Hello im running around 200 machines, the repairs are eating my profits. Is there a resource that i can study or do it yourself on common problems and repairs?
I need help on compressor, refrigeration problems, cam settings, electrical problems on soda pop machines.
francis
franzink,
When I started out 25 years ago, I paid an old vendor to fix my machines. When his bills started hitting $400+/mo I told him I would need to watch him and learn as he fixed my machines. This worked pretty good, but it was expensive ($60/hr back then) and it took several hours out of my routes each time. A 1hr drive to the location, 1hr to fix, 1hr to drive back to the route, ouch. But little by little I learned more and more and called him less and less, but back then I didn't have much other choice.
Today, there are a lot of other options, most are free:
This Vending Repair Forum here has a ton of posts about vending repairs on lots of different kinds of machines, almost all of the simple stuff has been covered in at least 1 post, sometimes a half dozen times. The search box here works pretty good, the more you use it, the better you get at finding a post that answers your question.
The Vending Library here has service manuals for over 100 machines, coin mechs, validators, etc. I download them onto my smartphone, they are handy when I need to reprogram a vending machine, I have the manual right with me.
If you can't find the manual in our library, check the used/remanufactured vending machine sellers on the web, most of them have section with downloadable manuals for the machines they sell. They bury them way back in their websites but most have some.
You Tube has a ton of videos on how to fix, swap out parts, etc., most are correct. The videos uploaded by companies that sell vending parts, usually know what they are doing. Some of the repair guys videos are great, some others not so much.
The manufacturers have 800 numbers for there tech service departments, but info on old machines is not always available anymore. Some want proof you bought a new machine from them before they will help you. And the wait times on the phone are pretty bad, but sometimes they are your last resort.
I do not know of a book dedicated to vending machine repair, if someone knows of one I hope they tell us about it.
All of this is free today. Beats the heck out of $60/hr.
Hope this helps,
RGump