First-person immersive look at a day in the life of an appliance repairman

An appliance repairman's day: auntie's toy RC car with dead lights and bad steering (batteries new, 4V/3.1V, charged), after some back-and-forth the switch is reworked for ¥30; a customer from Xinzhou brings a floor scrubber, self-diagnosed aged battery, no spot welder so asks for a set of 10 new cells to be welded, 3.79V all round after welding, fitted and charging at full 36W, perfect fix, ¥40 for the battery

Auntie brings a toy car: steering bad, lights not on, only lighting up now and then; her handle is 'Special Talent'; batteries test 4V/3.1V, charged, all freshly replaced. Auntie says fix the little toy first and if it's done well she'll bring the big e-bike; 'that's not right, I heard you fix things well so I came specially'; the repairman jokes 'that leaves me cold, no mood to fix it, I'll make it up on the price'. Fixed, it responds; the switch was reworked; ¥30 will do; 'come when auntie's not around'. Job two, a floor scrubber: replace a set of 10 cells; the customer brought it from Xinzhou, diagnosed the aged battery himself, doesn't seem to have a spot welder so asked us to weld it; spot-weld cell by cell (1234...); measure the cell voltage 3.79, 'these cells are really standard'; fit and test, check whether the battery locks in, original batteries are just better; plug in and watch the charging response; battery ¥40; charging wattage 36W, full power, floor scrubber perfectly fixed, cells balanced in every respect, let it charge a while. Comments: was the RC car dead because the board was shorted; only you do real repairs; a room full of floor scrubbers; all sorts of repair requests.

Outcome

Steps6 steps · click a frame to jump

1. 
   1. Toy car lights dead, steering bad; batteries charged 4V/3.1V

   Toy steering bad and lights not on, only now and then; handle 'Special Talent'; 4 volts charged, 3.1 charged, batteries all freshly replaced.

   00:00 – 00:27
2. 
   2. Back-and-forth with auntie: little one first, then the big e-bike; make it up on the price

   Auntie says only if the little toy is fixed will she bring the big one, and if not she won't come back; repairman: that's not right, that leaves me cold and in no mood to fix it, I'll just have to make it up with a higher price; banter back and forth.

   00:27 – 01:29
3. 
   3. Fixed: switch reworked, ¥30

   There we go, it responds; the switch is here, reworked the switch; ¥30 will do; I daren't come, sneak in when auntie's not around.

   01:58 – 02:12
4. 
   4. Floor scrubber: customer brings 10 new cells, asks for them welded

   Replace a set of 10 cells; customer brought it from Xinzhou, diagnosed the aged battery himself and bought cells, doesn't seem to have a spot welder so asked us to weld; weld cell by cell, 1234.

   02:12 – 02:40
5. 
   5. 3.79V, really standard; fit and test; original batteries are just better

   Measure voltage 3.79, these cells are really standard; fit and test, check whether the battery locks in; original batteries are just better; plug in and watch the charging response; battery ¥40; test done, carry on assembling.

   03:01 – 03:25
6. 
   6. Charging at full 36W, perfect fix

   Charging wattage 36 watts, full-power charging; floor scrubber perfectly fixed, cells balanced in every respect; let it charge a while.

   03:37 – 03:48

Bill of materials

Measured on camera

Creator’s tips

• After welding check each cell's voltage matches (3.79) before fitting 03:01
• When fitting, check the battery locks in; when charging, check the wattage is full power 03:01

Pitfalls

• Customer swapped the cells himself but had no spot welder, so had to ask for help 02:12

Li-ion safety

Quotes

Cost & time