Fix a washing machine drainage fault with ChatGPT voice and photos instead of buying a new one

With a new washer already picked out online, Ewan MacLeod showed ChatGPT the error light and model label. It walked him through opening the drain filter with a flathead screwdriver, draining it into a bowl and clearing the debris. The machine worked again.

Try it yourself

What you get

Spoken, step-by-step help diagnosing an appliance error from photos, and a fix you can do yourself when it's simple.

Tools

  • ChatGPT app (voice mode with photos)
  • Flathead screwdriver, bowl or towel

Time / cost: Not stated in the source

Steps

  1. Photograph the model label and the flashing error light, and describe the symptom out loud.
  2. Ask what to check first, and send photos to confirm you've found the right part.
  3. Follow the steps one at a time, narrating what you see, then run a test cycle.
  4. If the model isn't recognized, upload the PDF manual and ask again.

Copy-ready prompt

[Attach photo of model label and error light] This is my [appliance], model [number if visible]. Symptom: [what it's doing, which light is flashing]. Walk me through diagnosing it one step at a time, starting with the safest, cheapest checks. Wait for me to confirm each step or send a photo before moving on. Tell me to unplug it whenever that's needed, and stop me before anything that needs a technician (gas, mains wiring, sealed parts).

Prompt written by AgentPlays from the source. Fill in the [brackets] and approve before anything is sent or bought.

Watch out: Unplug appliances before opening them, and call a professional for gas or electrical work.

Proof / source

Self-reported The author's own first-person article.

In their words

I did. It worked.

— Ewan MacLeod on Conversational AI News

Read the original source ↗

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