OT- Appliance repair

Hope I'm not the only one who wasn't aware of this.

Dishwasher wouldn't let water come in, and the little lights on the front were flashing strangly. Obviously a controller problem, and beyond me.

Called the repair guy. He came out, and asked me to turn off the circuit breaker for 3 minutes, then turn back on. That "fixed" it- he said most appliances are computer controlled now, not sequencers or timers like in the past. When they get screwy, "reboot" by turning breaker off (or unplugging, if you can). Then turn back on, and test to see if it works. If not, THEN call the repairman.

I'll remember that- and the 94 bucks it cost for the education.

I will try to remember that one, when needed. I took a stereo amplifier to my buddies electronics shop because it had quit working. They plugged it in, and it worked fine. Started asking questions, remembered I had sparked it with static electricity when it quit. Unplugging it fixed it! Fortunately, my buddy did not charge me for that bit of information!

I'd never call a repairman anyway. Appliances have cheap aftermarket manuals available. I've gotten in habit of buying a $10 manual and fixing large applicances myself, when needed. So far, so good. Fixed two driers, one gas heater, and one washer in the past few years. Manuals and parts were cheap. Parts even cheaper.

Our dishwaher does the same thing and that's how I fix it by switching off the breaker. You should've posted on here before calling a service man. Hal

A good appliance repairman would've told you that over the phone. That $94 he didn't get that time would stick in my mind and I'd make sure he's the one I'd call when that didn't fix it. I tend to be loyal to companies that don't stick it to me for simple stuff.

I did that to a pop machine at work one time. It was showing error call xxx-xxx-xxxx. Unplugged and replugged and got my drink.

Amen to that. I would have paid him $30 for showing up and thats it.

$94 was too much to charge but what if that wasn't the problem? The water valve going bad is about the most common problem with dishwashers. Dave

Manuals avaible, WHERE? Parts avaible, WHERE?

Many, many places. Big appliances are a heck of a lot easier to fix then old tractors.

Here are a few:

http://www.pcappliancerepair.com/appliance-accessories.php?cat=3

http://www.appliancerepair.net/

http://www.american-appliance.com/catalog/parts.php


http://www.smallappliance.com/

http://www.appliance411.com/service/repairmanual.shtml

You need to e-mail this info to Allen in Neb

Well Mike... I didnt know that.. Thanks! Larry

Umm my wife does not have a circuit breaker...

Yes, that's the first thing you should do. Also, check the owner's manual for your dishwasher, because there may be a button sequence to push to force a hard reset. (The controllers often maintain state even when powered off.) The first time my dishwasher quit I was able to reset it. Second time around a year later that didn't work so I tried replacing the controller board. That didn't fix it and of course electrical parts aren't returnable. It turned out to be the front control panel.

We remodeled our kitchen four years ago and installed all new appliances. I realized the other day that every single appliance has had problems; that used to be unheard of. Our track record:

Viking gas stovetop: electronic ignitors wouldn't stop firing. It had the problem since it was new, and they made three or four service calls replacing every single component in the stovetop without success. Viking finally gave us a new stove after my wife wrote a letter to the company's president.

Frigidaire refrigerator: weird noises and freezing evaporator coils. Repaired under warranty.

Jenn-Air electric double oven: Cooling fan failed as soon as it went out of warranty.

KitchenAid dishwasher: bad front panel.

The interesting thing is that every appliance has had exactly one problem, and they've all worked fine since they were repaired.

Computers are in everything, and it can be frustrating. Had minivan, ran great except at one point the transmission would occasionally get into this mode where it would no longer shift out of 2nd gear. When I drove it and it did that, I'd throw it into neutral, shut off the vehicle, restart it and it would be fine for another week or so. Of course it was my wife's vehicle and she didn't really take to that approach. Couldn't find one repair shop that would actually replace the computer and guarantee the work. Ended up installed a reman...

Well, this is the last local appliance store around- Have dealt with them for 30 years or more- always there when you need them, will come out in the middle of the night if need be, the owner would deliver stuff himself in an emergency. I don't begrudge them making a few bucks once in awhile- they have pulled my chestnuts out of the fire on more than one occasion.

I was thanking the owner profusely one time for service above and beyond the call of duty, and he told me he decided years ago that his business model would be to give the same service his wife would have demanded of him. "You're lucky", he said. "She's a hard woman."

I really don't like the "phone company" attitude that the big outfits have- "we'll be there between 8 and 5 someday- go home and wait." I don't mind helping keep these local guys going. Besides, I went to school with the electronics tech, and if they closed down, where's he gonna find another job?