Details for Home Appliance Repairers
Description
Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
Tasks
- Disassemble appliances so that problems can be diagnosed and repairs can be made.
- Bill customers for repair work, and collect payment.
- Trace electrical circuits, following diagrams, and conduct tests with circuit testers and other equipment to locate shorts and grounds.
- Service and repair domestic electrical or gas appliances, such as clothes washers, refrigerators, stoves, and dryers.
- Replace worn and defective parts such as switches, bearings, transmissions, belts, gears, circuit boards, or defective wiring.
- Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions.
- Reassemble units after repairs are made, making adjustments and cleaning and lubricating parts as needed.
- Record maintenance and repair work performed on appliances.
- Provide repair cost estimates, and recommend whether appliance repair or replacement is a better choice.
- Maintain stocks of parts used in on-site installation, maintenance, and repair of appliances.
- Clean and reinstall parts.
- Observe and examine appliances during operation to detect specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid.
- Observe and test operation of appliances following installation, and make any initial installation adjustments that are necessary.
- Refer to schematic drawings, product manuals, and troubleshooting guides to diagnose and repair problems.
- Instruct customers regarding operation and care of appliances, and provide information such as emergency service numbers.
- Assemble new or reconditioned appliances.
- Clean, lubricate, and touch up minor defects on newly installed or repaired appliances.
- Conserve, recover, and recycle refrigerants used in cooling systems.
- Level refrigerators, adjust doors, and connect water lines to water pipes for ice makers and water dispensers, using hand tools.
- Set appliance thermostats, and check to ensure that they are functioning properly.
- Level washing machines and connect hoses to water pipes, using hand tools.
- Install gas pipes and water lines to connect appliances to existing gas lines or plumbing.
- Respond to emergency calls for problems such as gas leaks.
- Install appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, and stoves.
- Contact supervisors or offices to receive repair assignments.
- Light and adjust pilot lights on gas stoves, and examine valves and burners for gas leakage and specified flame.
- Test and examine gas pipelines and equipment to locate leaks and faulty connections, and to determine the pressure and flow of gas.
- Measure, cut, and thread pipe, and connect it to feeder lines and equipment or appliances, using rules and hand tools.
- Take measurements to determine if appliances will fit in installation locations, performing minor carpentry work when necessary to ensure proper installation.
- Hang steel supports from beams or joists to hold hoses, vents, and gas pipes in place.
- Disassemble and reinstall existing kitchen cabinets, or assemble and install prefabricated kitchen cabinets and trim in conjunction with appliance installation.
Interests
- Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Education, training, experience
- Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
- Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
- Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Knowledge
- Engineering and Technology -Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Administration and Management -Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Clerical -Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Computers and Electronics -Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service -Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Skills
None found.
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