A first-person, immersive day in the life of an appliance repairman

A post-80s appliance repairman in the provincial capital earns ¥480 in a day: a Hisense TV with picture but no sound, two small components replaced, ¥150; a floor washer showing E10 and not charging, all 6 original cells replaced (new cells checked on an internal resistance meter, thick nickel strip spot-welded), ¥290; an 890W health kettle, ¥10; a restaurant electric cooker rewired with 16A cable, ¥30

A first-person record of one day (a live earnings counter sits top-left). Job one, a Hisense TV: clear picture but no sound even at volume 100; checked with a ‘Da Vinci tester’, two small components found open, desoldered and replaced, power on and the long-lost sound is back — perfect repair, ¥150; the creator also invites viewers’ LCD TV questions. Job two, a floor washer that won’t charge and shows fault code E10: pull the pack and measure, two cells badly aged, so all 6 original cells are replaced; each new cell is checked on a battery tester (internal resistance meter) (ASR readings of 10.17 / 11 and so on); the ‘Kill-You 3000’ spot welder welds thick nickel strip to try the weld quality — perfect; pack fitted, anti-vibration foam stuck on, hot glue heated and applied, fixed and OK, earnings jump to 440 (+290). Job three, a health kettle: the ‘tian’erte’ (thermostat / thermal fuse) replaced, 890 watts, 4 amps, that’s right, earnings 450. Job four, a restaurant electric cooker with a broken cord end: rewiring sounds simple but is a hassle, the plastic has hardened and is hard to open; cut off the end and fit a new cable, 16A cable for 3000 watts; a touch-up solder that isn’t solid gets redone; when done it looks original, ¥30. ¥480 for the day, knock off. 469 comments, heavily divided: ¥150 for two diodes is ‘brutal’, a used TV is only ¥120 so not worth repairing; the other side: ‘you’re paying for skill, if you think it’s expensive you’re a layman’ (liked by the creator); ¥290 for 6 cells plus labor is a bit high, over ¥200 profit; someone built their own ‘Kill-You 3000’ and asks for pointers.

Outcome

Steps7 steps · click a frame to jump

1. 
   1. Hisense TV with picture but no sound, fault-finding with the Da Vinci tester

   How much does a post-80s appliance repairman in the provincial capital earn in a day; a Hisense TV with a clear picture but no sound at volume 100; the Da Vinci tester finds where the fault is.

   00:00 – 00:23
2. 
   2. Two small components open, desolder and replace, sound is back, ¥150

   Test for a response; fault found — two parts open; desolder them and fit new ones; power on and the long-lost sound is back, perfect repair, reassembled; earnings 150.

   00:30 – 01:06
3. 
   3. Floor washer E10 not charging, two cells aged so all replaced with originals, new cells checked on the meter

   Inviting TV questions; the floor washer won’t charge and shows E10; pull the pack and measure, two cells badly aged so replace them all; original cells; the battery tester checks each new cell’s internal resistance.

   01:07 – 01:40
4. 
   4. The ‘Kill-You 3000’ welds thick nickel strip, pack fitted, foam and hot glue

   Weld thick nickel strip to try the weld quality — perfect; pack fitted; anti-vibration foam stuck on, hot glue heated and applied; fixed and OK, earnings +290 → 440.

   01:59 – 02:56
5. 
   5. Health kettle: thermostat replaced, 890W 4A, earnings 450

   A health kettle; the ‘tian’erte’ replaced, that’s right; 890 watts, 4 amps of current; earnings 450.

   03:01 – 03:30
6. 
   6. Restaurant cooker rewired with 16A cable, 3000W

   The cord end is broken; rewiring sounds simple but is a hassle, the plastic has hardened over time and is hard to open; cut off the end and fit a new cable, 16A cable for 3000 watts; a touch-up solder that isn’t solid gets redone; done, it looks original.

   03:31 – 04:26
7. 
   7. ¥30 collected, ¥480 for the day, knock off

   How much? 30; ¥480 for the day, knock off.

   04:28 – 04:34

Bill of materials

Measured on camera

Creator’s tips

• Test an aged pack cell by cell; if two are bad, replace the whole set with original cells 01:22
• Check every new cell on an internal resistance meter before fitting 01:33
• Use 16A cable when rewiring a 3000W appliance 03:47
• Stick on anti-vibration foam and hot-glue the pack when putting it back 02:36

Pitfalls

• Old appliance plastic hardens and is hard to open; rewiring is more hassle than it looks 03:31
• A touch-up solder that isn’t solid has to be redone 04:07

Li-ion safety

• Size the cable by power when rewiring a high-power cooker (3000W → 16A) 03:47

Quotes

Cost & time