A customer called me out for not checking the fuse first on a simple TV repair

I was fixing a 65-inch Samsung that wouldn't power on, and I spent like an hour checking the main board. The customer, an older guy who used to be an electrician, just asked 'Did you check the fuse on the power supply board?' I hadn't, and of course it was blown. Felt like a total noob move. Now I always start with the fuse and basic power checks before diving deeper. Anyone else have a simple step they used to skip that cost them time?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_garcia3mo ago

Eh, we've all been there.

anna_coleman3mo ago

Totally get that. I used to skip checking the wall outlet itself, believe it or not. Wasted a whole afternoon on a "dead" amplifier that was just plugged into a switched-off socket.

the_barbara1mo ago

That older guy sounds like he knew exactly how to get you thinking. Bet he had a little smile when he asked that question. So how long after that did it take before you started checking the power supply fuse on every single no-power job? I ask because I had the same wake-up call years ago and it took me three more blown fridges before I really learned the lesson. Some days it feels like the simple stuff is the easiest to overlook when you are in a hurry to show off your fancy repair skills.