Had a chat with an old Maytag repairman that made me rethink my whole approach

I was swapping out a control board on a Samsung fridge last Tuesday when this retiree named Bob came by the shop to drop off some old manuals. He saw what I was doing and just shook his head. He told me that in 40 years he never once swapped a board on a fridge. He said he learned to actually fix the parts, test the compressor windings, clean the contacts, replace a relay for $8 instead of a $200 board. At first I wanted to brush him off but then he showed me his multimeter readings and explained the circuit. I sat there for 20 minutes listening to him talk about a 1978 Whirlpool he still keeps running in his garage. It hit me different because half my service calls end with me ordering a part that takes a week to arrive. Maybe I should carry more basic components and learn to troubleshoot deeper. Has anyone else run into an old timer who made you rethink your workflow?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthony_campbell888d ago

Read a blog post by an old HVAC guy who said the same thing. He called board swapping "the lazy tax." Said most blown boards are just symptoms not the real problem. He showed how a bad relay or a dirty contact can fry a new board in days. Makes me wonder how much time I waste on shipping alone. I'm ordering a box of common relays and capacitors this week just to test his theory.

the_sam8d ago

Three years ago I swapped a board on a Trane unit three times in one month. Finally broke down and tested the contactor coil, found it was pulling just enough amps to short the new board every time. That old guy is spot on. I keep a bag of 24v relays, a handful of capactors in different sizes, and a cheap component tester in my truck now. Changed my whole approach to troubleshooting.

matthewmartin8d ago

Ordered a multimeter myself after seeing that same post, @anthony_campbell88.