HOW TO GET THERE
Typical pathway
The verified record does not list one required pathway, and it can vary by employer and region. In practice, people often build skills through hands-on training, secondary school, and further learning in appliance repair or a related trades setting. Experience with tools, electrical components, and troubleshooting is important. Because this work involves technical diagnosis and repair, students interested in the job may want to explore shop classes, cooperative education, and any local training opportunities connected to maintenance, repair, or trades. In some places, employers may prefer applicants with postsecondary or trade-related training, but requirements are not the same everywhere.
THE WORK
What you may do
Legacy duties
- Repair major appliances, such as domestic refrigerators and window air conditioners, in customer's home during service calls or in repair shop
- Consult customer or refer to work order to establish nature of the appliance malfunction
- Diagnose faults by checking controls, condensers, timer sequences, fans and other components using test equipment such as meters and gauges to measure resistance, current, voltage and pressure
- Refer to schematic diagrams or product manuals and disassemble appliance using hand tools
- Replace components and subcomponents and reassemble appliance using hand tools and soldering and brazing equipment
- Prepare estimates and written accounts of work performed
- Plan service routes.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
What a day can include
A typical day can start with checking the service schedule and planning the route to customer locations. The technician may arrive at a home to inspect a refrigerator that is not cooling or an air conditioner that is not running correctly. They listen to the customer, read the work order, and test parts with meters and gauges. If needed, they consult a manual or schematic diagram to trace the fault. They remove the appliance covers, replace worn parts, reassemble the unit, and test it again to make sure it works properly. Before leaving, they may write a short report and explain what was repaired.
SKILLS TO BUILD