Month: February 2021

Appliance repair engineers don’t by law have to hold any formal qualifications, just public liability insurance but as you can imagine, building a reputation when you’re working for yourself or finding employment in a reputable company is a whole lot easier if you do.

Being an appliance engineer is a great career choice for someone who wants flexibility in terms of working hours and location, someone who doesn’t want to be stuck in an office all day and someone who’s good with their hands. This criterion covers quite a lot of people in the UK, so as a consumer you’ll find that there’s a lot of choice out there when it comes to getting your appliance repaired and if you’re thinking of getting into it as a profession, formal training it what will set you apart kenmore dishwasher repair los angeles.

It might be an idea to start with a short, introductory or evening course to see if the job really is for you and if it comes naturally before embarking on something more long term. These are widely available and the best place to look for these types of courses is online. Often these will be more of a taster than anything else and whilst they might provide some sort of certificate, it won’t count for much initially. What it will do is give you a stepping stone to something that’s widely recognised, like an NVQ in Appliance Repair or Engineering or put you ahead of the game if you’re going for an apprenticeship.

An NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) is a really great way to gain knowledge and practical experience of a specific area, which is perfect for those who know what they want to do or who are ramping up the number of qualifications in their portfolio with a view to starting a business or franchise offering a range of services.

NVQs are available in various levels so you can choose how far you want to take your training, obviously the further you go, the better it looks when you’re trying to build a customer base and become the best at what you do. They can also be done part time to fit around your job so you won’t be missing out on vital revenue while you study.

The other great way to learn on the job and build up relationships and customers as well as a good knowledge base is by applying for apprenticeships. These are no longer unpaid for those under 19 years old or those over 19 years but in their first year of an apprenticeships so they are a real option now.

Washing machine repairs and dishwasher repairs are just two of the things that an NVQ or an apprenticeship will cover and these are the two main things that you will get called out for.

Even though most homeowners don’t stop to think about it that often, home appliances do a lot of work to help a household run smoothly each and every day. One of the hardest working appliances in your home is your refrigerator. Because it works hard 24 hours a day, your refrigerator is typically more likely than other appliances to develop problems and need repairs from time to time.

If your refrigerator requires repairs and you don’t spot this need right away, you could end up with a much bigger and more expensive problem on your hands. It’s best for you to be well aware of the possible signs that your refrigerator is in need of a little help. While there are some obvious signs that your refrigerator is malfunctioning, it may not always be readily apparent that this home appliance is struggling. Keeping a watchful eye on your refrigerator will help you to spot the signs that you may need to hire a repair service lg refrigerator repair los angeles.

Obvious Signs You Have a Problem

One of the most obvious signs that you need refrigerator repair is if your unit is leaking. If you open your refrigerator to find a pool of water at the bottom of it, then you know something has gone wrong. Before you rush to call a refrigerator repair professional, make sure that nothing in the fridge has caused the pool of liquid. Sometimes, homeowners overlook open containers that have spilled and caused a leak. If you can’t find the source of the leak, then you know you have a problem that needs to be dealt with right away.

Another obvious sign that you need refrigeration repair is if your fridge is making an unusual noise. As a homeowner, you should be aware that refrigerators can sometimes be noisy, especially when they are cycling on and off, and you should be used to certain hums, clicks, and whirs. After living with a refrigerator in your home every day, though, you should easily be able to identify whether your fridge is making an unusual sound. If you hear clanking, hissing, or snapping sounds that you’ve never heard before, then it’s time to call on a refrigeration repair pro to find out what’s causing the problem.

Subtle Signs You Need Repairs

Sometimes, your need for appliance repair isn’t quite that obvious. If your refrigerator is making noises or leaking, then you’re probably aware that you have an issue. However, other cases are more subtle. You should make it a point to occasionally check to ensure that your foods are staying fresh for as long as they should. If you’ve had to start throwing things away before the expiration date, then this could be a sign that your fridge is not keeping your items cool enough and you need to hire an appliance repair expert. It’s easy to note when foods have spoiled completely, but keeping up on how long your foods are staying fresh takes a little more effort. If you’re watchful and check expiration dates before tossing items out, you’ll probably be able to determine if your items are going off early.

Because refrigerators are such expensive appliances, you’ll want to do what you can to ensure that you don’t need a replacement all that often. Learning to pay close attention to your fridge’s performance will help you to identify any problems right from the start and get refrigerator repairs in a timely manner. By doing so, you’ll be much more likely to prolong the life of your refrigerator.

Have you ever had that awful flooded kitchen or utility room due to your washing machine suddenly breaking down? This problem always seems to occur at the most inconvenient time and is a pain in the behind to clear up all the mess. Not only will you incur the cost of having a washing machine repair man visit your home, but there is also a real possibility that other damage could be done to the kitchen floor or any wood coming into contact with the floor. Whilst it’s impossible to guarantee that your machine will never let you down, here are 5 simple points for you to remember which will help to keep your machine running healthily, and keep the repair man at bay:

1. Don’t overload your machine samsung washer repair los angeles. This is a really simple but often overlooked step in ensuring that your machine will run well. I suppose it’s pretty obvious that if you overload the machine by adding more clothes than is recommended by the manufacturer, it’s likely that you will be heading for trouble. Parts will wear out and fail much sooner.

2. Ensure all pockets are empty by checking them carefully for coins and other small objects which could potentially cause a breakdown. Whilst this sounds straightforward, how many times have you heard the sound of rattling coins in the drum as it spins? Probably too often.

3. Keep the filter nice and clean. Check the recommendations in your makers instruction manual for how often you will need to do this. In the past you have probably left this job too long, blocking up the filter and encouraging all sorts of other problems. The bits and pieces that find their way into the filter will amaze you and the sooner it’s cleaned the better.

4. It’s well worth considering using a water softener with each wash to help minimalise the buildup of limescale on the heating element and also other vital parts of the machine. Try looking at all the water softener you add to each wash as an investment for the future, as the minimal outlay could possibly save you a great deal of money further down the line.

5. Clean the soap tray regularly to avoid a constant buildup of sludge and soap. If you’ve ever seen a really neglected soap tray, you will no doubt understand that this will only encourage problems. So there you have 5 very straightforward, simple but nevertheless important points to remember to help prolong the working life of your washing machine. As I said earlier, this does not guarantee that you won’t ever need the services of a repair man, but hopefully he won’t be required as often.

You wouldn’t even know your dishwasher had one until it isn’t working. These little switches are tucked inside the control panel of your dishwasher and most times are a part of the door latch. The door latch pulls the door securely to the main body of your dishwasher and prevents water from leaking during a cycle. If your dishwasher doesn’t start, it could be due to a faulty door switch.

How the door switch works

When the dishwasher door is open, the switch is off dishwasher repair los angeles. Inside your dishwasher tub will be a metal or plastic prong. Close and latch the door. The prong will depress the door switch completely and the circuit will close allowing the dishwasher to start. Check the prong to make sure it’s not loose or bent and it’s properly activating the door switch.

It is important to disconnect the dishwasher from its power source before attempting any repair. You can unplug the dishwasher from the outlet, remove the fuse from your fuse box, or flick the breaker switch on your circuit panel. This will prevent you from getting an electric shock.

What a door switch looks like and where it’s located

Typically a dishwasher door switch is an inch long. It can be black or red and has metal prongs called terminals protruding from the body. Some door switches have two terminals and some have three.

The terminals can be a common terminal (COM), normally closed terminal (NC) or a normally open terminal (NO). Switches with only two terminals will either have a COM and a NO, or a COM and an NC. Door switches with three terminals have COM, NC, and a NO.

Your dishwasher’s door switch will be behind the control panel on the front of the unit. It may be necessary to remove the inner panel of the door first. You can do this by removing a few screws. The screws at the bottom of the door are for the hinges. You do not need to remove the whole door for this repair.

Once the inner panel is removed you may find another smaller panel covering the back of the control panel held in place with screws or clips. By removing this panel you will gain access to the latch assembly housing the door switch.

How to remove the switch

Carefully use needle nose pliers to pull the wires leading from the harness off the terminals. For door switches that have a locking clip, depress the lever as you gently pull the harness away from the terminal.

Take your time while removing switches that are a part of the latch assembly or that have a bracket. If you rush and break the switch’s housing you will end up having to replace more parts.

How to test your door switch

Use an ohmmeter to test the switch for continuity. This test is for door switches with three terminals.

Set your ohmmeter to measure resistance at a scale of Rx1.
Touch the metal tips of the test leads together and zero your ohmmeter by adjusting the thumbwheel in the front of the meter until the needles reads “0” on the scale.
Touch one meter lead to the COM terminal and the other lead to the NO terminal. Do not push in on the actuator.
Your meter should give a reading of infinity, meaning the circuit is open, and there is no continuity.
Without moving the meter’s leads, press down on the actuator until you hear a ‘click’.
With the ‘click’ of the actuator, the meter should produce a resistance reading of zero ohms. This means the circuit is closed and continuity is present. (You will only hear this click with a door switch with three terminals.)
Keep the meter lead that is touching the COM terminal in place, but move the other meter lead from the NO terminal to the NC terminal.
When the actuator is released, you should receive a resistance reading of zero ohms.
Now set your ohmmeter to its highest resistance scale and touch one meter lead to the NO terminal and the other meter lead to the NC terminal.
The resistance reading between these two leads should be infinite.
Finally take a resistance reading from both the NC terminal and the NO terminal to any metal mounting hardware that is a part of the switch assembly. You should receive a normal reading of infinity.
Any readings that differ from the tests above are signs of a defective door switch that will need to be replaced.

Replace the old switch with a new one, using the same process as explained above. Reassemble the inner door panel and reconnect your dishwasher to its power supply. Don’t forget to replace your fuse or turn the breaker switch back on. Run your dishwasher through a cycle to make sure it’s working properly.