curriculum advice for self taught appliance repair training

[grizzly]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I'd like to teach myself how to repair appliances. I have an unfinished basement with lots of unused space, so I'm in the process of creating an appliance repair area. Last week, the plumber put a drain stand in an existing floor drain and ran new copper cold and hot water to the area so I can hook up a washer . I also had him put an extra valve with a compression fitting on each line, so I can hook up ice makers and dishwashers. I also had him run a gas line to the area for stoves and dryers that are so powered. Next week, the electrician is going to run a dedicated 120V line to the area, as well as a 240 volt 6-3 romex line to a sub panel. The subpanel is going to have a 30 amp breaker running to a surface mount electric dryer outlet, and a 40 amp breaker running to a surface mount electric range outlet.

I should then be able to work on just about any common appliance in my basement, gas or  electric.

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for how I should start my self training? So far I've acquired a Kenmore direct drive washer (1996 vintage), a Kenmore electric dryer (also 1996) and a Frigidaire built Wards Signature belt drive washer circa 1994. I have dismanteled and put the Kenmore washer back together. I've dismantled the Frigidaire washer, but its pure junk and not worth putting back together.

Should I try to get one each of the more common of each appliance from the main manufacurers and master them one at a time? Am I wasting my time with top load washers since most of the expensive ones these days (and presumably more opt to be repaired instead of replaced) front loaders? Even though it would be costly to acquire one or more, should I go ahead and try to buy a used front loader? If so, Whirlpool, Frgidaire, both?

I guess I just need a nudge in the right direction on where to start my curriculum.

Ok, I know I'm rambling, but I have too much time on my hands and appliances are a much funner, cheaper, and easier hobby than working on old cars, IMO.

By the way, this site is awesome!

[Pegi]

""I've dismantled the Frigidaire washer, but its pure junk and not worth putting back together.""  Yep, sounds like you will do well...LOL....I am self taught, taking them apart and seeing what is wrong, and fixing....read every repair manual put out by the manufacturers then applied the knowledge....suggest picking up some direct drive washers, duet units, etc perhaps from some shops in the area, ones they were not going to repair and save all parts, make one out of two or three....might want to see if there is a shop in your area that will let you help with shop repair or tear down for free, just to get some hands on knowledge from the ones in the know...others will have suggestions also, we will see what they can add....glad to see you are sitting everything up in advance....

[AccApp]

Lenny,

Not sure what your goal is or maybe you are just dipping your feet in to see what it's like. Do you want your own business? Looking to work for someone? Just help out friends and neighbors? I started out with a Reader's Digest book on general household repairs and it spiraled out of control from there.

Go to the big box stores and start looking at stuff until they ask you to leave. Ask questions of the sales people (don't take it for gospel) and try to figure out how something works. Stuff being discarded is being tosed for a reason, try to find out why. Lots of triage can be done roadside. The 0.5% you drag back into the lair will yield valuable clues. Most of my business is not reinventing the wheel (gas dryer valve coils, washer couplings and belts, oven ignitors, fridge water valves, etc.). The true technician sees beyond his first guess and attempts to figure out the true problem (part failure, misapplication or customer misuse/abuse). If you get in over your head, ask the board. A huge base of knowledge and experience from which to draw is here and more coming every day.

Welcome home,

Peter

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Way back when I started out, back when you were just a glimmer in your pappy's eyes, I accepted the Lord Fixus as my personal guru and I  converted to the Appliantology faith.  And thus I embarked on my great spiritual quest for repair wisdom.  I started by purchasing a bunch of VHS tapes on tear down and repair of various types of appliances:  the hand wringer washer from Maytag, the electrified washboard from Wash-o-matic, and electric horse hair bristle brush from Brush-o-matic.  All were amazingly complicated pieces of intricate machinery for a new convert to Appliantology.  I know they may seem simple today but, believe me, back then, these were the "killer apps" of the day!  

I still remember vividly how I'd be out on a service call, one of my first, and I'd be in the middle of trying to figger out just how in the hell do I replace a wash rung on the Wash-o-matic washboard.  With the customer watching intently to see whether or not I knew what I was doing (I did not), I knew I had to come up with some excuse to dash out of there and get back home so I could watch a video and refresh my mammaries, er, I mean, memories.  

So I would grab my privates, lean forward a bit, scrintch up my face, start shifting from leg to leg and make some excuse about how it burns when I pee and that I had to go home and get my medication but I'd be right back.  Then I'd gather up all my stuff and race back home to watch the video.  About half the time, when I'd return, the customer would say that they've taken care of the problem and that my services were no longer required.  After going on like this for several years, I got the idea that most people could fix their own appliances with a little help.  And, lo, Fixitnow.com was born!  

So, the moral of the story: videos were very helpful for me.  All the VHS tapes I have are for older appliances not used very much today or not worth repairing, such as the Friggidaire you experimented on.  But Whirlpool and Friggidaire have a bunch of training videos on current products at their websites and are adding more all the time.  Jim Johnson, who writes a monthly column for Appliance Service News, also has some fine training materials.  And you need to subscribe to ASN; be it ever so humble, it is THE magazine of our trade.

Brothers and Sisters, can I hear an "Amen?"

[grizzly]

Thank you all for your encouraging words! As for AccApp's question, my intention is initially to get my feet wet on my own, with an eye toward the future of starting my own business. I work full time as a systems analyst, but 8+ years of working on a cube farm has taken it's toll on me. I'm almost 35 now, and if don't make a plan to escape the cubicle, I won't live to see 40. I'm just not cut out for the corporate work. I need to be out and about, moving around, working with my hands AND brain. I've looked into at least 100 career paths over the years, and I think the appliance repair gig is going to be the one for me. Granted, it is a dying trade, but that is what pople have been saying for 20 years about mainframe programmers, which I happen to be and have never had problems finding a good paying job in the field. My theory is that if you are good at what you do, you treat people fairly and with respect, and most importantly enjoy what you do, you should be able to eek out a fairly decent living no matter what it is you do.

Last night I found some fantastic "self study" pdf's on Whirlpool's servicematters.com site.

Samurai's xdrive, the blogs, this forum, repairclinic, the list goes on and on of learing sources I'm finding. Thank you all for allowing a newbie to feel at home!

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

[user=19408]grizzly[/user] wrote:

... I think the appliance repair gig is going to be the one for me. Granted, it is a dying trade, ...

This is true save for the one shining exception: higher end appliances. I think this will be very lucrative for the properly informed and skilled tech. Read up on all the upline brands from documents at the Xdrive: Miele, Asko, Bosch, Dacor... wish I had more Sub-Zero to upload. Anyone have a Sub-Zero service CD they'd like to donate for upload to the Xdrive?