Home appliance repairer jobs are also referred to as in-home service professionals, and their work involves the installation and repair of home appliances. Some workers specialize in small appliances like vacuum cleaners and microwave ovens. Others are specialists in larger appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, dryers, window air conditioners, and so on. Some of the work of home appliance repairer’s jobs involves installing durable goods in the household like washing machines, cooking appliances, and refrigerators. They may need to install pipes in a client’s house to connect the appliances to a water or gas line. In such cases, when the lines have been placed, they switch on the water or gas to check for any leakages. The home appliance repairers also advise customers on how to use and care for the installed home appliances, and answer questions from the customers.
To fix home appliances, the repairer has to visually inspect the appliance, check for excessive vibrations, unusual noises, fluid leakage, or loose parts in order to know what caused the failure. They disassemble the gadget to check its internal parts for corrosion or wear. Using service manuals, the repairers engage testing gadgets like voltmeters, watt-meters and ammeters to examine electrical appliances for faulty connections or shorts.
After the problem has been identified, the home appliance repairer repairs or replaces defective heating elements, motors, gears, switches, belts, and other items. This may involve aligning, tightening, cleaning and lubricating the parts as necessary. Some of the tools they use during their work include hand tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, files, soldering gun and other tools made specifically for the repair of certain appliances. If the appliances have electronic parts, they may have to replace the circuit board or other electronic components like transistors.
When the repairmen are dealing with window air conditioners and refrigerators, they have to follow the law by being careful to preserve, recover, and recycle hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) elements that are vital to the cooling systems. The law also requires that home appliance repairers document how they captured and disposed of the refrigerants.
Home appliance repairers have to give the customers repair cost estimations, record the hours and parts he has worked, draw up bills, and collect his payments. If a customer has an appliance that is still covered by a warranty, self employed repairers will contact the original manufacturer of the appliance to recoup money for the services he has rendered.
Home appliance repairs usually work in well lit and well ventilated repair shops when repairing portable appliances. If one is repairing a major appliance, he may have to drive a number of hours daily for emergency calls or appointments.
Many entry-level workers join this profession without any experience or training and learn the jobs slowly. However, employers prefer hiring job seekers who have training in appliance or electronics repair. Applicants should have good customer service skills in addition to a driver’s license, in order to work at the homes of customers.
People with very little or no training in home appliance repair can enter the job, provided they have a high school diploma. Many job entrants learn the job while working with experienced repairmen, usually for a number of months or years. Businesses which fix portable appliances in repair shops allow inexperienced workers to train in one appliance until they master how to repair it. They then learn to repair other appliances until they have mastered repairing all of them. Companies which repair big appliances usually let trainees accompany experienced employees to service visits. Such trainees may require up to three years of training in order to master all aspects tied to repair.
Although training while on the job is a common training method, many employers prefer hiring students who have done electronics or appliance repair courses in community colleges, postsecondary technical schools, or vocation programs offered in high school. The programs usually last between one and two years. Some of the courses that may be covered include electronics and basic electricity, since most home appliances have an electronic component. Students who have done these programs do not have to go through a lot of on the job training like those who have not covered them.
Whether trainees have acquired their skills through on the job or formal training, employers and manufacturers usually give them additional training. Some major appliance manufacturers and store chains have formal training programs for their employees, which may include shop classes or home study. Supplement training is offered to many repairmen in 2 to 3 week seminars which are carried out by the manufacturers of appliances. Many companies require that its workers who carry out warranty work attend occasional training and instructional forums.
Employment
There are many homes in the US which have home appliances. Many homes hire home appliance repairers jobs but the densely populated areas offer the most jobs. Home appliance repairmen can be self employed, or may be salaried employees working in departmental stores and electronic and appliances companies.
Job Outlook
Negligible change is expected in the employment pattern of home appliance repairer’s jobs. However, those who have formal training and qualifications in electronics and appliance repairs and maintenance will have good job prospects compared to others who are not qualified.
The home appliance repairer job will grow in the coming years by negligible change. There is an expected rise in the number of households which are using home appliances that will contribute to the increase in demand for home appliance repairer’s jobs. Also, as the experienced home appliance repairers retire or change their careers, there will be increased openings for new entrants into the job. The jobs will mostly be found in large firms as small businesses decline.
The employment patter is steady because as workers are laid off, so new ones are hired to fill in the vacant positions.
