recinos wrote:

I have a GE Dryer, DDG6580GDLAD which quit working. I bought a multimeter (Craftman 3482141) to help me find the parts that are not working. However, reading the instructions for the multimeter is completely foreign to me. What I need is a crash course on how to use it. I read some of your information on it use and now have a vague idea. What I need is an Instructions for Dummies.

Thank you!

_______________________________

Message sent from IP: 66.214.149.184

Come in, grasshopper, and find shelter from the storm. I’ve written an easy-to-understand primer on making basic electrical measurements for your ineffable inflatus.

Pearls of Wisdom
Originally uploaded by Zenzoidman.

Jedi Appliance Guy refers to archived pages of wisdom from the World-Famous Samurai Appliance Repair Forums as he prepares to do battle with a Maytag Neptune washer to replace the boot seal.

Somedays, after running service calls and dealing with one or two USDA Grade A pricks, I conjure up images of my day where all I do is go to unoccupied homes, fix the appliance, take the check left for me on the counter and then head off to the next job. Even though most folks are really cool to work for, about one customer in every hundred is a real ball-buster– they’re the ones that make you wanna leave humans outta the repair picture.

One of my readers, J. “Dusty” Tingstrom, captures this spirit perfectly in her ode to appliance techs:

Just for the Samurai Repairman:

As a fixer I’m hoping to see

Less need for to fix the fixee

May the good mechanized

Just be less eulogized

So more time for more beer there will be.

J. Tingstrom

9/05

Did she capture every tech’s on-the-job prayer, or what? But it don’t work that way in the real world now does it? Nope, there’s other people involved every step of the way, from the initial call for service to the collecting payment and leaving. And this reveals a fact of life about doing professional appliance repair that many techs just don’t get:

You don’t just fix appliances– you also fix customers.

You could be the best tech in the world, with an encyclopedic knowledge about the innards of all appliances, ranging from the low-end to the exotic, but if the customer thinks you’re a ‘tard, what have you gained? Once the customer puts you under the technician microscope, they’ll find some reason to think you’re incompetent and didn’t fix the appliance right. Maybe they’ll think it sounds funny or smells funny after you fixed it. Whatever. The point is, you gotta fix the customer– fixing the appliance is only part of the job while you’re there in the house.

How do we fix the customer? By communicating with them in a straight-forward manner; by not bullshitting when you don’t know something; by doing everything you said you’ll do, when you said you’ll do it; by taking care not to crap up the customer’s home while you’re in there; and, of course, by fixing the broken appliance and standing behind your work with a meaningful warranty.

Susan wrote:

Thank you, Samurai, for your table of the half-life of appliances. The Maytag gas dryer in my rental unit wouldn’t heat. The pilot light wouldn’t stay lit and following the instructions on the access door for lighting the pilot didn’t help. The dryer was not new when I bought the property 17 years ago. Your table helped me to decide that, this time, it is probably not worth it to spend the money and aggravation to try to repair it. I’ll check with you next time one of my appliances is “on the fritz”.

Honor to you!

Susan

_______________________________
Message sent from IP: 68.253.208.116

Your visit to my website seeking appliance wisdom honors me!

The problem with your dryer was most likely a fouled pilot assembly. I don’t even know if burner parts are still available for pilot-ignition gas dryers. Nevertheless, let’s do a repair benefit analysis from the superior persepective afforded by reading my enlightening tome, “How Long Should Appliances Last?” which you mentioned in your email.

Looking up dryers in the appliance half-life table, we see that dryers have a half-life of 13 years. Since your 17-year old dryer is four years older than the half-life, your chances for a successful repair on this dryer is approximately 35%. Lemme put it this way: If one of my local customers were to call me to schedule a service call for this dryer, I would encourage them to get a new one.

You made the right decision.

Magical Kenmore Model Number Decoder
Originally uploaded by Zenzoidman.

Awwite now, Bubba, one thang you gotsta under-freakin’-stand is that Kenmore ain’t no manufacturer of appliances. Nawsir, “Kenmore” represents nothin’ more than a bunch of bureaucrats at Sears who sit around and write specifications of and haggle over the price for someone else to make their stuff for them. Period. There ain’t no “Kenmore” factory somewhere in Malaysia or anywhere else.

So, who makes Kenmore stuff? Well, lots o’ folks. You can tell by looking at the three digit number to the left of the decimal point in the model number. Did I slide that’n by y’too fast, Slick? Read it again: the three digit (that means individual numerals) number (that means sequence of digits) the left of (that means not to the right of) the complete model number (which is a big ol’ hairly long ace number).

Still confoosed, Grasshopper? Let’s take a ezzample. S’pose I gotsa Kenmore refrigerator (or “refirgerator” for the keyboard impaired) with a model number of 363.58097890 and I need to know who actually made that fridge. Well, using Figure 1, above, I look up the “363” portion of the model number and, lo, GE done made that fridge! It’s just like FM (freakin’ magic), ain’t it?

One of the Master Appliantologists at the Samurai School of Appliantology, TomBBY, wrote up a nice backgrounder piece on LG, Siemens, and Samsung appliances. If you’re in the market for new appliances, you need to read this!

____Original Message_____
From: TomBBY
Date: 2005-09-28 12:35:49
Subject: LG and Siemens Appliances

I have noticed reading your site that you had no listing or information for a couple of products we carry, so I thought I might share a little wisdom with you. 🙂

Siemens washers, dryers, ranges and OTR microwaves are carried by Best Buy, and quite possibly some others. These majors are produced by Bosch of America (in the Carolinas, I believe), while the OTR is manufacturered for them by LG (Lucky-Goldstar).

LG and Samsung are mostly coming from South Korea (the ones from North Korea tend to explode, so we don’t buy them! 8-0 ), and the BEST of the two is definitely the LG. We have only had two LG refrigerators in 2+ years come in with an electrical problem, and it didn’t affect the way they cool. 99.9% of the problems we have with LG is scratch and dent out of the box. Otherwise, they are one of the most trouble free appliances I have ever sold. I actually get customers returning to the store to thank me for selling them this appliance!

The LG laundry products are practically bullet-proof. The only problem we’ve encountered so far, is a door buffeting problem, that was fixed with a free kit of four shim/washers for the inside latch – to bring the door closer to the drum. That was only in the early units – no later units have had even that problem! If you compare the LG washer/dryer to the Whirlpool Duet (which we also sell), it makes it very difficult to sell a Duet. Even with Whirlpool’s name recognition, the LG laundry pair is just such a better performer (and superior in design) than the Duet. LG really made these machines well.

The only loose canon in the whole kitchen group in the Siemens dishwasher, which although VERY quiet (runs at 48 dbs), is decidedly being produced in the same plant as the Bosch – or at least with the same design. However, the Bosch units list a 42db rating over their Siemen’s counterparts. The LG is also rated at 48db, (and ALSO looks suspiciously like the Bosch!) but with it’s sealed sides it’s hard to believe that it produces much noise over a low hum. I have had customers contact me after installing one of these (LG) in their home, remark at it’s low water usage, easy control, and virtually no noise – even when installed into an island!

Samsung refrigerators are doing MUCH better than they did when they first appeared on the MAJAPS scene, but they are still not up to the quality of a Whirlpool or LG product. While they make their own refrigerators (and I believe their own “special design” OTR microwaves) their ranges and dishwashers are CLEARLY built by Maytag. However, since Maytag has left a bad taste in BBY’s mouth, so to speak, the only Maytag built products you will now find on our floor are Hoover products.

If you look hard enough, you will notice that Sears is using both Samsung and LG designs/builds for their Kennmore OTR line! You will also notice that the LG design is being used for Kennmore’s Trio (French door style) refrigerators, as well as Amana.

Thanks, Tom!

The Appliantology newsletter for July-August-September 2005 is out! Amaze your friends, confound your enemies with your esoteric appliance repair wisdom. To get your very own, FREE, personal copy of this widely-sought after and award-winning journal of appliance enlightenment, just click here.

Happy fixing!

Samurai’s Ichiban Law of Appliance Repair: Never replace a part unless you have proof that the part is bad.

This distinguishes the Samurai School of Appliantology from the Monkey Boy School of Appliance Repair. When I replace an appliance part, it’s because I have proven that the part is bad. This proof could be something subtle, like an electrical measurement, or something simple, like laying eyeballs on a burned wire connection.

Samurai’s 2nd Law of Appliance Repair: All machines break.

I don’t care how much you paid, who made it, or what the salesperson told you, appliances are just another type of machine. And all machines, like everything else in the physical world (including our bodies) tend inexorably toward entropy, i.e., they wear out and breakdown. The corollary to the 2nd Law is to buy appliances that are easy to repair because, at some point during its useful life, you will be repairing it. Speaking of useful life, how long should appliances last?

Samurai’s 3rd Law of Appliance Repair: Measure twice, order once.

Ok, you’ve diligently observed Samurai’s Ichiban Law of Appliance Repair and have proven that a part is bad based on some type of objective observation. If this observation involved making an electrical measurement, such as voltage, current, or resistance, then make that measurement TWICE just to be doubly-woubly sure that you didn’t make a mistake. Common mistakes in making electrical measurements include not making good contact with your probe and not removing at least one wire from the component before making a continuity or resistance measurement.

Samurai’s 4th Law of Appliance Repair: Beliefs are for religion, not appliance repair.

In appliance repair, we use test instruments to quantify the problem and draw definitive conclusions about cause and effect. Hope, beliefs, and wishful thinking don’t get stuff fixed, unless it’s by pure, blind luck.

Samurai’s 5th Law of Appliance Repair: Electronics and wet appliances do not mix.

Manufacturers love using fancy electronical boards for things that used to be done by simple, reliable mechanical switches. I see these boards fail frequently and at far greater expense than the good ol’ mechanical switches. But the failure rate of these cheesy, over-priced electronical boards in the wet appliances (washer, dishwasher, ice and water dispensers on refrigerators) is excessively high. If you have a choice when buying new appliances, opt for the models with few or no electronic boards.

Samurai’s 6th Law of Appliance Repair: Begin troubleshooting right at the problem.

Where else you gonna start? No water coming in your dishwasher? Start at the water inlet valve. Gas oven won’t bake? Start at the ignitor. Go right to the main thing that ain’t doing its thang.

Samurai’s 7th Law of Appliance Repair: All leaks are visual.

Let’s say your washer is leaking. You see the water seeping from under the washer cabinet. So you go online to the Samurai School of Appliantology and say, “my washer is leaking, what should I do?” And we’ll tell you to remove the front panel and get some eyeballs on where exactly the leak is coming from. Same deal with your dishwasher– remove the kickplate and peer underneath with a flashlight while it’s running to spot the source of the leak. Get the picture?

Samurai’s 8th Law of Appliance Repair: Fix the obvious problems first.

If you have an appliance that you think may have several things wrong with it, you have to break down the problem into smaller component problems and then fix each one. Usually, when you fix the obvious problem first, you find that it was the only problem all along. Other times, you cannot even diagnose the other problems until you’ve fixed the obvious one(s).

Samurai’s 9th Law of Appliance Repair: Nothing kills bio-gookus like chlorine.

Just remember this next time you’re dealing with a restricted condensate drain in your refrigerator. Bio-gookus loves to grow in dark, moist environments like condensate drain tubes and they’ll restrict the flow the same way plaque does in arteries.

Samurai’s 10th Law of Appliance Repair: Never move an appliance to make a repair unless you absolutely have to.

This is one I learned the hard way. You never know what you’re gonna run into (that you didn’t need to) when you move an appliance. And, worse yet, you may end up creating a new repair that you hadn’t planned on. The classic example is pulling a dryer out just a few inches only to find that it had some impossible dryer vent connection that requires a contortionist/gymnast to re-attach. Oy!

Samurai’s 11th Law of Appliance Repair: Raw power is dirty power.

All electricity is not created equal. Power quality varies widely from place to place. Depending on where you live, power at the wall outlets in your house could have all kinds of garbage on it. Stuff like voltage surges, sags, swells, and spikes can kill electrical and electronics equipment. In this modern era of using electronic control boards in appliances for the jobs that simple, reliable mechanical switches used to do, all your appliances should be protected by simple surge protectors at the least. Just like you wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) plug your computer directly into the wall outlet without using some type of surge protection, neither should you expose your appliances to naked, raw power.

Samurai’s 12th Law of Appliance Repair: Neutral is not ground; ground is not neutral.

Under normal circumstances, neutral and ground should have the same, or close to the same, electrical potential. But, electrically, neutral and ground are not the same thing and serve entirely different purposes. Back in the old days, they were often used interchangeably, as with the old three-wire dryer and range cords. But, after lots of people got themselves fried or burned their houses down due to a ground fault, “They” decided it would be a good idea to respect the distinction between ground and neutral. Hence the new four-wire dryer and range connections.

Samurai’s Golden Rule of Appliance Repair: Never trust customer diagnostics.

I’m too embarrassed to admit how many times I’ve been burned by violating the Golden Rule. You’ll get some customers that are so eloquent and seem so erudite and technically proficient that you’ll be tempted to accept their diagnosis over the phone (at their insistence– to save money, of course). So when you bop on over with the special-ordered part that doesn’t fix the problem, you’re now in a quandary: how do you charge for this wasted repair effort and the cost of returning a special-ordered part…if you can even return it? Most electronic boards cannot be returned once they’re installed. The hard lesson is to always do your own diagnosis, no matter how much the customer insists otherwise.

I get asked this a lot. Ordinarily, I’d say no. But there is one HUGE exception. Check it out, yo.

Appliance Wisdom

Water Leaking into Dryer Outlet

GE WASHER ROARS DURING SPIN CYCLE

Broken Icemaker? Buy a New Refrigerator!

Whirlpool Microwave Ovens Overheating

How to Avoid Dryer Fires

Kenmore Oven Door Lock Problem

Too much detergent… dishwasher won’t drain!

War Story: Leaking Frigidaire Front Loader

ASKO Dryer- belt stringing (T700)

GE: Bringing Anything-but-Good Appliances to Life

Fisher Paykel Dishwasher, DD602, Won’t Start

Technique of the Master: Wiring in a New Defrost Thermostat

The Way of the Samurai

Field Notes: Maytag Side-by-Side Refrigerator Warming Up

Field Notes: Maytag MAV Washer Won’t Run, Just Buzzes

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Harisutosu hukkatsu! Jitsu ni hukkatsu!

Hillstomping Update, Mt. Kearsarge

Hillstomping Update, Sandwich Dome 05052005

Hillstomping Update, Bond Cliff 05172005

Hillstomping Update, Cannon Mountain 05242005

Hillstomping Update, Edmands Col 06012005

Will You Survive the Coming Financial Crash?

Hillstomping Update, Mt. Garfield 06032005

Hillstomping Update, Mt. Monroe 06082005

Appliantology Newsletter for April 2005