Jump to content
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Use code 10YEARS10 to get 10% off your Appliantology membership. Click here for more ×
Click here to check out this guide

FAQs | Repair Videos | Academy | Newsletter | Contact


Samurai Appliance Repair Man's Blog

A blog by Samurai Appliance Repair Man in General

  • entries
    862
  • comments
    1,398
  • views
    2,718,115

About this blog

Pearls of appliance repair wisdom from the Appliantology Forums

Entries in this blog

The Willie Method ™ for testing a microwave oven magnetron tube

Sometimes, when you're troubleshooting a microwave, it can be tricky to tell whether or not the magnetron tube is bad. In the case with many GE microwaves, the magnetron can test good according to the filament resistance specifications yet fail when you're actually trying to get the damn thing to heat up your bagel. One of the outstanding Master Appliantologists at Appliantology.org, Budget Appliance Repair (a.k.a., Willie) offered the following procedure for assessing the operational state of t
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

3

Soot: A Clear and Present Danger in your Gas Oven

I was at a service call on gas range the other day for an oven that wouldn't bake or broil. The cause turned out to be a bad range control board. Nothing unusual about that. The astonishing thing with this range was the inside of the oven cell-- all the surfaces inside were coated with a thick layer of soot (click the images for a larger view): This is NOT a normal condition in any gas range. If you see soot accumulated on your oven cell walls, even a little, STOP USING IT AND GET IT CHECKED O

How to retrieve the error codes and enter diagnostic mode in a Whirlpool Duet Sport - Kenmore front load washer

If your washer stops mid-wash or starts flashing an error code or won't start at all, the first thing you'll want to do is retrieve any error codes that may be stored in the control module. This can give you a clue on where to start hunting for the problem. Grand Master Reg has posted the procedure for entering service mode in your washer so you can read any stored error codes and run the built-in diagnostic program: Source: Kenmore Front Loader Flashing Lights Mod#110.46462501
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

0

Refrigerator Troubleshooting and Repair: Ice, Frost, and Condensation

A common problem with refrigerators is the appearance of various forms of water in places where it shouldn’t be. Examples are: water at the bottom of the freezer and dribbling out the door in a side by side refrigerator; fuzzy frost built up on the back wall inside the freezer compartment; moisture on beer bottles and the side walls inside the refrigerator compartment (also called the Beer Compartment); solid slab of ice on the bottom of the freezer compartment. In each of these examples, we’re
Tech Talk

Sealed system repairs: the mystique, the reality

Many professional appliance techs do not currently offer refrigerator sealed system repairs but are thinking about adding it to their service repertoire. In this post, I’ll offer some thoughts to help you decide if this makes sense for your service area. I'll also offer some resources for learning sealed system repair if you decide that makes sense for you. I encourage any of my Brethren in the Craft to post their comments and experience.  The false mystique of sealed system repair  Fi
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man in Tech Talk

26

Whirlpool Cabrio / Maytag Bravo / Kenmore Oasis Washer Tub Bearing and Seal Replacement Kit

Tub bearing failure and seal leaks are just one of the repair joys that await the unsuspecting owner of these machines, especially if you're using non-HE detergent. Used to be that when the tub bearing or seal failed, you have to replace the entire tub because Whirlpool didn't sell the bearing and seal separately. The tub assembly alone runs $300 Part number: AP5306816 After much wailing and gnashing of teeth from both victims, er, I mean owners of these machines and the professional applian
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

1

Replacing the Fuse on the Main Control Board of an LG Refrigerator

This LG refrigerator was DOA- warm inside, no compressor operation, no lights, no nuttin'. Found a blown fuse on the main control board. What took out the fuse: bad board or just a spike on the power line? I show how to check for that.  The fuses on these LG boards are soldered in and not easily replaceable. But a new fuse can be installed and I show how to do that without even having to remove the board, while it's still installed in the refrigerator.  Learn appliance repair at http:/

Official Appliantology Service Call Mugs™ now available

Brethren, we're always looking for new ways to establish credibility and trust with our customers. This is an especially difficult task in our trade because of the many hacks, shysters and parts-changing monkeys that infest our venerable Craft. Now you can instantly show your customers that you're not just another PCM-- nawsir, you can show them that you're an appliantological GOD with the Official Appliantology Service Call Mug™! There's just no surer way to inspire trust and confidence in

How to properly replace the thermistors in a refrigerator: an illustrated and annotated guide

A special treat today, kids: Sublime Master Bob-tech is featured in this week's edition of Techniques from the Masters™ for replacing the thermistors in a GE refrigerator. The technique demonstrated here is on a GE bottom-mount refrigerator but the same technique applies to all brands and types of refrigerators that use thermistors for temperature sensing. The idea is that you want those connections to have as little resistance as possible, ideally less than 1/2 ohm. Samsung, for example, pre

Troubleshooting a Whirlpool Dishwasher with the Clean Light Blinking Seven Times

Here's the low-down on a Whirlpool (or Kenmore-labelled, Whirlpool-built) dishwasher that has the Clean Light blinking seven times. In other words, blinks seven times, pauses, then repeats. The reason the light is blinking seven times is because the control board is looking for a specific temperature rise in the water in the basin and is not seeing it. "Well, if the water temperature ain't rising, then the heater must be bad, right?" Maybe. But other things besides a bad heater can cause the wat
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

1
Memberships

Free Trial Membership at Appliantology

Are you a professional appliance repair tech and want to see what this Appliantology thing is all about? Here’s how to get a free sample membership. All you have to do is send in the form below to request a free upgrade to a Trial Tech account. Once we approve your application, you’ll get set up for a one-week membership that will let you see what this site has to offer. What features of the site will the Trial Tech membership give you access to? All of them! For the duration of the tr
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man in Memberships

0

Troubleshooting technique for checking the MCU in a Whirlpool Duet Sport washer

If you're dealing with a Whirlpool Duet Sport front load washer (also sold under the Maytag and Kenmore brands) that just beeps when you press the start button but doesn't lock the door or run, it can be tricky to figure what the problem is. The prime suspects are: CCU (central control unit), MCU (motor control unit), and the door latch assembly. Academy Fellow Trying to help offers this tip for checking the MCU to determine whether it's the cause of the problem or not. If it checks good, you ha

How to fix an LG front loading washer that won't complete final spin gives UE error

The UE error code is an imbalance error. If you've recently moved the washer from one location to another, then you have to think about transport and new working location for the washer. Transport: See this post ==> All about those elusive shipping bolts that come with LG front loading washers New Location: Brother john63 catechizes us in his latest sermon. Let's listen: Source: LG WM2487HWM won't complete final spin gives UE error
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

0

Replacing the Door Boot Seal on an LG Front Load Washer

Every battle-hardened professional Appliantologist has his favorite technique for replacing the door gasket (also called the "boot" or "bellows") on front load washers. Although the door gasket on all makes of front loaders are very similar in construction, there are enough differences among the brands that certain techniques work better on some brands than on others. For example, many Appliantologists prefer to replace the door gasket on a Whirlpool Duet washer without removing the entire front

How to replace and reprogram the main control board on Bosch dishwashers

Replacing and re-programming the control in these Bosch dishwasher is a pretty straightforward job. But the instructions for the reprogramming are a little different from what you might actually see. Here's a video showing how to replace the control. And here are the written instructions from Bosch (click to enlarge): In the video, the re-programming portion is the last 30 seconds or so of the video. Notice that what they show in the video doesn't quite match up with what's shown in the

How to troubleshoot a Bosch dishwasher that won't finish a cycle, runs forever, or shows 2H in the display

This is always a problem with the dishwasher's water heating system. In Bosch dishwashers, if they can't heat the water enough, they'll just keep running until they do. Kinda dumb design, I think. In comparison, Whirlpool-built dishwashers at least give you an obvious fault code like the clean light flashing seven times. But, I rectum that's my Pro-Amerkan bias bleedin' through. Water heating problems in Bosch dishwashers come down to one of two problems: - problem with the control board not se
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

0

How to Fix All Serial Communications Error Codes in Whirlpool-built Front-load Washers

The dreaded “serial communications error” in Whirlpool-built front-load washers appears as various codes, depending on the particular model. On the Old-Skool Duet washers, the most common communications error code was F-11: communications error between the Central Control Unit (CCU) and Motor Control Unit (MCU). On the new model Duet washers, this same error has been re-labelled as F-28. On some Maytag front loaders (all built by Whirlpool, in case you didn’t already know that), you may see an F
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

4
×
×
  • Create New...