

faith684•28d ago

Had a chat with a guy who rewired his own dryer... twice

I was trimming a poodle last Thursday and this customer's husband started telling me how he fixed his dryer himself after watching a Youtube video. He said he used a paperclip as a fuse replacement and it "worked great" for about 3 weeks before the whole thing caught fire. Anyone else ever get customers asking if their DIY jobs are safe to keep using?

3 comments

jakel36•1mo ago

Warning: that $80 universal dryer belt I grabbed off Amazon

broke after 3 loads. I was trying to save a buck on a customer's Samsung dryer, figured hey a belt's a belt right? Wrong. The thing shredded and jammed up the idler pulley too. Had to go back and replace both parts, cost me double the time and a pissed off customer. Anyone else get burned by cheap universal parts from online?

2 comments

brian_rivera59•1mo ago

Spent $180 on a good multimeter and it saved me from a fire hazard

I always used those cheap $20 multimeters from Harbor Freight. Figured they were fine for basic checks. But last month I was working on a dryer in a basement in Tucson and the reading was all over the place. Thought it was the element. Turned out my multimeter was just drifting bad. Picked up a Fluke 117 for $180 after a guy on here recommended it. First job I used it on I found a short in a heating element that would've caught fire eventually. Made me realize I was playing with fire using junk tools. Anyone else had a cheap meter give you bad readings and almost cost you?

2 comments

daniel_lane30•1mo ago

Used to hate putting dryers together... then a guy at the supply house showed me a trick

I always struggled getting those big dryer drums lined up right on the belt, took me like 20 minutes each time... This old timer at the parts counter in Tulsa told me to use a zip tie to hold the belt in place while I work the drum on. Tried it on a Samsung model yesterday and had it done in under five minutes. Has anyone else got a simple tip like that which cut their time way down?

2 comments

patricia_schmidt14•1mo ago

What is it with modern fridges and ice makers?

My neighbor's Samsung ice maker died at 14 months old last week. I tore it apart expecting a clogged line but the whole auger motor assembly was seized up. Has anyone else seen this failure pattern or is it just luck of the draw?

2 comments