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Appliantology Newsletter: Get the Apprentice Advantage!
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Category Archives: Forum
Apprenticeships at the Appliantology Academy [Screencast]
The Appliantology Academy is the place to get free, interactive appliance repair help from internationally-renown Master Appliantologists. Just create a free account and you’re good to go as a Grasshopper.
But to unleash the real power of the Academy, become an Apprentice to get repair manuals and lots of other goodies. This screencast explains the benefits of Apprenticeship, how to become one, and how to get repair manuals at the site.
Appliantology Newsletter, Fall 2010
Appliantology Newsletter, Fall 2010
0. Introduction
1. New appliance repair posts
2. There are blogs, and then there are forums
3. Website enhancements
4. Scribd document stash
5. Samurai the twit
6. Repair manuals on request… free
7. Facebook
8. Hillstomping update
9. Domo!
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0. Introduction
Like Autumn leaves wafting to the ground, another issue of Appliantology falls into your inbox. Movin’ on…
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1. New appliance repair posts
It’s been a busy three months since the last Appliantology newsletter. I’ve cranked out over 300 new pearls of appliantological wisdom since June at Fixitnow.com. Most deal with specific problems in all sorts of brands, models, and types of major appliances. But a few are of more general interest or apply to common appliance problems. Here are some highlights:
Diagnosing Dishwasher Door Leaks http://fixitnow.com/?p=4311
Diagnostic Flowcharts for GE Refrigerators With a Muthaboard http://fixitnow.com/?p=4309
Warm Refrigerator Troubleshooting Flowchart http://fixitnow.com/?p=4296
Diagnosing and Repairing Spin and Agitate Problems in a Whirlpool / Kenmore Direct Drive Washer http://fixitnow.com/?p=4272
Handling Hard Water and Mineral Buildup in Today’s Dishwashers http://fixitnow.com/?p=4260
Estimating Home Appliance Energy Use http://fixitnow.com/?p=4251
Coping with Phosphate-free Dishwashing Detergents http://fixitnow.com/?p=4454
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2. There are blogs, and then there are forums
Fixitnow.com is a blog, where I write posts and registered users can post comments or followup questions. Our forums, on the other hand, are at ApplianceGuru.com. This is where registered users can initiate questions and receive help from myself or other techs. You must register separately at both- one registration does not cross over to the other. Please do – it’s free and I wanna hear from you!
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3. Website enhancements
I got rid of that stuffy, cramped three-column layout and went to a simple two-column design. This gives a bigger content area and less junk. Have a look and lemme know whatcha think: http://fixitnow.com
We’ve gone mobile! Now you can have Fixitnow.com to go. I’ve added mobile capability to the site so it’s user-friendly for most cell phones. And there’s a special feature just for mobile users. Read more: http://fixitnow.com/?p=5353
I’m starting to build a collection of wiring diagrams, tech sheets, and schematics. As I get ’em, I upload them to the site and make them searchable to all, free of charge, always. Special domo to Sublime Master appl.tech.29501 for sending me mucho diagrams. If you have any tech sheets or schematics in good condition and you’d like to be part of this project, please email them to me so I can add them to the growing library. You can also fax them to me at 866-315-4504.
I know it can be confusing to navigate a new website so I’ve added a new orientation page that gives a quick run-down on how to use the site: http://fixitnow.com/Nm
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4. Scribd document stash
I’ve been steadily building a stash of various appliance repair PDFs on Scribd, all free and available for download. You may have seen posts at Fixitnow.com with embedded documents in a scrollable, re-sizable viewer. Those are docs in my Scribd stash. I’ve got ’em grouped by appliance type so it’s pretty easy to paw through and find what you’re looking for. Here are the links to the various collections:
Dryers: http://scr.bi/bhCHbO
Dishwashers: http://scr.bi/cRTnoa
Washing Machines: http://scr.bi/969u2L
Ranges/Ovens/Stoves: http://scr.bi/bghQxs
Ice Makers: http://scr.bi/9mSl8w
Refrigerators: http://scr.bi/cLqYqz
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5. Samurai the twit
I had given up on Twitter a few months back and just ran the RSS feed for the forum into my Twitter profile. After several months of that, I’ve rediscovered Twitter as a highly convenient venue for blasting out hand-picked pearls of appliantological wisdom gleaned from the repair forums, ApplianceGuru.com, and beyond. I also tweet out new posts from my blog site, Fixitnow.com.
I end up doing about half a dozen or so tweets a day. Here’s the link to my Twitter profile which you can follow to get the pearls I’m continually casting:
I’ve found that one of the best uses of Twitter is for short communications with you. Whether it’s a quick appliance repair question or you’re having trouble finding something at my site or using the repair forum, Twitter is perfect for this. When you send me an @ message on Twitter– a message that begins with “@FixitnowSamurai”– I see it and can reply right away. This is superior to email because:
1) It’s brief! Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters. I get tons of email, lots of it looong rambling, hard-to-follow sagas of broken appliances. If I were to give all the email the attention they need, I wouldn’t get anything else done. Twitter forces brevity. With brevity comes clarity. Or, in pseudo-Latin, “E brevitas, claritas.”
2) No bounced emails. Another reason I hate replying to appliance repair questions via email is because sometimes people have a bad email address filled in on their return email. I can’t tell you the number of times I would stop what I was doing, take the time to compose a thoughtful reply to an email only to have it bounce. Argh!
3) The conversation is public so others can benefit from the exchange.
4) @fixitnowsamurai messages are pushed right to my iPhone and go into a special stack so they don’t get lost in the daily crush of email.
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6. Repair manuals on request… free
Aside from getting my appliance repair tweets (and the occasional tweet about other stuff), one of the big reasons you’ll want to follow me is to get repair manuals.
It is one of the Samurai’s greatest joys in life to assist his precious Grasshoppers and Apprentices in their journey to Appliance Nirvana™. If you need a service manual for your insolent appliance, just ax me!
Service manuals on request via Twitter: http://fixitnow.com/?p=5395
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7. Facebook
I only post select things at my Facebook page because the “etiquette” there is a little different than on Twitter. I average less than one post a day. But Facebook is more interactive and there’s usually more comments and back and forth. The really annoying thing about Facebook pages is that there is no notification whatsoever on new wall posts or new comments to posts; I have to go in and look for what’s new. Since when is Facebook shy about notifying you for *anything*?
But it would be awesome if you’d “like” my Facebook page. Then hopefully your friends will see that you liked it and they’ll come check it out and, well, you know, that whole sick viral thing gets going: http://facebook.com/fixitnowsamurai
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8. Hillstomping update
An Appliantology newsletter just would not be complete without a hillstomping update!
I’ve done lots of hiking since my last newsletter but here are three selected slideshows that I think you’ll enjoy. If you’re at your desktop computer, turn your speakers up to hear the music and get the full experience. If you’re on your phone, the photos will render mobile-friendly but you won’t get the music. Either way, enjoy!
Magical Sunset on Old Bridal Path: http://bit.ly/bc5TSo
Mt. Niphon (Jefferson) and Awesome Sunset on the Gulfside Trail: http://bit.ly/98d13D
North and South Kinsman with Mah Boyz: http://bit.ly/9Nws4a
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9. Domo!
Thanks for your support! Whether you buy your appliance parts thru the parts links at Fixitnow.com or ApplianceGuru.com, click the Google ads on the sites, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter, I want you to know that we really and sincerely appreciate your support. Our sites exist because of and for you.
Samurai Appliance Repair Man
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P.S. A word on Twitter clients
There’s a bewildering assortment of Twitter clients out there for every conceivable device and it can be confoosing to figure out which one to choose. I’ve used just about all of ’em and can offer you my opinion on the best Twitter clients by application, just Google them to find them more:
iPhone: SimplyTweet
iPad: Twittelator
iMac or other desktop: Chromed Bird, an extension for Google Chrome (best browser)
You may have a different opinion; that’s fine, use whatever works for you. I offer my opinion for those who have no experience with Twitter and aren’t sure how to get started.
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Used Appliance Parts Exchange in the Appliance Parts Junkyard
Howard wrote:
Dear Learned and Enlightened ONE,
I am in-process of replacing a 12 yr Maytag Neptune Washing M/C P/N MAH3000AWW due to a bad Main Control board (too $$ to fix even considering purchasing from repairclinic). Is there any value donating the known still functioning parts ie Inlet Valve Ass’y, Motor & Control board? I would ask money to reimburse S&H costs though.
Is there a forum to do so or not worth the effort?Thank You for your opinion and entertaining dialogues.
Cheers
We have just the place you’re looking for! It’s the Appliance Parts Junkyard at the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums. Just register in the forum (it’s free) and then post your goodies for all the world to see in the Appliance Parts Junkyard. It’s all totally free and it doesn’t cost anything, either. Hey, did I just repeat myself repeat myself?
If you’re looking for NEW appliance parts, come hither.
The Golden Buttcrack Award
The coveted Golden Buttcrack Award was started by disciples of Saint Applianopoulous, the patron saint of appliance techs. The Award’s name was chosen to honor the destinktive warrior’s stance that St. Applianopoulous would strike as he battled insolent appliances:
The Golden Buttcrack Award is conferred upon those Appliantology Masters who have distinguished themselves by giving exceptional appliance repair help to the heaving swarms of grasshoppers chirping for Appliantological wisdom in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums. Less than 10 Grand Masters of Appliantology have earned this coveted distinktion. The Golden Buttcrack Masters are:
- RegUS_Patoff
- appl.tech.29501
- kdog
- NSCU_laundry_tech
- Trying to help
- Pegi
- Denrayr
- Willie (aka, Budget Appliance Repair)
You can bask in the glory of the Golden Buttcrack gallery ratcheer.
Samurai Appliance Repair Forum Orphan Prevention Program
Greetings,
After joining your forum under the recommendation of a friend, I was shocked to find that you have to ‘pay’ in order to ask simple questions (I.E: Make a new thread) and to simply get answers that are directed at one’s self in order to repair a rowdy appliance.
-Tom
Hello Tom, and all the grasshoppers out there who are “shocked” that we ask for payment to post in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums. I would like to ‘splain why this is so, since most of you are probably unaware of the ins and outs of running a Mama-san and Papa-san business on the web. (And, in case you are wondering, this is our main, full-time business that keeps us and our 3 kiddos supplied with a humble thatched roof over our heads and sushi on the table.)
The main reason we charge to post a question on the forum might surprise you. It’s not because the forum represents the collective wisdom and time of a couple dozen battle-hardened appliance techs, whose previously written pearls are displayed for all to see, free of charge, since payment is only requested if you would like to have your particular problem personally attended to by one or more of these professionals. (Although seeing it written out like that makes me think that this alone would be a darn good reason to charge a measly 5 bucks!) No – the main reason that we charge a small fee is for the orphans. (Think of the children!) The orphans are the dozens of posts we used to get every week, back when posting was free, by heartless scoundrels who would post their questions at the forum, only to abandon them there. In other words, a tech would take the time to engage the grasshopper, give some initial advice, and ask for clarifying questions (most topics require a series of interchanges between grasshopper and tech to come to a glorious and satisfying conclusion). But, the rogue would never return, and the topic would just lay there – abandoned, forlorn, and unfulfilled. Worse yet, we discovered that many of these miscreants had similarly posted these same questions on other forums throughout the web, scattering them without any thought to their care and feeding.
Why was this a big deal? Because it would clutter the forum with unresolved questions, distract the techs from helping people who were engaged and attentive to their topics, and generally dishearten those of us who were working so hard to leave no topic behind. Now, with this small commitment that we ask of people, the forum is rocking with engaging back-and-forth interactions between grasshopper and expert resulting in a treasure-trove of satisfyingly complete repair stories.
The Samurai and I do feel for our grasshoppers who don’t have it easy these days. While $5 isn’t worth a whole lot anymore, it can still mean a lot to those who are suffering from the effects of our bankster-run economy. Last year the Samurai and I heard your chirps of distress and provided a no-cost way to earn posting privileges at the forum: the Appliantologist Merit Exam. We’ll keep looking for other alternatives to charging for forum posting that would still prevent the sad orphan topics that used to be left on our door step.
Thanks for visiting Fixitnow.com!
~ Mrs. Samurai
Apprenticeships in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums
Anyone can surf into the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums, search topics and read all they want absotootly free. You can even register as a Grasshopper for free. But if you want to start a new topic, reply to existing topics, send private messages, and download any of the thousands of illustrative and illuminating attachments, you have to be an Apprentice Appliantologist.
Back in March 2009, I unveiled the new forum Apprenticeships available to seekers of higher appliantological wisdom. Here they be:
After you’ve registered in the forum, you can select your type of apprenticeship on the subscriptions page.
As indicated, the Permanent Apprenticeship is the best value because not only does it never expire (so you never pay again, even if we have to raise the fee) but you get access to the Samurai’s coveted repair manual stash. I’m adding new manuals all the time and the file collection continues to grow. We’re busting at the seams! As you probably guessed, the repair manual stash uses a huge amount of disk space for storage and bandwidth to serve all those files. For now, my costs for this are stable and I don’t anticipate having to raise the fee. Hopefully this won’t change too much when the mis-named Dollar (really just a Federal Reserve Note, read the back of one) finally takes the nose-dive that everyone’s expecting.
I’ve had several people email me complaining that full access to the forum should be free, “… ‘cuz it’s on the innernet, an’ all.” And I thought to myself, I said, “Self, that’s a ding-dang good line, I’m gonna try that one on my web host and file service provider and my other site-related vendors that I use to keep my sites running.” Well, guess what? They all told me to go jump in a frozen New Hampshire lake. And I guess my time running the site (which is considerable) shouldn’t count for anything either.
Nevertheless, since the Samurai is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and of great gootness, I recognize the tough financial times we live in and so created the Appliantologist Merit Exam as a way for folks to earn an apprenticeship without having to pay anything.
Lots of folks have taken the exam. As they say in the Dojo, “Many have tried; many have died.” Nah, it’s not that hard– the exam has a pass rate of about 60% so most folks who take the exam pass it. You have to score over 75% on the exam to pass and you’ll become a Merit Apprentice Appliantologist. If you ace the exam, you’ll join a small, elite group of Buckaroo Banzai Appliantologists— less that 5% of examinees achieve this distinction.
But there are a couple of downsides (aren’t there always?) to going the exam route vs. paying:
- The exams are graded by hand, which means you won’t have full access until I grade your exam. Since I’m just one guy (albeit, one very talented and good-looking guy) and I get slammed with lots of exam results every day, it could be a few days to a couple of weeks (sometimes more *gasp*) before I get to your exam. But, maybe the wait is worth five measly beans to you. Your call.
- The current Merit Apprentices (but not the Buckaroo Banzais) will all expire when the new exam is released. I originally intended to write a new exam every quarter but, as usual, that was waaay too unrealistic. However, a new exam will be written sooner or later. When that happens, the Merit Apprentices will all revert back to Grasshopper status with its limitations. At that time, you can either take the new exam or purchase an Apprenticeship.
The Appliantologist Merit Exam is meant as an alternate route to Apprenticeship. So if you’re already an Apprentice Appliantologist of one flavor or another, help save what’s left of a senile Samurai’s sanity and don’t take the exam– I barely have enough time to grade all the exams from Grasshoppers as it is. Muy domos, compadre!
Samurai Dryer Repair School: Now Accepting New Students
Dryer no workee but you have no idea how to even begin fixing it? No worries, grasshoppah, the Samurai’s got just whachoo be needin’ with the Samurai Dryer Repair School. Learn how to repair your own dryer in the comfort of your own garage. But space is limited so enroll today!
(Live action shot from our webcam of a Samurai Dryer Repair class now in session. This could be you!)
Repair Forum Server Migration Update
Been struggling through a server migration with the repair forum this weekend. It’s a big database, over 1 GB, and migrating it to another server is no trivial task. I’ve been working closely with my webhost, Data1Systems, throughout the whole ordeal. After a false start, I thought it was mission accomplished yesterday– forum was back up and running on the new server and zipping along, question were being posted and answered. So I laid my silly butt down to bed with an unfurled brow and unclenched gut. But when I got up this morning to check in with the repair forum, all I got was a blank white screen. Oh, foul, bane iniquity! So… we’re hot on it and hope to have it back up and running today. I’ll keep you posted here.
UPDATE: And we’re back up! Come on in to the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum and we’ll hepya fix your broken appliances!
The Tool Box: Tool Talk for Tool Heads
Started a new forum at the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums for TOOLS. It’s called The Tool Box. This is such an obvious forum to include; I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier! Must be all that cold mountain air freezing my brain.
Anyway, this forum is all about tool talk for tool heads and cool tools for fixit fools. Found a cool tool you want to share? Or made a tool for a specific repair? Well, come tell us about it. Also, specialty tools for appliance repair and tool recommendations from Master Appliantologists. Come rumble in The Tool Box.
Intrepid Apprentice Conquers a Whirlpool / Kenmore Direct Drive Washer with a Lazy Spin
If you’ve been too intimidated to repair your own appliances, come read this exciting saga of how Tampa Patty replaced the clutch in her washing machine. Tampa Patty is a stouthearted Apprentice in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum. She had never repaired her washer before and didn’t even know how to take it apart. But by reading the many pearls of Appliantology here at Fixitnow.com and getting a little help from her friends in the Laundry Forum, she replaced the clutch in her lazy-spinning Kenmore washer and fixed it! Her triumph over the forces of Entropy should inspire you to gird up your loins and engage the battle with your own appliances.
To help others along The Way, Tampa Patty made this talisman to summon the gods of Appliantology and assist you. May your hammer be mighty!
Apprentice Tampa Patty has demonstrated patience, perseverance, manual ability, and courage that is exemplary to other Apprentices. To recognize her achievement, the Samurai is pleased to present to Tampa Patty the coveted Samurai School of Appliantology Apprentice of Distinction Award.
You can do it, too! First, join the repair forum. Then become an Apprentice and you’ll be able to fully participate in the colossus of all thing appliantological, the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums.
OK, let us conclude this sermon with a mystical Haiku of Appliantology. For best results, this haiku, like all Haikus of Appliantology, should be read under soft lighting and while burning incense. Let the words penetrate your inner being and you will soon experience the profound peace of appliance satori.
Lethargic washer
refused to spin without help.
Replaced burned out clutch.
Now Playing: The All-New Screencast of How to Get Started in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums
Now playing on a monitor near you, the Director’s Cut edition of our award-winning screencast, “Getting Started in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums.” With completely new footage all shot on location here at Samurai International Headquarters, you don’t want to miss it. And it’s “now playing” all the time! Watch the thrilling escapades of Pointy the Happy Mouse Arrow in his adventures in Samurai Land. You’ll gasp in amazement as he clicks the link to register! You’ll swoon when you see him navigate the forum with the effortless grace of a gazelle! And your heart will swell with pride when he becomes an Apprentice Appliantologist and learns to start new topics in the repair forum!
The New and Improved Samurai Appliance Repair Forum is Up and Running!
The Eagle has landed! The world-famous Samurai School of Appliantology, is up and running, fully intact and operational, at our new campus. We also upgraded to new forum software while we were at it. And we had a custom theme developed for us so the forum blends in visually with this site. All in less than two weeks and that during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays! Thanks to the great folks at Data1Systems, everything went slicker than snotcicles on Mt. Lafayette. Major domos to Jim Hale and Di at Data1Systems!
The new forum software, called UltraBB, has several built-in visual design layouts called “themes.” If you haven’t registered in the repair forum yet, then you’ll see the spiffy, new forum theme by default. If you joined the forum prior to this move, then the forum will look like this to you. If you’re a forum member, you can change your forum theme anytime you want to in your forum preferences. I recommend you set it to the “Appliance” theme for the optimal Samurai School experience. 
Oh, I could have locked everyone into the theme I wanted everyone to see. But that’s not the Samurai Way. That’s because the Samurai is all about choice and empowering people to take control of their Informational Modalities®. Heck, you can hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us ‘cuz, at the Samurai School, you git it yooouurr waaay!! 
As always, the Samurai School is open to anyone and free to read, peruse, and search for wisdom. If you’d like to download any of the thousands of illustrative attachments or post a question, you must enter the Dragon.
There’s still a bunch of moving in stuff to do, links to add and other tweaks. But that’ll be ongoing work while the dojo is in session. Right! You got questions, I got sciatica; now let’s get stuff fixed! 
The Samurai School of Appliantology is Moving…
That's right, my fellow appliantology acolytes, Sunday evening (1/11/09) this forum is moving to a new, more powerful server that will serve up forum pages faster than Mrs. Samurai serves up spam and grits!
But wait, there's more!
It's not just a new server– we're also upgrading to new forum software. You'll find it to be functionally very similar to this board but with some waay cool improvements. And a FREE cappuccino maker! … well, not really, but it does have a spiffy, new custom-designed look (check it out)!
So, the forum will go down Sunday evening and the transfer will thus commence. None of your posts or replies or anything will be lost! But the forum will be down for about 12 to 24 hours, depending on how long it takes for the domain name change to reach your particular webhood.
While the forum is transferring, I'll have this temporary forum set up for questions. You don't have to register or anything to post questions; it's totally open. I'll shut it down after the transfer to the permanent forum is complete.
How will you know when it's complete? Just keep coming to ApplianceGuru.com and, when it looks like this, you'll know you're at the new and improved forum. Eess seemple, da? Ha, ha, ha, you seely Ameedicans! 
A little bump in the road, my dear tomodachi, and we'll be back better than ever! Mucho domos for being cool about it. 
Getting Started in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums: The Movie
The Samurai Appliance Repair Forums are where you can get interactive help with your appliance problem. I get lots of emails from folks who are new to compooters and/or new to online forums and can’t figger out how to get help in the repair forum. Since he is compassionate and of great gootness, the Samurai made a short video for his precious grasshoppers on how to get started using this forum. It includes how to register and how to post a question.
To watch the video, download it from the link below:
http://www.mediafire.com/?h3pn9eo1z3z
It’s less than 10 minutes long and it’s full screen so you can easily see what’s going on. You’ll need Quicktime to view it, which you can download for FREE ratcheer.