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Samurai Appliance Repair Man's Blog

A blog by Samurai Appliance Repair Man in General

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About this blog

Pearls of appliance repair wisdom from the Appliantology Forums

Entries in this blog

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

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Multi-tech Operators: Grow your business with Master Samurai Tech

The problem in the appliance repair trade today is that we have too many parts changers and not enough technicians. Even many experienced techs don't know the fundamentals and technology we're working with on modern appliances today. I'm talking about things like basic electricity, circuits, reading schematics, knowing how to troubleshoot, motors, microcomputer control systems.  What this means is this: you're probably not going to find techs to hire with the skills you need to grow your bu

Appliantology through the Looking Glass

Back in the ‘90’s, when the internet was new and I didn’t have any grey hair yet, I started the first of several incarnations of sites that offered appliance repair wisdom online. Appliantology.org was started in November 2010. It’s an old site by Internet standards. It has evolved a lot over the years and I expect it will continue to do so.  As it exists today, this site is dedicated to supporting the professional appliance tech community with teaching, training, information, and camarader

Great News for current Professional Appliantologist members!

Great news: the annual fee for Professional Appliantologist members will never increase as long as you keep your membership active. That last part is very important for reasons I’ll explain below. The annual fee for new Professional Appliantologist members has increased. This does not affect current members as long they do not allow their membership to expire. The annual fee increase is also great news for prospective new members! Huh? Why? Because it means we are still accepting

[Tech Tip] How to find Whirlpool tech sheets at Appliantology quicker using the PUB number

We have have a huge and growing library of technical literature here at Appliantology. If, after searching the Downloads section using the techniques shown in the how-to search video, you're not finding what you need, I have a trick for you that applies to all Whirlpool-built appliances, including those that are Kenmore-branded Whirlpool-built.  Whirlpool-built appliances include the following brands: Whirlpool Kitchenaid Jenn-Air Amana Maytag some

Appliance Tech Certification: What does it mean? And who cares?

I get asked frequently about technician certification and there’s a lot of misunderstanding and confusion out there in the tech community about it. So I wanted to offer some thoughts that may help you think more clearly and realistically about this topic. The number one question you should ask yourself about any certification is, “What does it mean?”  Does it mean that someone simply paid a fee to take and pass a test? If so, is the person certified in this way a better technician as a

New Training Course Coming Soon - Oven and Range Repair

UPDATE: The Oven and Range Repair course is now open for enrollment. Click here for details.  Team Samurai is turning up the heat this July with a new full-length technical course: Oven and Range Repair The content that we’ve created for you is absolutely fantastic. We cannot wait to be able to open the doors so you can see it for yourself. This is a mondo course, with over 30 original videos and 7 Case Studies, that was almost a year in the making using the same training structur

Master Samurai Tech Radio Episode 20: Consumer Right to Repair Laws

- Industry news: Consumer right to repair laws coming to a state near you. Consumers will have the right to purchase appliance service manuals from the manufacturer. What does it mean for you as a professional appliance repair technician? - The Ten Step Tango troubleshooting procedure: Troubleshooting techniques for any appliance brand or type. If you aren't already registered at the site, click here to sign up for the free TST course. - Tech training webinars at MasterSamuraiTech.com

Free Short Course from the Master Samurai Tech Academy: The Ten Step Tango Troubleshooting Procedure

Troubleshooting is the big missing skill among appliance techs today. In fact, many techs don’t even know what troubleshooting is and mistake pattern recognition and factoids for real troubleshooting. Classical troubleshooting is a structured and scientific method for thinking and solving appliance problems. There is a method to the madness! The Master Samurai Tech troubleshooting method is called the Ten Step Tango (TST). There are specific dance steps to troubleshooting, and we teach

Gas Dryer Ignition Systems Webinar Recording

We went on a journey of wonder and discovery in last night's webinar and demystified those vexing gas dryer ignition systems. We learned how the two-stage gas valve works; how it is controlled by those three valve coils, a radiant sensor, and ignitor. We also learned what a "split coil" is and how it works. We also had an encounter with technical gremlins that attempted to thwart the Appliantological gospel but they were quickly slain. The recording also includes a good roll of the video I

Troubleshooting Gas Ovens like a Master Samurai Tech

In the last webinar, we put on our Master Samurai Tech hats and did a cleanup service call on a gas oven after a parts changing monkey (PCM) had already been out and failed to diagnose and repair the problem. We looked at what the PCM did on the service call as well as he did not do but should have done. We did a quick review of how hot surface ignition (HSI) systems work and how variations in supply voltage can affect the operation of these systems. Then we got inside the head of a Master Samur

The Smart Kitchen of Tomorrow is Here Today

I know from comments on my previous blog post on The Future of Appliance Repair: a Profession or an "Idiocracy"? that many appliance techs are bemoaning the increasing computerization of appliances. For most of these techs, it's because they have no idea how to troubleshoot them and so feel threatened. Many are even thinking, wishfully but incorrectly, that the increasing use of electronics in appliances is just a fad and will go away.  Nyet, tovarish!  Computers in appliances are not

The REAL New World Order is here!

Christ is risen from death and the rebellious sons of god (fallen angels) from Genesis 6:1-4 are judged and condemned (Psalm 82). The disinheritance from the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11 and Deuteronomy 32:8-9) is ended. The long exile of the 12 tribes is over. ALL people are freed from bondage, liberated from death and the power of demons, and all are called back into communion with the Most High God in the Messiah to be a new creation: the New Israel, a global Eden!   

Appliantology's Best Kept Secret: the Webinar Recordings Index Page

Y’all gather ‘round and ol’ Samurai’s gonna tell you about the best kept secret at Appliantology.  You know the Samurai does periodic webinars on a wide range of appliance repair topics.  At the webinars, we talk about all kinda cool techie topics like basic electric circuits, troubleshooting strategies and tactics, reading schematics, computer control and digital communications in appliances, electric motor operation, gas flame sensing and reignition technologies, and more. Over 30 ho

Webinar Recording for Office Hours, March 6, 2017

We talked about lots of good stuff last night at the Office Hours webinar. I started off with a brief presentation on Neutral and Ground in AC circuits, explaining how they are different and each serves different purposes in AC circuits.  Then we applied what we learned about power supplies in that presentation to decipher some crappy instructions in a service bulletin for a Whirlpool inverter microwave where we had to figure out how to test the digital data input to the inverter.  We

Annual Service Training Institute 2017 in San Diego

Had a great week at the Annual Service Training Institute (ASTI) in San Diego last week! Got to hang out with old friends as well as meet lots of Appliantologists and Master Samurai Tech students in-person for the first time. For technical training, I focused mostly on high-end appliances since that's about all that's worth fixing these days. Attended some technical training on Sub-Zero, Wolf, Bertazzoni, DCS, and a couple others, and some business courses.  I also conducted an all-day

The Master Samurai Tech Ten-Step Tango for Troubleshooting Appliances

Troubleshooting is the big missing skill among appliance techs today. This is the skill that distinguishes parts changing monkeys (PCMs) from Master Samurai Techs. It's the difference between a drunken street brawler making monkey jabs versus a trained MMA fighter making kill shots. PCMs will thrash about wildly, monkey-jabbing at components hoping to get lucky and usually end up getting their asses kicked. Anyone can monkey jab and the sad truth is that this is the dominant practice o
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

4

New Personal Hygiene Appliance for Future Appliance Repairs

You old timers remember back in the day when we used to get service calls on scrotum scrubbers? Yeah, I was really glad when people stopped using those. Well, just when you thought the bad old days were gone for good, get ready, guys, because there's a new, even more disgusting personal hygiene appliance coming to the market that we'll be getting calls on: the butt wiper. Coming to a neighborhood near you:   
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Samurai Appliance Repair Man

3

An open letter to America’s college cupcakes on Veterans Day

Brethren, on this Veteran's Day, I present to you a timely and fitting guest blog post by Ray Starmann, the Editor in Chief of US Defense Watch. Enjoy!   An open letter to America’s college cupcakes on Veterans Day November 11, 2016 by Ray Starmann, US Defense Watch, http://usdefensewatch.com/2016/11/an-open-letter-to-americas-college-cupcakes-on-veterans-day/   Dear College Cupcakes: America has watched for the last year or so, as our nation’s universities

The Future of Appliance Repair: a Profession or an "Idiocracy"?

We have a lot of moving parts at play in the appliance repair industry today. Over the past couple of decades, appliance technology has become much more complicated, yet technician troubleshooting skills have eroded. This creates some uncertainty about the direction our industry is going.  Are we going to be a profession, filled with well-paid, highly-skilled technicians at the top of their game, or a semi-skilled trade, filled with low-paid parts changers who are essentially just the eyes

Webinar Recording: Appliance Service Call Structure and Troubleshooting Strategies

Great turn out for this webinar-- had over 30 people on! That means there are lots of techs who recognize the need for help with these skills. This is good because they can be easily learned by anyone who wants to learn them! This webinar lays out a road map for you to declare your independence from tech lines. Professional Appliantologist members may watch the webinar recording here: Appliance Service Call Structure and Troubleshooting Strategies Master Samurai Tech Academy students m

Master Samurai Tech Academy Site Upgrade Today - Some Turbulence Expected

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your Samurai speaking. We're expecting a little turbulence today as we make some adjustments to the Master Samurai Tech Academy website. There may be periods throughout the day where the site either doesn't load at all or may look strange. This, too, shall pass.  For now, I invite you to sit back, relax, and peruse the latest pearls of appliantological wisdom in my blog here at Appliantology.

Are Samsung Appliances Reliable?

Samsung's in the news lately with exploding washers and tablet computers. So people may be wondering how reliable Samsung appliances are.  Here's a good article from the Yale Appliance blog comparing Samsung repair rates with industry averages. Yale Appliance and Lighting [website] is a large appliance dealer and service center in the Boston area. Yale completes over 20,000 service calls per year so I expect their results to be a good representation of reality.  One comment that caught my e
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