Question about the time I "fixed" a dryer with a hairdryer and made it way worse
Had a call last Tuesday for a dryer in Council Bluffs that wouldn't heat, and instead of grabbing my multimeter I decided to just blast the thermal fuse area with my wife's old hairdryer thinking it was a stuck thermostat. Big mistake, because I melted a plastic wire clip that dripped onto the belt and now the drum squeals like a dying rabbit every time it turns. Customer was standing right there watching me the whole time, arms crossed, and just said "so is that part of the fix?" I ended up eating the cost of a new clip and belt, about $28 in parts, plus two extra trips back to her house. Lesson learned the hard way, don't improvise with household stuff when you left the right tool in the truck. Anybody else got a horror story from cutting corners on a simple diagnostic?
Man, that customer just standing there watching is the worst part. Honestly the real lesson here is you had an audience and still went for the hairdryer, that takes guts. Most guys wait till nobody's looking to do something dumb.