View Alert

Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Print

Home Appliance Repairers

Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Reassemble units after repairs are made, making adjustments and cleaning and lubricating parts as needed.
    • Contact supervisors or offices to receive repair assignments.
    • Reassemble units after repairs are made, making adjustments and cleaning and lubricating parts as needed.
    • Measure, cut, and thread pipe, and connect it to feeder lines and equipment or appliances, using rules and hand tools.
    • Conserve, recover, and recycle refrigerants used in cooling systems.
    • Bill customers for repair work, and collect payment.
    • Provide repair cost estimates, and recommend whether appliance repair or replacement is a better choice.
    • Assemble new or reconditioned appliances.
    • Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions.
    • 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.
    • Level refrigerators, adjust doors, and connect water lines to water pipes for ice makers and water dispensers, using hand tools.
    • Measure, cut, and thread pipe, and connect it to feeder lines and equipment or appliances, using rules and hand tools.
    • Level refrigerators, adjust doors, and connect water lines to water pipes for ice makers and water dispensers, using hand tools.
    • Record maintenance and repair work performed on appliances.
    • Clean, lubricate, and touch up minor defects on newly installed or repaired appliances.
    • Service and repair domestic electrical or gas appliances, such as clothes washers, refrigerators, stoves, and dryers.
    • Install appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, and stoves.
    • Take measurements to determine if appliances will fit in installation locations, performing minor carpentry work when necessary to ensure proper installation.
    • Reassemble units after repairs are made, making adjustments and cleaning and lubricating parts as needed.
    • Observe and examine appliances during operation to detect specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid.
    • Disassemble appliances so that problems can be diagnosed and repairs can be made.
    • Observe and test operation of appliances following installation, and make any initial installation adjustments that are necessary.
    • Clean, lubricate, and touch up minor defects on newly installed or repaired appliances.
    • Clean and reinstall parts.
    • Maintain stocks of parts used in on-site installation, maintenance, and repair of appliances.
    • Level washing machines and connect hoses to water pipes, using hand tools.
    • Test and examine gas pipelines and equipment to locate leaks and faulty connections, and to determine the pressure and flow of gas.
    • Observe and test operation of appliances following installation, and make any initial installation adjustments that are necessary.
    • Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions.
    • Trace electrical circuits, following diagrams, and conduct tests with circuit testers and other equipment to locate shorts and grounds.
    • Replace worn and defective parts such as switches, bearings, transmissions, belts, gears, circuit boards, or defective wiring.
    • Provide repair cost estimates, and recommend whether appliance repair or replacement is a better choice.
    • Respond to emergency calls for problems such as gas leaks.
    • Set appliance thermostats, and check to ensure that they are functioning properly.
    • Install gas pipes and water lines to connect appliances to existing gas lines or plumbing.
    • Level washing machines and connect hoses to water pipes, using hand tools.
    • Light and adjust pilot lights on gas stoves, and examine valves and burners for gas leakage and specified flame.
    • Set appliance thermostats, and check to ensure that they are functioning properly.

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.

    Knowledge

    • 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.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • 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.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • 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.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    50360/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    24.21/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    660
    Yearly Projected Openings
    60

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance

    Tools

    • Acoustic sensors
    • Bearing fitting tool kits
    • Carbon monoxide analyzer
    • Chemical hose
    • Cleaning brushes
    • Cold chisels
    • Dollies
    • Electronic funds transfer point of sale equipment
    • Explosimeters
    • Gas gauges
    • Hand trucks or accessories
    • Heat guns
    • Hex keys
    • Inspection mirror
    • Leak testing equipment
    • Locking pliers
    • Minivans or vans
    • Mobile phones
    • Multimeters
    • Notebook computers
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Power drills
    • Precision file
    • Ratchets
    • Refrigerant compressors
    • Retaining ring pliers
    • Screwdrivers
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Socket attachments and accessories
    • Socket sets
    • Soldering iron
    • Spanner wrenches
    • Specialty wrenches
    • Tablet computers
    • Temperature gauge
    • Tube brushes
    • Utility knives
    • Vacuum gauges
    • Vacuum pumps

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Route navigation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software