Within the first 90 days of owning a laundromat an owner will probably run into most of these things. This list isn't all inclusive. We could probably expand the list to 100 things an owner needs to know how to repair. Hmmm...do I sense a pattern of future blog articles?
1. Clearing coin jams
At some point early on in your tenure someone will put a bent quarter in your machine, use a foreign coin, put nickels dimes and pennies into the coin slot, or feed the quarters too fast and not wait for the coins to drop into the coin box. Maybe the coin slides will just be dirty. Whatever the reason is you will have a machine that won’t start because customers can’t put quarters into it. Learn the quick ways to dislodge these stuck coins and the proper way to clear the jam
2. Clean out the drain pump Small chassis washers will often get socks, coins, hair clips, and other junk that goes down the hose from the tub to the pump. Learn how to clear this debris otherwise your washers won’t drain and will leave the clothes soaking wet.
3. Change broken selection buttons
Customers can’t select a cycle or press the “start” button they can’t wash their clothes and you can’t make money
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4. Replace a door hinge
Door hinges on small chassis washers are easy to fix. Take the old one off and put the new one on. 5-10 minute repair keeps the washer running and making money. Repairing a hinge on a large chassis washer doesn’t have to be done very often so you will be forgiven if that takes you longer to change one the first time
5. Replace a User Interface (UI) board
Most UI boards are modular units and can be swapped out easily after you get though the usual myriad of screws to get to them. A little tricky because you want to remember to turn the power off first. I know most people don’t turn the power off to the machine completely, however I’ve inadvertently shorted a board because I didn’t turn off the power. I’ll admit I don’t always turn the power off on a small chassis, however on a large chassis I always turn it off.
6. Fix a broken door handle, door trim ring, door window
I know some of you are saying there are three things in this item rather than one.
In reality on todays frontloading washers all of these parts are replaced on the door with usually the same set of screws on the backside of the door
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7. Replace a broken soap tray or tray parts
Soap trays often have dividers that break, drawer stops and retainer clips that break off causing the drawer to be able to be pulled all the way out, seals that go missing or get ripped off
8. Replace a broken door hook
Own a small chassis front loading washer? At some point a customer will have an unbalanced load in it and the door won’t open causing the customer to wrench the door open somehow to get their clothes out. Don’t worry the tabs are supposed to break off. Better to have to repair a small door hook than a whole door!
9. Replace a water valve in small chassis washers
A lot of screws and hoses need to be moved usually to get to these but another simple repair.
10. Clean the lint screens in the dryers
Besides vacuuming the lint traps and wiping them out daily I’m talking about cleaning the gunk out of the holes in the screen that gets stuck in there. There are several ways to do this and several cleaners that do a good job.
These are the basic items that if you can fix, it will save you a lot of money on service calls and lost revenue due to machines being down for a few days. I didn’t tell you the diagnostic symptoms or how to fix these things. They are all things you can reason out or watch online videos about.
Once you fix these different items, don’t get too cocky and think you are a major league repair technician. Once you think that is when you will try and do a major repair and either won’t be able to figure it out and need to call a service tech anyways, or you’ll do something dumb and fry a UI board because you didn’t turn the power off.
Until next time...it all comes out in the Washtub!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy
At some point early on in your tenure someone will put a bent quarter in your machine, use a foreign coin, put nickels dimes and pennies into the coin slot, or feed the quarters too fast and not wait for the coins to drop into the coin box. Maybe the coin slides will just be dirty. Whatever the reason is you will have a machine that won’t start because customers can’t put quarters into it. Learn the quick ways to dislodge these stuck coins and the proper way to clear the jam
2. Clean out the drain pump Small chassis washers will often get socks, coins, hair clips, and other junk that goes down the hose from the tub to the pump. Learn how to clear this debris otherwise your washers won’t drain and will leave the clothes soaking wet.
3. Change broken selection buttons
Customers can’t select a cycle or press the “start” button they can’t wash their clothes and you can’t make money
.jpg)
4. Replace a door hinge
Door hinges on small chassis washers are easy to fix. Take the old one off and put the new one on. 5-10 minute repair keeps the washer running and making money. Repairing a hinge on a large chassis washer doesn’t have to be done very often so you will be forgiven if that takes you longer to change one the first time
5. Replace a User Interface (UI) board
Most UI boards are modular units and can be swapped out easily after you get though the usual myriad of screws to get to them. A little tricky because you want to remember to turn the power off first. I know most people don’t turn the power off to the machine completely, however I’ve inadvertently shorted a board because I didn’t turn off the power. I’ll admit I don’t always turn the power off on a small chassis, however on a large chassis I always turn it off.
6. Fix a broken door handle, door trim ring, door window
I know some of you are saying there are three things in this item rather than one.
In reality on todays frontloading washers all of these parts are replaced on the door with usually the same set of screws on the backside of the door
.jpg)
7. Replace a broken soap tray or tray parts
Soap trays often have dividers that break, drawer stops and retainer clips that break off causing the drawer to be able to be pulled all the way out, seals that go missing or get ripped off
8. Replace a broken door hook
Own a small chassis front loading washer? At some point a customer will have an unbalanced load in it and the door won’t open causing the customer to wrench the door open somehow to get their clothes out. Don’t worry the tabs are supposed to break off. Better to have to repair a small door hook than a whole door!
9. Replace a water valve in small chassis washers
A lot of screws and hoses need to be moved usually to get to these but another simple repair.
10. Clean the lint screens in the dryers
Besides vacuuming the lint traps and wiping them out daily I’m talking about cleaning the gunk out of the holes in the screen that gets stuck in there. There are several ways to do this and several cleaners that do a good job.
These are the basic items that if you can fix, it will save you a lot of money on service calls and lost revenue due to machines being down for a few days. I didn’t tell you the diagnostic symptoms or how to fix these things. They are all things you can reason out or watch online videos about.
Once you fix these different items, don’t get too cocky and think you are a major league repair technician. Once you think that is when you will try and do a major repair and either won’t be able to figure it out and need to call a service tech anyways, or you’ll do something dumb and fry a UI board because you didn’t turn the power off.
Until next time...it all comes out in the Washtub!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy
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