c/appliance-repairers

Had a week where every single fridge I touched had a dead compressor

I pulled five dead compressors across three days in July, including one where the customer said 'it just stopped cooling' and I found the capacitor melted to the terminal block, and then the next day a guy in Oakdale told me his freezer was fine but the fridge was warm, and it was the same story on a six year old Whirlpool, so has anyone else hit a random run of the same exact failure five times in a row?

3 comments

thea857•16d ago

Found a way to fix a noisy fridge compressor with a rubber mallet

Last week I had a fridge in an old apartment that was rattling like crazy every 15 minutes. I tried tightening bolts and cleaning coils but nothing worked until I gave the compressor a few light taps with a rubber mallet to reseat it. Has anyone else used a percussive fix like that or is there a better way to stop compressor chatter?

3 comments

veram99•16d ago

Spent $35 on a capacitor tester and it saved me a return trip to a rental property yesterday

I had a fridge that kept tripping the breaker in a duplex. Could have been a compressor, could have been a bad start relay or capacitor. Instead of guessing and swapping parts, I used the tester to check the capacitor in about 30 seconds. It was dead. $14 part and I was done. Has anyone else found a tool like this that paid for itself fast?

2 comments

barbara_baker57•16d ago

Had to pick between replacing a dryer belt on site or taking it back to the shop

I chose to do it on the customer's back porch last Tuesday, but the tension spring snapped halfway through and I had to run to the supply house anyway. Has anyone else tried the on-site route and regretted it?

2 comments

iris574•17d ago

The weird noise trick I found on a Samsung fridge last Tuesday

Had a Samsung refrigerator that had been making this low hum for weeks. Customer was convinced the compressor was going out. Turned out the drain pan underneath had shifted just a bit and was vibrating against the metal frame. I shoved a piece of foam weatherstripping between them and it went dead silent. Anyone else run into a simple fix that sounded way worse than it actually was?

2 comments

johnson.daniel•17d ago

Pro tip: stop using those cheap multimeters from harbor freight

I compared a $7 harbor freight meter to a $50 fluke on the same dryer heating element last week. The cheap one showed 120 volts when the fluke showed 240, nearly sent me chasing a ghost problem. Anyone else had a cheap meter steer you wrong?

2 comments

ross.kevin•17d ago

What's the move for old compressors - scrap em or sell the copper?

I found 4 dead compressors in my truck last week and I'm torn between taking a crowbar to them for the copper or just tossing them at the scrap yard whole for $5 a pop. Any of you guys ever cash out big by pulling the windings, or is it not worth the elbow grease?

2 comments

nora_dixon•17d ago

Spent 5 years flipping breaker switches before I checked the actual wiring diagram

I was doing a call on a 3 year old Samsung washer last Tuesday in a rental property near Springfield. Customer said it kept tripping the breaker mid-cycle. I swapped out the control board, the motor, even the main harness before I finally looked at the wiring diagram that came with the unit. Turns out the neutral was sharing a terminal with a ground in the junction box from the original install. That was a $400 mistake on my end before the customer even paid me. How do you guys normally catch stuff like this without blowing your own time and money? Did I just miss something obvious here?

2 comments

black.pat•18d ago

That job in a crawlspace near Austin changed how I pack my tools

Last month I had a dryer repair over in Round Rock, the vent was completely clogged and the thing was stuffed under a house with maybe 18 inches of clearance. I brought my usual big bag and it took me 10 minutes just to wiggle in and get my gear sorted. Now I carry a small pouch with just the basics, screwdriver, multimeter, and a few bits, and leave the rest in the truck. Anyone else find themselves ditching the heavy tool bag after a tight spot?

3 comments

lucaslee•18d ago

Rant: Samsung dryers have gotten worse since 2020

I was out in Anaheim last Tuesday working on a 2023 model that threw a tumbling error code on its third use. The control board was dead and it took two weeks to get a replacement part from the distributor. Has anyone else noticed these newer models failing way faster than the old ones?

3 comments

paigem45•19d ago

Changed my mind about those fancy diagnostic multimeters after watching a guy at a shop in Austin troubleshoot a fridge in 5 minutes

I saw him plug one into a Samsung control board and it told him exactly which relay was stuck shut, so now I'm thinking about dropping $200 on one - anyone else made the switch from a basic meter?

3 comments

ben_nguyen•19d ago

I finally found a workaround for those tricky Frigidaire ice maker harnesses

Last Tuesday I had a Frigidaire model FFHS2311PF that kept throwing a no-ice error even after replacing the auger motor. The harness connector near the back wall is super cramped, and I kept getting intermittent contact. I ended up cutting off the factory plug and using a standard 4-pin weatherpack connector I had from auto work - works perfect now. Has anyone else had to mod a harness to get a reliable connection on these newer models?

3 comments

derek_schmidt6•20d ago

Finally cracked 200 dishwasher repairs this year, which is wild since I started in March

I was just going through my log and realized I hit 200 dishwasher repairs yesterday. That's way more than I expected since I only picked up appliance work part-time in March after getting laid off from my factory job. Has anyone else been surprised by how fast a niche specialty like dishwashers can add up?

2 comments

the_oscar•20d ago

That time I fixed a loud dryer with a folded-up piece of cardboard

Customer called me out to a noisy Samsung dryer that sounded like a jet engine, and after two hours of checking drum rollers and glides, I finally found a loose vent flap buzzing against the housing and shoved a folded piece of cardboard under it to quiet it down for a quick fix. Has anyone else macgyvered something with random scraps instead of ordering a part?

2 comments

the_paul•22d ago

Had a Samsung fridge compressor die at 13 months - just out of warranty by 30 days

Customer called me in a panic last Tuesday in Portland. Fridge stopped cooling overnight, freezer was fine. Pulled the back panel and sure enough, the compressor was hot enough to fry an egg. Samsung warranty is 12 months on parts. They wanted $650 for a new compressor plus labor. Told the guy he'd be better off buying a different brand. Has anyone else noticed these Samsung compressors failing right after the warranty window? What do you tell customers when they're looking at a $700+ repair on a fridge that's barely a year old?

2 comments

johnson.daniel•22d ago

Tried swapping out a Frigidaire ice maker vs a Samsung one and I ain't going back

Spent last Saturday wrestling with a Samsung ice maker in a 2021 model fridge in Akron and it took me 4 hours just to get the stupid auger assembly lined up right. Did a Frigidaire unit for a neighbor earlier that week in 45 minutes flat with no cursing. Why do they make these things so impossible to work on?

2 comments

oscarw83•26d ago

Does a 10 minute diagnostic fee really cover the time or should we be charging more?

I stopped at a shop in Dayton last week and the guy at the counter swore he never charges less than $50 just to walk through the door, but I've always kept it at $15 - what do you all do for call-out fees?

3 comments

lopez.karen•26d ago

Found out the hard way that dishwashers have a secret spot for food to hide

I was at a call last Tuesday in a little house off Maple Street, and the lady says her dishwasher has been smelling like a dead animal for weeks. I figured it was the filter or maybe something stuck in the drain pump, so I pull the kickplate and start looking around. Three years of doing this and I still get surprised sometimes - I found a whole chicken bone wedged between the outer tub and the insulation blanket. It must have slipped down during a rinse cycle and just sat there rotting. The smell when I pulled it out was so bad I almost gagged right there in her kitchen. She just laughed and said her kid loves drumsticks and probably dropped it loading the racks. Has anyone else found weird stuff hidden in weird spots on dishwashers or is it just me?

3 comments

the_oscar•28d ago

Didn't believe in surge protectors for fridges until last Tuesday

Always figured a fridge compressor could handle a power bump, then a customer's unit died after a storm hit their block. Found the board fried clean through, $350 repair. Now I tell everyone to slap a $25 surge protector on it, you guys agree that's worth it?

3 comments

willow_morgan•29d ago

That moment I realized I was cross threading drain pumps for years

I was swapping a drain pump on a Whirlpool washer last Tuesday and noticed the threads on the new pump were catching before the old one ever did. Turns out I was forcing them in at a slight angle the whole time, which is why I kept replacing pumps every 18 months. Has anyone else had a simple habit screw up their repair longevity without realizing it?

2 comments

joseph_adams66•1mo ago

Spent 6 months changing dryer belts the hard way before a customer showed me the trick

So I was wrestling with a belt on a Samsung dryer last Tuesday, took me like 20 minutes to get it routed right. Customer was watching me and just goes "you know you can pop the drum out instead of fighting it through the front, right?" I felt like an idiot. All that time I was taking the top and front off and trying to thread the belt around the drum while holding tension. Now I just pull the drum out, put the belt on the drum first, and slide it back in. Takes 5 minutes tops. Anyone else discover a simple fix they wish they learned sooner?

3 comments

the_ryan•1mo ago

Pro tip: customer complaint about noisy dryer changed how I check rollers

Had a lady call me back three times last month on the same dryer. I kept thinking it was a bad drum glide or maybe a loose belt. She finally said "listen closer, it only makes noise when the dryer is half full." That got me thinking. I went back and ran it empty then with a load. Sure enough, the rear roller was catching only with weight on it. Now I always test dryers with a wet towel inside before I call it done. Makes a huge difference. Anybody else had a customer point out something you missed?

3 comments

nathana48•1mo ago

Debate about using OEM parts vs. generic ones on fridge repairs

Had a chat with a guy named Mike at a supply house yesterday. He swore generic compressor start relays are fine for most jobs, but I've had three callbacks this year from using them on Whirlpool refrigerators. He said 'saving the customer $40 is worth the risk,' but I'm not so sure. How do you guys decide when to push for OEM parts even if the price stings? Does your shop have a rule about it?

2 comments

julia_miller24•1mo ago

Hit 200 microwave repairs last month and still didn't expect that one

When I hit my 200th microwave fix last month, I realized I'd replaced more door switches than I have fingers on both hands. Anyone else lose count of how many of those little plastic nubs snap off as you're walking out the door?

2 comments

kelly_nelson95•1mo ago

I finally realized why so many people mess up dryer vent cleaning

I've been doing house calls for 15 years and I see the same thing over and over. People think cleaning the lint trap is enough, but they never check the vent hose. Last week in a house in Springfield, I pulled a solid 8-foot long plug of lint from a vinyl hose behind the dryer. That's a major fire risk and makes the dryer work three times harder. The homeowner said they clean the trap after every load, but hadn't touched the vent in the 5 years they lived there. How often do you guys find you need to explain the full cleaning process to a customer?

3 comments