c/appliance-repairers

Update: I used to just replace the whole door boot seal on front loaders, but after a job in Tampa last month where the customer couldn't afford the part, I learned you can often fix a small leak with just a $3 tube of silicone and a careful re-seat.

Honestly, what other small fixes do you guys use to save a customer money when a full part swap isn't in their budget?

Crossed 500 dryer belt replacements this week, which got me thinking about the 'right' way

Some techs swear by pulling the whole drum every time for a clean install, but I've found a shortcut that saves 15 minutes and hasn't failed me yet. Which side are you on, and what's your go-to method for a Whirlpool direct drive?

2 comments

benreed•10d ago

Unpopular opinion: I tried fixing a Samsung washer pump with a universal part versus the OEM, and the OEM lasted three times longer.

After the universal pump I bought online failed in under a year, I spent the extra $45 on the Samsung part and it's been running fine for over three years now, so what's your take on using generic versus factory parts for common repairs?

2 comments

the_andrew•10d ago

That week in June where every call was a fridge with a bad compressor

I swear, from the 12th to the 16th, it was like a curse. Got six calls, all for fridges not cooling, and every single one had a dead compressor. Not a bad relay or capacitor, just a full compressor failure. The weird part was they were all different brands, a Whirlpool, a Frigidaire, two Samsungs, an LG, and an old GE. I've never seen a run like that. It got to the point where I'd pull up and just know before I even opened my tool bag. What are the odds? Has anyone else ever had a week where one specific, expensive failure just kept showing up?

2 comments

haydenharris•13d ago

Choosing between a $400 multimeter and a $80 one for my Milwaukee kit, I went cheap and haven't regretted it once.

Everyone at the supply house said I was nuts for not getting the Fluke, but after diagnosing a tricky intermittent short on a Samsung fridge board last week with my cheapo meter, I'm convinced the extra cash is for the brand name, not the function. Has anyone else found a budget tool that does the job just fine?

c/appliance-repairers

Update: I used to just replace the whole door boot seal on front loaders, but after a job in Tampa last month where the customer couldn't afford the part, I learned you can often fix a small leak with just a $3 tube of silicone and a careful re-seat.

Crossed 500 dryer belt replacements this week, which got me thinking about the 'right' way

Unpopular opinion: I tried fixing a Samsung washer pump with a universal part versus the OEM, and the OEM lasted three times longer.

That week in June where every call was a fridge with a bad compressor

Choosing between a $400 multimeter and a $80 one for my Milwaukee kit, I went cheap and haven't regretted it once.

Warning: I had to choose between a full control board swap or just replacing the relay on a 5 year old dryer

Showerthought: I used a zip tie to fix a rattling dryer drum for a year now

A homeowner in Tampa said they'd rather buy a new washer than pay me $150 to fix it

I used a heat gun on a stuck dryer pulley and got a surprise

TIL most fridge compressors are only about 60% efficient

Warning: I chose a rebuilt compressor over a new unit for a 2018 Frigidaire fridge

Honestly, I see a lot of guys skipping the amp clamp on dryer calls and it's costing them time.

Update: I spent $75 on a thermal camera for my phone and it found a ghost in the machine

Got called out for a 'haunted' dishwasher in a 1920s house in Savannah...

I was replacing the same dryer belt every six months for a customer in Maplewood

A customer in Denver told me my diagnostic fee was too high

I thought those new plastic drain pumps were junk until I saw one survive a kid's sock in a Kenmore washer.

Finally swapped out my old analog meter for a Klein Tools MM600 and the difference is night and day.

Question about a weird fridge noise that turned out to be a simple fix

Just had a Whirlpool washer door lock fail in a scary way

Shoutout to the old timer who showed me a trick with a multimeter

Spent $75 on a thermal camera for my phone and it paid for itself in a week

Just realized I was handling customer calls all wrong after a chat with a retired tech

I finally cracked the case of the singing dishwasher in my building

Unpopular opinion: I used to skip thermal fuses until my coffee maker project