Course AR-101 · Online appliance repair training

Appliance repair training that starts with diagnosis, not parts.

Refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers and ranges, taught the way working technicians diagnose them. You learn to read the schematic, isolate the failed part and explain it to the customer in plain language before you quote, instead of throwing a $200 control board at the problem.

Get 3 modules free → Full course · $179

Free with your email. Module 0 arrives right away; no card needed.

8Modules

68Hours

5Appliance types

608EPA exam prep

Illustrated refrigerator, washer and electric range with a tool bag, safety glasses and a multimeter.

02Verify the complaintReproduce it before you touch a part

!Thermal fuse blown?It's a symptom. Find the cause.

Written by working technicians EPA Section 608 exam prep included Brand-by-brand failure references Self-paced, online

Sound familiar?

The customer gives you a complaint. What happens next decides the job.

The complaint tells you where the call starts. It does not tell you which part failed, or why.

The dryer “isn't heating”

You replace the thermal fuse. Three weeks later it's blown again.

A blown thermal fuse is always a symptom, never the root cause. Something kept the heat on: a restricted vent, a stuck high-limit, a stuck cycling thermostat or a control fault.

“It must be the board”

Did you confirm the inputs, the conditions and the load first?

A control looks guilty when a sensor input, an interlock or the load itself is what's stopping the response. A board conclusion comes last, not first.

The refrigerator “isn't cold”

The freezer feels fine, so where do you start?

Airflow, defrost and dampers can all produce the same warm fresh-food complaint. They are three different parts that are easy to confuse, and three different repair bills.

The callback

You already replaced the part, and the same problem came back.

The customer who pays for a second visit for the same complaint doesn't pay for a third. They call a competitor.

AR-101 is built around these calls. One diagnostic method you run on every job, plus the brand-specific failure patterns real repair work depends on.

The diagnostic spine · Module 0

Seven steps. Every call. Every time.

Two technicians with the same certifications and the same years in the trade can earn very different incomes. The difference is diagnostic discipline, and it is a habit you can learn.

Complaint

Capture the customer's words verbatim. “Won't heat” and “won't get hot enough” are different calls.

Verify

Reproduce the complaint when it is safe to. Some “broken” appliances are a sock in the drain pump.

Narrow

Identify which functional system is failing before you think about parts.

Test

Pick the safest test that separates the remaining causes. A code is a hypothesis, not a part order.

Confirm

Verify with a second measurement. The diagnosis has to survive an honest attempt to disprove it.

Repair

Replace the failed part, then find out why it failed. That is the value you provide.

Verify the repair

Run a test that covers the original symptom, and show the customer the result.

Why it's different

Generic theory doesn't pay invoices.

Diagnostic discipline over pattern-matching

Verify the complaint. Narrow the system. Test the component. Confirm the cause. The same sequence on every call, so your results don't depend on luck or memory.

Customer transparency as a technical skill

The repair-versus-replace talk, the pricing talk and the plain-language explanation of what's wrong are diagnostic outputs. They decide whether a service call becomes a relationship.

Brand-specific failure literacy

Each appliance module ends with a brand-by-brand failure reference: Samsung's evaporator drain ice-up, the LG linear compressor history, the Whirlpool diverter motor. Real repair work lives in these patterns.

The curriculum

Eight modules. One foundation.

About 68 hours, self-paced. Start with the three free modules and see how the course teaches before you buy anything.

M00

Foundations

Free

Safety, tools, electrical fundamentals, the seven-step diagnostic method and the customer interaction baseline. Every later module assumes this material.

8 HRSOpen module →

M01

Refrigerators

Free

Sealed system theory, compressors including the LG linear compressor case, three generations of defrost design, airflow, controls, ice and water, and brand failure patterns.

10 HRSOpen module →

M02

Washers

Full course

Top-load and front-load architectures, water and drive systems, the front-load tub bearing problem, interlocks, vibration diagnosis and the Whirlpool VMW shifter actuator.

8 HRSOpen module →

M03

Dryers

Free

Electric and gas heat, the gas ignition sequence in detail, drum and drive, the airflow path, moisture sensing and the venting conversation that closes most dryer calls.

6 HRSOpen module →

M04

Dishwashers

Full course

Filter versus soft-food disposer designs, fill and drain, circulation pumps, the Whirlpool diverter motor failure, condenser versus heated dry, door systems and Bosch patterns.

6 HRSOpen module →

M05

Ranges, Cooktops & Ovens

Full course

Electric, gas and induction cooking, the induction inverter board failure, the hot surface igniter safety circuit, self-clean cycles and the relay welding safety issue.

12 HRSOpen module →

M06

The Business of Repair

Full course

The customer journey, pricing and the diagnostic fee, the repair-versus-replace conversation, parts management, lead generation and what separates a $45,000 tech from a $90,000 tech.

6 HRSOpen module →

M07

Sealed Systems & EPA 608 Prep

Full course

The refrigeration cycle as a working tool: recovery, evacuation with micron gauges, leak detection, brazing and charging by weight, plus full preparation for the EPA Section 608 exam.

12 HRSOpen module →

3 free modules (about 24 hours) · 5 more in the complete course Compare options →

Look inside

Real pages. Original diagrams.

Every module is an illustrated workbook with worked cases, practice questions, service worksheets and an assessment. Here are a few of the figures.

Swipe or use the arrows →

M.00 Foundations
The seven-step diagnostic sequence, with safety and documentation running through every step.

M.01 Refrigerators
The vapor-compression loop: follow the refrigerant, then follow the heat.

M.03 Dryers
A diagnostic chain for heat production, from supply to the heating element.

M.01 Refrigerators
Evaporator frost patterns and what each one can and cannot support.

M.00 Foundations
Reading a ladder schematic: every series device must close before the heater can heat.

M.03 Dryers
The gas dryer ignition sequence, stage by stage.

M.01 Refrigerators
The frost-free defrost sequence: shared function, different controls and timing.

M.03 Dryers
A vented airflow path traced from intake to the outdoor termination.

M.01 Refrigerators
Turning a field pattern into a model-specific, evidence-based repair decision.

M.03 Dryers
Inputs, decision logic and outputs as separate diagnostic questions.

A sample of the material

Read a page from Module 03.

This is how every unit reads: a rule you can use on the next call, why it's true, and exactly what to check. No filler, no parts-catalog theory.

Open Module 03 free →

Module 03 / Dryers / Heat systemsVerified field practice

The thermal fuse rule.

A blown thermal fuse is always a symptom, never the root cause. The fuse opened because something else failed: a restricted vent, a stuck high-limit thermostat, a stuck cycling thermostat, or a control failure that allowed continuous heat.

Replacing only the fuse without identifying the cause guarantees a callback within weeks or months.

→ The ruleThe customer who pays for a thermal fuse replacement and another service call three weeks later does not pay for a third call from your shop. They call a competitor.

On every blown thermal fuse, check the venting, test the high-limit thermostat and test the cycling thermostat or thermistor. If those check correct, suspect the control circuit.

The component replacement is mechanical. Identifying why it failed is the value you provide.

New · Field Diagnostic Kit

The method, in your pocket.

Not ready for the full course? The Field Diagnostic Kit condenses the AR-101 method into quick references you can pull up mid-call: symptom to cause, what to verify next, and the brand patterns worth knowing.

6 volumes covering every major appliance category
5 bonus field guides, including printable service worksheets
One-time payment, instant digital access

See the Field Kit → $27 one-time

Choose your path

Start free. Go as far as you want.

No subscriptions. Read the free modules first, then decide.

Free modules

Three full modules delivered to your inbox. About 24 hours of material.

Email signup

Module 0: Foundations
Module 1: Refrigerators
Module 3: Dryers
Brand failure references included
Field updates as new patterns emerge

Get the free modules

Field Diagnostic Kit

The quick-reference system for service calls. Built from AR-101.

$27one-time

Instant digital access

6 diagnostic reference volumes
Symptom-to-cause tables for 5 appliance types
Brand failure pattern reference
5 bonus field guides and worksheets

See what's inside →

Most complete

AR-101 Complete Course

All eight modules, about 68 hours, with assessments and the apprentice track.

$179one-time

Lifetime access to updates

All 8 modules, including EPA 608 exam prep
Module assessments and case studies
Apprentice track eligibility at 90%+ completion
Direct hiring pipeline with Appliance Intervention
Lifetime access to course updates

Enroll in AR-101 →

Get started

Start with the free three.

Drop your email below. If the material proves itself, the remaining five modules are available as the complete course for $179.

Questions

Before you get started.

Do I need experience to take AR-101?

No. Module 0 starts with safety, tools and electrical fundamentals, then teaches the seven-step diagnostic method. Every later module builds on it.

Will this get me EPA 608 certified?

Module 7 includes full preparation for the EPA Section 608 exam, which is the federal requirement before you can legally open a sealed system. The certification itself is issued through an EPA-approved testing provider.

Who writes the course?

Working technicians at Appliance Intervention in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The brand failure references come from field calls, not parts catalogs.

How do the free modules work?

Sign up with your email. Module 0 arrives immediately, and Modules 1 and 3 follow over the next two weeks. You can also open them on this site at any time.

What's the apprentice track?

Students who complete the full course at 90 percent or higher can apply to the apprentice track, which includes a direct hiring pipeline with Appliance Intervention.

What's the difference between the Field Kit and the course?

The course teaches the reasoning: why each test matters, worked cases, assessments and apprentice eligibility. The Field Kit is a condensed reference to use on service calls. Many people start with one and add the other.

Is this for homeowners?

It's written for people entering or working in the trade. Homeowners will learn a lot about how appliances fail, but the course doesn't replace a qualified technician for gas, sealed-system or high-voltage work.