Part-time appliance fixer-upper here. I've done a few brands.

One thing with the newer models, especially Samsungs and the like, is they started using potting compounds to cover their circuit boards (within the plastic casing!), making simple fixes like replacing a voltage regulator or a capacitor essentially impossible. Yes, you can dig through the thing, but you're likely to slice through a trace if you don't slice your hand first. I unfortunately have a stack of these and I don't know what to do with them. [1]

Slightly older models, mid to late 2010s and earlier, are often easier to deal with because their circuitry is based more on simple analog controls for which a replacement part is not only widely available, but is cheap and can sometimes be improvised if needed, than on digital boards. I'm thinking of fridges which use a rheostat for the thermostat control. If one was so inclined and could absolutely not find a replacement, a bespoke set of resistors with a clip to choose termination point could be used instead.

If someone does want to get into this sort of thing, get something that already has a service manual + plenty of youtube videos. "Spare Parts" companies have tons of videos on how to do things, but they usually stop at probing and debugging circuit boards. You have service manuals that -do- contain, on the rare occasion, the schematics. But it's best to go with appliances that have incredibly simple, analog and discrete component systems rather than a plethora of digital ICs and processors.

As this blog post plainly mentions, the parts themselves often cost more than the appliance is worth. I have a box full of carbon brushes and ball bearings when I need to pull out a washer machine motor. A new motor is the cost of the machine, whereas the brushes, even if they are not OEM, work just fine for a few dollars and let the machine work for another one to two years under heavy daily use.

[1] Highly unlikely here, maybe in China, there could develop a second-hand black market where de-potted control boards are highly sought after due to their repairability, but it's a cyberpunk kind of dream at this point.

I got a 503; maybe hugged to death?

https://web.archive.org/web/20260117044133/https://k0lee.com...

It surprises me how the US loves their top-loading washers. Here in the UK, there isn't the complex (though interesting) "transmission": the drum has fins to act as both agitator and spin-dryer. This means it's just a boring belt drive between motor and drum (or direct drive, for newer machines.)

I have fixed a couple of washing machines and other appliances over the years. It's satisfying although likely not money-saving unless you don't put a value on your time. But I like working on mechanical things so it's closer to a hobby for me.

Have people discovered putting the washing machine into the walk-in closet where your clothes actually live as a life hack yet?