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Online Appliance Repair Course Details

Penn Foster Career School’s Appliance Repair Program consists of nine online units of study to help you gain knowledge and training relevant to the field. Appliance repair classes will cover topics such as appliance repair basics, electronics, gas appliances, kitchen appliances, laundry appliances, and more.

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Program Goal and Outcomes

Program Goal

To prepare students for entry-level employment as an appliance repair technician by providing basic skills, such as terminology, how to interact with customers, and the fundamentals of electricity and gas appliances, as well as guidance on how to troubleshoot and repair common problems with appliances, such as clothes washers and dryers; ranges, ovens, and cooktops; microwaves; dishwashers; and refrigerators and freezers.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to...

Outline the basic terminology, tools, safety, and customer service skills needed for appliance repair
Identify basic concepts in electricity, electrical circuits, electronics, and gas components in appliances and how to work with them safely
Describe the basics of clothes dryer operation, including safety, use, and care, and how to install and troubleshoot common problems
Describe the basics of clothes washer operation, including safety, use, and care, and how to install and troubleshoot common problems
Describe the basics of range, oven, and cooktop operation, including safety, use, and care, and how to install and troubleshoot common problems
Describe the basics of dishwasher operation, including safety, use, and care, and how to install and troubleshoot common problems
Describe the basics of microwave operation, including safety, use, and care, and how to install and troubleshoot common problems
Explain how sealed refrigeration systems work, how to work with them safely, use and care for them, install them, and troubleshoot common problems

Starting Your Program

In this course, you’ll develop the necessary skills to ensure your success in the program. You'll learn how you can improve your study skills, so you're able to use a number of tools that will help you to be successful.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner

Introduction to Appliance Repair

While appliances are made to last, over time, they’re subject to wear and tear that eventually leads to malfunction of individual parts or the entire system. As an appliance repair technician, you'll need the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to support customers in need, including the tools of the trade, safety precautions, and how to conduct yourself as a professional technician.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Explore the terminology, tools, and safety skills needed for appliance repair
Determine how to prepare for service calls and have successful interactions with customers

Electricity, Electronics, and Gas for Home Appliances

Electricity, electronics, and gas are the fundamental components within household appliances. By having the foundational knowledge of how electricity, electronics, and gas function within these appliances, you'll have a deeper understanding how they operate, allowing you to more accurately troubleshoot and solve your customers' issues.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Define basic concepts in electricity, electrical circuits, and electronics
Identify the gas components in appliances and how to work with gas safely

Clothes dryers are very common, important household appliances you'll encounter as an appliance repair technician. By understanding how clothes dryers operate, how to install them safely, and what mechanical, electrical, and gas components they're made of, you'll have the tools necessary to allow you to determine how to troubleshoot common problems that affect clothes dryers.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Define the basics of clothes dryer operation, safety, installation, and care
Identify the components of clothes dryers and how to troubleshoot problems

Clothes Washers

Clothes washers, or washing machines, are one of the most common household appliances that you’ll encounter as an appliance repair technician. By understanding the underlying theory of operation, principles of safe installation, and the mechanical, electrical, and gas components of traditional top-loading and high-efficiency washers, you’ll have the tools necessary to successfully troubleshoot and repair these appliances.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Define the basics of clothes washer operation, safety, installation, and care
Identify the components of clothes washers and how to troubleshoot them

Ranges, Ovens, and Cooktops

Ovens, ranges, and cooktops are essential appliances in any customer's kitchen. As an appliance repair technician, you'll have the opportunity to work with all of these appliances. By understanding the theory of operation for ranges, ovens and cooktops, the mechanical, electrical, and gas components, and the principles for safely installing these appliances, you'll have the knowledge necessary to successfully troubleshoot any issues that may arise for your customers.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Define the basics of operation, safety, installation, and care for ranges, ovens, and cooktops
Identify the components of ranges, ovens, and cooktops and how to troubleshoot problems

While you may not find a dishwasher in every home, dishwashers are extremely common appliances that you'll encounter frequently as an appliance repair technician. It's important to understand the theory of operation and how to install them safely. Armed with the knowledge of the mechanical and electrical components of a dishwasher, you'll have the skills to troubleshoot common problems that affect dishwashers.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Define the basics of clothes washer operation, safety, installation, and care
Identify the components of clothes washers and how to troubleshoot problems

Microwaves come in a variety of sizes. Some can be small and inexpensive, while built-in microwaves can be an investment for your customers. It's essential as an appliance repair technician for you to understand how microwaves operate and how to install them safely. It's also important for you to have a strong understanding of the mechanical and electrical components of microwaves so you can determine how to troubleshoot common problems that may arise.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Define the basics of microwave operation, safety, installation, and care
Identify the components of microwaves and how to troubleshoot problems

Sealed Refrigeration and Freezers

Sealed systems, or refrigerators and freezers, are one of the most essential home appliances since they keep food cold and fresh. As an appliance repair technician, it is inevitable that you will encounter a client that needs refrigerator support. Therefore, it is important that you understand the overarching theory of operation for sealed refrigeration systems, and most specifically the basic concepts around refrigerators and freezers. With that basis, you will have the knowledge necessary to troubleshoot and identify common refrigeration problems.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

Define the basics of sealed refrigeration systems
Define the basics of operation, safety, installation, and care for refrigerators and freezers
Identify the components of refrigerators and freezers and how to troubleshoot problems

Additional Details

Licensing and/or certification requirements for jobs in this field are not the same in every state and may include educational, testing, and/or experiential requirements beyond those offered in the Penn Foster Program. Prospective students should contact the state professional licensing board or similar regulatory body in the state(s) where they plan to work to determine their requirements before enrolling in this Program. Click here for contact information for state licensing/regulatory boards and certain industry licensing information. This is particularly important for residents of California and Florida.

Students enrolled in the Appliance Repair Training Program are eligible to participate in the Snap-on Student Excellence Program. This program allows students in trades and technology education programs to purchase high-quality Snap-on tools at a preferred student discount. Some restrictions may apply for total purchase and quantities of certain items. Click here to see the new Snap-on Catalog.

Penn Foster Career School Accreditation & Licensing Details

Penn Foster has been accredited for over 50 years. Penn Foster Career School has been thoroughly reviewed and has earned several important accreditations, certifications, and licensing. Most importantly, Penn Foster Career School is both regionally and nationally accredited.

DEAC

MSA

Surround Sound Support

Surround Sound Support

Whether you prefer chat, text, email, or phone, our faculty is here to help you achieve your goals. Penn Foster students also have access to our expert team of Success Coaches to help with budgeting for your education, career guidance, or simply some extra motivation.

Progress Tracking and Goal Setting Tools

Our customizable goal-setting tools will help you create a schedule and stick to it. Need some extra time to complete a lesson or take an exam? Not a problem — you can adjust your study plan at any time to set a pace that works for you.

Progress Tracking and Goal Setting Tools

Penn Foster Student Community

Student Community

Looking to connect with other Penn Foster students? Our Student Community is the perfect place for you to interact with your peers — as well as Penn Foster faculty and staff — to discuss your online learning experience, congratulate fellow students, and share your Penn Foster experience.

Sample Appliance Repair Lesson

Penn Foster courses are written in a way that is easy to understand, and materials are broken down into manageable lessons. Take a look at what an Appliance Repair course would look like.

View Sample Lesson

Sample Appliance Repair Lesson

Computer Specifications

As you know this is an online academic program. This means you will need high-speed internet access to begin your program. In addition, you will need access to a Microsoft® Windows® based computer running Windows 7® or later or an Apple® Mac® computer running OS X® or later, and an email account to participate in and complete your program.
We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.
Apple, Mac, and OS X are trademarks of Apple, Inc. registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.

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