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Samurai Appliance Repair Man's Blog

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About this blog

Pearls of appliance repair wisdom from the Appliantology Forums

Entries in this blog

Circuit Fu - Reviving the Ancient Lost Art of Appliance Repair

Whoo-WEE, things sure have changed in the 20 short years I’ve been doing appliance repair! The appliances themselves have changed from discrete mechanically-controlled machines to computers that do appliance functions. But the level of skill among technicians has changed, too. Somewhere along the way, essential skills like a working knowledge of basic electric circuits and using schematics to develop troubleshooting strategies have gotten scarce. In other words, there’s a critical shortage of Ci

Although You May Not Realize It, You Are Technological

Today, science tells us that the essence of nature is freedom. The planet is radiating sonar energy. Serenity is the driver of inseparability. We are at a crossroads of spacetime and dogma. The cosmos is calling to you via frequencies. Can you hear it? How should you navigate this unlimited universe? If you have never experienced this source undefined, it can be difficult to exist. The world is approaching a tipping point. It is a sign of things to come. This journey never en

Master Samurai Tech Radio Episode 15

Another all-new vodcast episode of Master Samurai Tech Radio! In this killa episode: - Weekly tech training webinars, aka., Office Hours, for MST Academy students and Professional Appliantologist members here at Appliantology. - Webinar recordings available for both students and PA members. - Open Q&A Office Hours- a great time to ask questions about a schematic or tech sheet that you're having troubles understanding.  - Live Tech Help at Appliantology.org!  Subscri

The Appliantology Live Tech Help Chatroom

Mah Breverens, As you may know, I hold weekly, live tech training webinars for Master Samurai Tech Academy students and I recently included Professional Appliantologist members here at Appliantology in those those webinars as well. I know, I know-- that was already a 10 on the Awesome Meter® and, just when you thought it wasn't humanly possible to get any more awesome value out of your Professional Appliantologist membership, we've gone and cranked it up to 11 by adding Live Tech Help! 

Understanding and Troubleshooting with Bosch Schematic Diagrams

Bosch schematics are notoriously cryptic and look different from the schematics used by other appliance manufacturers. But electricity still works the same way in Germany as it does in Korea, the US, or anywhere else in the known universe. Don't let the unfriendly nature of their schematics fool you into thinking otherwise! Once you understand a few simple conventions used by Bosch, you'll be troubleshooting with Bosch schematics as easily as you use Whirlpool's or any other manufacturer. 

Using the Schematic to Troubleshoot a No-Op Problem in a Whirlpool Alpha Platform Front Load Washer

Using a Whirlpool Alpha Platform WFW94HEXW0 front load washer as an example, we're going to use the schematic and that gray muck swirling betwixt our ears to troubleshoot a no run situation in this washer. The scenario is that the display panel lights up, you hear the door lock go THUNK! and lock the door but then... nuttin'.  Learn how to troubleshoot using schematic analysis like a real appliance technician at Master Samurai Tech.  

Happy Orthodox Easter! Christ is Risen!

Today, Orthodox Christians around the world (myself included) celebrate Orthodox Easter (also called Pascha in many traditions). This year was a big offset from Western Easter because of the difference between the Gregorian Calendar used in the West and the Julian Calendar used by Orthodox Christians for calculating the date of Easter. Although the dates are different, it's the same celebration.  The traditional greeting used by the Orthodox during the Paschal Season (from Easter to Penteco

Master Samurai Tech Radio Episode 14

In this long-awaited episode: - Mr. Appliance tech training website powered by Master Samurai Tech - ASTI 2016 recap and discussion - Industry news - trends in the evolving appliance repair profession - Tech training webinars at Appliantology.org and MasterSamuraiTech.com - Bidness Talk: "Where can I hire good techs?" - Tool Talk: Information tools for more effective appliance repair service calls  

The Future of Appliance Repair - The Internet of Things

You guys have heard me say in webinars and elsewhere that we are going through a paradigm shift in the appliance repair trade. Gone are the days of Buttcrack Bubba. Parts Changing Monkeys are already obsolete and everywhere going out of business-- and good riddance! At the same time, techs who keep learning the new technologies being incorporated into appliances are thriving and have growing businesses.  Appliance techs today have nothing substantive in common wit

Master Samurai Tech to Provide Online Appliance Repair Training for Mr. Appliance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Master Samurai Tech to Provide Online Appliance Repair Training for Mr. Appliance  New London, NH, USA, February 14, 2016 - Master Samurai Tech, a nationally-recognized online appliance repair training academy, has been selected to provide technical training to Mr. Appliance franchisees and technicians.  Master Samurai Tech will create a custom training website exclusively for Mr. Appliance

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Appliantology is Your Key to Appliance Repair Service Call Success!

The Old Skool method of doing service calls was to go out on the call and pray to the pot bellied Buddha that the tech sheet was still hidden somewhere on the appliance. The plan being that, if the tech sheet was still there, you could stare at the lines and squiggles long enough to convince the customer you had reached a definitive and scientific conclusion about the problem.  My friends, I'm here to tell you that the Internet has made this Monkey Boy way of doing bidness obso-frikkin-lete

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Appliance Techs or Computer Techs?

Appliance techs servicing today's modern computer-controlled appliances need both analog and digital skills to be effective. This is exactly why we teach these skills at the Samurai Tech Academy. More and more people are realizing this, too. Here's an industry leader who agrees! http://mastr.tech/1MfkcCt

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Master Samurai Tech Radio, Episode 13

In this year-end vodcast, Samurai Appliance Repair Man and the Mrs. Samurai do some reminiscing about all the great students we’ve worked with during 2015, the new features we’ve added to the Samurai Tech Academy's state-of-the-art online appliance repair training courses and we describe even more improvements coming in 2016!   Read more or watch below:     Subscribe or listen to past episodes at mstradio.com.

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

New and Improved Download Program for Chief Appliantologists

We’ve had to make some adjustments to our server because our server resources were being pushed to the max. It was getting to the point that it was affecting the stability and performance of the server. And it was affecting Professional Appliantologist users who pay an annual fee to support the site.   When server resources get limited, you can do one of two things: 1. get a bigger server 2. allocate server resources among users   We did the bigger server thing a few years ago and, while it help

Happy Thanksgiving 2015!

I'm giving a Mondo Mucho Domos to all my Brethren in the Craft who, through their participation, help make Appliantology the premiere tech support site on the web!   I'm also thankful that we're working in such an interesting trade, with abundant new technologies and humans to continually challenge and delight us-- keeping it real, yo!   Wishing you all a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day!  

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Live Appliance Repair Training Webinars for STA Students

You already know that the Samurai Tech Academy provides superior technical training for appliance repair professionals. And now, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, we’ve gone and cranked it up to 11 by offering free weekly live appliance repair training webinars for enrolled students starting this coming Monday!   Think of the webinars like Office Hours where students can drop by for extra instruction and ask questions about their course work.   Samurai's regular Office Hours ar

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Master Samurai Tech Radio, Episode 12 [Special Video Edition]

Industry Talk: - BSH- what's the "H" stand for? - Charge your smart phone from your refrigerator *wirelessly* with WattUp technology.   Master Samurai Tech news: - New post on how loose electrical connections, like splices and terminals, can produce enough heat to burn wires and insulation. http://mastersamuraitech.com/loose-electrical-connections-and-heat/ - Recapping the dismal and outdated state of appliance repair training today. YouTube makes hands-on disassembly training obsolete. What we

Loose Electrical Connections and Heat

We all know that loose electrical connections cause multiple problems in appliances, heat being the most common one. But why does this happen? And what are the other negative effects on the circuitry and other components of the appliance? With a little help from our trusty friend Ohm’s Law, I will reveal all in this video tutorial. As a bonus, I'll also debunk a common myth that loose electrical connections cause a circuit to draw more current. Come with me now on a Journey of Total Appliance En

Master Samurai Tech Radio, Episode 11

In this episode...   - Upcoming webinar on Schematic-foo: ancient Samurai art using tech sheets as deadly weapons in appliance repair. Get details here: http://appliantology.org/calendar/event/768-schematic-workshop-webinar/ - Appliance product training today: we don't need hands-on, we need brains on. The future is here NOW! - Bidness Talk: Pricing your services; fixed and variable costs; how much should you be charging for repairs? Strategic customer selection and when to fire your customer; P

Master Samurai Tech Radio, Episode 10

- We're back from our bidness trip last week but Mrs. Samurai has a cold so this episode is mostly Tech Talk. - Visit to American Appliance in Golden, CO, one of Sub-Zero's premiere partners. - Recap of Dacor training in their Android-controlled ranges - GFCIs and AFCIs. What they are, what they do, how they're different, and current NEC requirements. - Voltage and current in series and parallel circuits.   Listen here or subscribe on iTunes or Android.  

Master Samurai Tech Radio, Episode 9

- Samurai and Son of Samurai are off to Dacor training. - Manufacturers focusing on producing higher-profit upscale major appliances and what this means for your service bidness. - Sub-Zero doing a huge expansion in Wisconsin to crank out upscale dishwashers and ranges. What are these manufacturers seeing that you should also be seeing as an appliance repair company? - A recent Samsung warranty debacle shows how there’s a huge need for skilled appliance technicians but the trade is still ate-up

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Master Samurai Tech Radio, Episode 8

Industry News: an interesting twist in the legal drama surrounding the GE-Electrolux merger. GE’s biggest laundry product launch in 20 years: yet another top-loader? Future tech: are ultrasonic dryers on the horizon?   Appliantology News: Traipsing through the various incarnations of the Samurai’s online appliance repair forums and groups (first one on the internet in 1997!) right up through the present incarnation as Appliantology.org. Discussion of the various membership groups at Appliantolog

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Master Samurai Tech Radio, Episode 7

In this special episode of MST Radio, the tables are turned and instead of being the host, Samurai Appliance Repair Man is a guest on another radio show, the Scott Horton Show. We discuss the changes going on in the appliance repair trade today and the opportunities this creates for skilled appliance techs. Whether you’re contemplating a new career in appliance repair or are a seasoned veteran in the trade, the Samurai explains how the Samurai Tech Academy can teach you the technical and busines

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

A Tribute to Parts Changing Monkeys

I've been beating on Parts Changing Monkeys (PCMs) pretty hard lately and, honestly, I think it's a bit overdone. The under-appreciated PCM is a vital part of my business because they make me look good! My Brethren in the Craft, please join me in thanking these stealth promoters of our business-- the many, the vile, the Parts Changing Monkeys!  

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

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