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Just realized how much smart tech has changed my repair calls in 10 years
I been doing appliance repair for 15 years now and last week I had to work on a fridge from 2022 that had a main board issue. Three years ago that woulda been a simple swap of a start relay or a thermostat. But now I gotta check firmwares and sometimes even call the manufacturer for software resets. Last month I had a washer that wouldn't spin and it turned out to be a glitch in the control panel not a bad belt. My old boss from my first shop in Toledo woulda laughed at me pulling out a laptop for a washing machine. But honestly these new machines run better when they work and parts are way more reliable. I just miss when I could fix a dryer with a screwdriver and a multimeter. Has anyone else had a call where the problem ended up being software based instead of mechanical?
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hannahm3913d ago
Not that it happened to me but a buddy of mine had a similar thing with a Samsung oven. He got called out for an oven that wouldn't heat up at all, checked the element, the temp sensor, the wiring, everything was fine. Finally he called Samsung and they had him do some weird thing where you put the oven into a diagnostic mode by cycling the breaker on and off three times in a row then pressing bake and broil at the same time. Cleared whatever glitch was in the software and the thing worked perfect lmao. He said he felt like a witch doctor not a repair guy.
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oscarc531mo ago
Yeah man, that fridge thing is real. Had a GE fridge last year where the touch panel went dead and the whole display was dark. I pulled the board and tested all the relays and caps and everything looked fine. Turned out the firmware had bricked itself during an update. Had to hold down the power button and the ice maker button together for like 30 seconds to force a factory reset. Saved the guy a $400 board he didn't actually need. Now I always check for a hidden reset combo before I order any parts.
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sean_torres711mo ago
Wait hold on you had to call the manufacturer for a software reset on a fridge?
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