Talked to an old Maytag repair guy yesterday and he said something that stuck with me

He told me he never once used a multimeter in 30 years, just listened to the motor and watched the compressor kick on, and now I'm wondering if I lean too hard on my $200 Fluke instead of trusting my ears - anyone else ever ditch the meter and go by feel?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_cameron5d ago

Meters are great for confirming a hunch, but they can't tell you what a compressor sounds like when it's struggling. That old guy learned by failing enough times to know what's right. Might be worth putting the Fluke down for a week and just listening.

samreed5d ago

Man, @the_cameron hit it right on the head. Last summer I was chasing a fridge issue where the compressor was cycling weird and my Fluke showed normal resistance across the windings. Spent two hours checking capacitors and relays before I finally sat down and just listened. Turns out the run capacitor was buzzing real faint like a dying bee, but my meter said it was fine. That old Maytag guy would have caught it in ten seconds, I bet. Sometimes meters give you too much data that just confuses things. There's something about trusting your gut when you've heard a thousand machines start up and shut down.

the_rose5d ago

Honestly @the_cameron, last week I spent 45 minutes arguing with a multimeter about a dryer that wouldn't heat, only to find out I'd left the door slightly ajar. That old Maytag guy could have kicked the side of it, heard the click of the latch, and called it a day while I was still googling wiring diagrams. Ngl, sometimes the best diagnostic tool is admitting you're overthinking it and just listening to the machine groan at you.