c/appliance-repairers

I used to think those little magnet clips for holding wires were just a gimmick

My coworker in Tampa swore by them for keeping dryer vent hoses tidy, and I finally tried a pack on a tricky dishwasher install last week. They saved me a solid 15 minutes of wrestling with zip ties and didn't snag on anything. What's a tool or trick you were wrong about?

Got a Frigidaire front loader in Denver to stop smelling with a vinegar trick

This thing had that awful mildew smell no matter what I did. The customer was ready to toss it. I ran a hot cycle with two full cups of plain white vinegar, then wiped the door gasket with a half vinegar, half water mix. Smell was gone in an hour. What's your go-to for stubborn washer smells?

Shoutout to the guy in Renton who told me to just replace the whole dryer

I was fixing a 2015 Whirlpool dryer with a bad heating element, and the homeowner said I should just tell him to buy a new one because 'they don't make them to last anymore'. This was after I already had the back panel off and the part in my hand. When was the last time a customer tried to talk you out of a simple, profitable repair?

Had a big fight with my boss over how to handle a tricky fridge job last week

We got a call for a high end fridge in a downtown condo, not cooling right. I found a slow leak in the evaporator coil, a real pain to get to. My boss wanted me to just patch it with epoxy and recharge it, said it would save the customer a grand on a new coil. But three years ago, I patched a similar leak in a unit out in the suburbs and it failed again in six months. I argued we should replace the whole coil, even though it's a longer job. He said I was wasting time and the customer wouldn't pay. We ended up doing the patch, but I'm not happy about it. What do you guys do when you find a small leak in a sealed system? Do you always replace the part, or try a fix first?

Update: My approach to diagnosing fridge compressor issues shifted completely after a 2022 training seminar.

I used to just listen for the hum and check for power, but now I always check the PTC relay and capacitor first with a multimeter. It saves about 20 minutes per job. Anyone else find this new method faster?

Had a talk with my plumber neighbor about appliance parts

He was fixing his own dryer and mentioned he always checks the thermal fuse first, because in his words, 'it's a five dollar part that fails more than you'd think'. I've been doing this for eight years and always went straight for the heating element... but he's right, I checked three calls this week and two were just the fuse. How often do you guys find a simple part is the real culprit after assuming it's something bigger?

PSA: A customer in Tacoma told me my service call write-up was confusing

I was leaving a note on a repaired dryer and the homeowner said he couldn't tell what part I replaced or why. He pointed at my shorthand and said, 'Just write 'replaced idler pulley, P/N 279640, belt was slipping.' I started using that plain language format on all my invoices last month. Has anyone else had a client ask for clearer notes, and what do you include?

Question about those old Maytag Neptune washers

I was replacing the transmission on one in a Denver basement last month, and the homeowner's kid pointed out I'd been using the wrong socket size the whole time (it was a 10mm, not a 12). Anyone else have a simple tool mistake that cost you a bunch of time?

Found a weird fix for a Samsung washer that wouldn't drain

Honestly, I got a call for a washer stuck on spin in a basement apartment. The pump was clear, no clogs, and the error code pointed to the drain motor. Tbh, I was about to order the part, which was gonna be like $120, but the customer really needed it that day. Ngl, I was stumped. So I unplugged it, tipped the machine back, and gave the whole bottom a solid thump with the heel of my hand right near the motor housing. Plugged it back in, and the thing just started humming and drained like a champ. It's been running fine for two months now. Has anyone else had a weird percussive maintenance moment actually work on a modern appliance?

Just hit 1000 fridge compressor swaps in my log book

I was adding up my service calls from the last quarter and the total hit 1000 exactly. It took me eight years to get there, starting with my first solo job on a 2015 Whirlpool side-by-side. The weird part is I never thought I'd keep count, but seeing that number in my own handwriting felt solid. Anyone else track their specific repair numbers like that?

Pro tip: stop using that old multimeter for fridge compressors

I was at a job in a high rise downtown, working on a fancy fridge that kept tripping its thermal overload. My trusty Fluke 87V showed the compressor windings were fine, so I spent an hour checking everything else. The owner, an old timer who was watching, finally asked to see my meter. He pulled out his own and got a reading of 0.8 ohms on the start winding, while mine showed a clean 3.2. My meter's leads were so worn the internal resistance was throwing off low ohm readings. I've had that meter for over a decade and never thought to check the leads. How many of you actually test your meter leads for resistance before diagnosing a compressor? I feel like an idiot.

A squirrel tried to fix a dryer vent in my backyard last Tuesday

I was out in my yard in Springfield, trying to clear a clogged dryer vent on my own unit. I had the back panel off and the hose pulled out, and I went inside for maybe five minutes to grab a longer brush. When I came back, a big gray squirrel was sitting right on the lint pile, stuffing its cheeks full of the stuff. It looked up at me, gave a little chatter, and then dove headfirst into the open vent hose. I just stood there, brush in hand, watching this tail twitch as it pushed further in. I had to gently pull the hose off the wall and shake it out over the grass to get the little guy to leave. He ran off with a mouthful of my lint, probably to build the warmest nest in the county. Has anyone else had wildlife try to 'help' with a repair job?

Finally bought a $150 thermal camera for my phone to find heat leaks in compressors, and it's already paid for itself.

Bought a $25 inspection mirror with a light and it's my new best friend

I was working on a stacked washer dryer unit and could not see the back of the control board for a loose wire. Grabbed this cheap mirror on a stick with a little LED light from the truck. Found the problem in two minutes instead of pulling the whole unit out. Anyone else have a cheap tool that saves you hours?

Vent: Finally got a 20-year-old dryer's drum rolling smooth again after three visits

It was a seized rear bearing that the owner didn't want to pay to replace initially. What's the oldest unit you've brought back from the brink?

Can we talk about those jobs that look easy but eat up your whole day?

I had a call for a fridge not cooling right, just a basic check. The owner said it was maybe the thermostat. I got there, tested it, and it was fine. Then I spent over three hours chasing a tiny air leak in the evaporator coil line. The leak was so small my detector barely picked it up. I had to take apart half the back panel and use soapy water to finally see the bubbles. What should have been a one hour service call turned into almost five hours on site. Has anyone else had a simple fridge repair turn into a major hunt like that? What's your go-to method for finding those super slow leaks?

Had a weird one with a Samsung fridge ice maker last Thursday

The customer said it was making a loud grinding noise, and when I got there, the whole auger motor assembly had basically shaken itself loose from the mounting plate... I've seen them fail quiet, but never this loud. What's the weirdest failure mode you've run into on an ice maker lately?

I chose to replace a full compressor on a 10-year-old fridge instead of selling them a new unit

The customer in Tacoma had a high-end Sub-Zero that would have cost them over $4,000 to replace, but the repair with a new Copeland compressor and labor came to $1,200. They were thrilled to keep their kitchen matching set, and the unit has been running fine for eight months now. When do you all decide a major repair is actually the better call for the customer?

I picked a universal motor over a specific model for a 2018 dishwasher repair last month

Had a real 'aha' moment with those new LG washer drain pump filters

I used to just clear the obvious gunk, but after a service call for a slow drain, I started pulling the whole filter housing and checking the impeller for hair wraps, which fixed it. Anyone else notice these newer models clogging differently than the old ones?

Appreciation post: the old wire brush and vacuum trick for a tight flue

Had a 2018 gas dryer in a tight laundry closet last week where the flue was completely blocked, so I used a 3/8 inch wire brush on a drill and my shop vac to clear it in about 15 minutes without taking the whole unit out.

I swore by analog testers until last year's heatwave

Thought they were more reliable than digital ones... but a tricky compressor diagnosis changed my mind for good.

Why do appliance makers use so many different screw types?

It slows down every repair when I have to switch tools constantly.

Spotting a trend where clients prefer fixing their gear over buying new

It's a small win when you can help them save and reduce waste.

Turned down a buddy's request to rig his dryer with a faulty part.

I couldn't risk a fire just to save him a few bucks!