Changed my tune on appliance manuals being a waste of time

I used to toss the paper manual straight in the recycling, figuring I could find anything online. Then I got stuck on a weird washer error code that wasn't on any forum, but the tiny troubleshooting chart in the manual had the exact fix. Do you actually read them now, or is it still faster to just search a model number?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma4301mo ago

Still faster to search the model number, forums usually have updated fixes the manual never got.

hart.sean1mo ago

Manuals aren't totally useless like @uma430 says forums are quicker. But that one weird error code? Only in the paper book. Sometimes the old school info is the fix when google just shows old forum threads. I keep the pdf on my phone now. Still search first, but that manual is a last resort lifesaver for sure.

calebwilliams17d ago

My old Samsung dryer had an E1 code that meant nothing online. The manual's wiring diagram showed a hidden thermal fuse I never would have found. I scan every manual to PDF now and keep a folder on my desktop. It's saved me three times in the last year when the internet came up empty.