When it comes time to perform the repair and install a new part, the last thing you want is a surprise throwing a wrench in your plans. All the unexpected twists and turns should have already been dealt with during your troubleshooting. Ideally, performing the repair itself should just mean doing as little disassembly as possible, installing the new part, and collecting your repair fee.

While there will always be unforeseen problems every now and then, there are a couple rules of thumb to abide by that will ensure your part replacement goes as smoothly as possible.

1. Never install parts piecemeal. As an example: I heard about a tech who ordered a dryer timer, but when he compared the timer he got in the mail with the one on the machine, they looked a bit different. His solution to the problem was to take apart the new timer and install just the timer motor, leaving the old timer contacts in place. Unfortunately, this didn't turn out so well for him. The old contacts turned out to have a short in them which took out the new timer motor, meaning that he had to order yet another timer.

What he should have done when he saw the discrepancy between the new and old timer was double check that he had ordered the correct part number. It could be that he got the wrong part, which is why the new and the old looked different. On the other hand, it could be the correct part, but the manufacturer had come out with an updated version that looked a little different from the older one.

The upshot is that he made more work and more trips for himself by installing only a portion of the part rather than its entirety. Don't make the same mistake!

2. If there is an assembly available, order that rather than an individual part. This is true for most manufacturers, but especially Samsung and LG. The biggest benefit of springing for the assembly is that it ensures the easiest disassembly possible. Oftentimes, if you attempt to replace only a single part within an assembly, you get into some nasty territory that will waste your valuable time and cause unnecessary headache. It also makes for a more reliable repair, since you're replacing not only the specific part you're interested in, but also those surrounding it.

Both of these rules are pretty common sense, but nonetheless worth keeping in mind. There may of course be exceptions (it's your job as the tech to be smart and know when to make exceptions to your rules), but most of the time, sticking to these rules will minimize headache when ordering and replacing parts.

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