Domestic appliance service engineers install, maintain and repair household white goods, including:

• cookers
• hobs
• microwaves
• washer dryers
• fridge freezers.

They also deal with smaller domestic electrical items such as toasters, irons and vacuum cleaners. Engineers may also deal with brown goods, such as televisions and hi-fi equipment. Increasingly, engineers are involved in the refurbishment, recycling and safe disposal of older appliances.

Service engineers work for manufacturers, retailers, servicing companies or are self employed. Typical duties include:

• routine visits to customers' addresses to carry out scheduled safety inspections
• installing new appliances in customers' homes
• call-outs for emergency repairs
• offering quotes for insurance purposes
• arranging for faulty equipment to be removed to a workshop when repairs cannot be done on site and, if appropriate, organising the installation of a replacement
• making sure adequate stocks of parts are maintained
• completing relevant paperwork, documenting work records, preparing invoices and dealing with payments.

Self-employed engineers also keep business accounts in order.

Service engineers use a range of hand and power tools to carry out repairs. They also use a variety of measurement and testing instruments, including computer equipment to diagnose faults.

Service engineers must keep up to date with relevant health and safety, and legal requirements, for instance, making sure CORGI registration is valid for servicing gas appliances.

Hours and Environment

Service engineers work 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. They may work on-call to cover evenings and weekends or offer a call-out service if self employed.

Work is carried out on site in a customer's home or in a workshop.

A driving licence is usually essential. A company vehicle and uniform are often provided if working for a servicing business.

Skills and Interests

To be a domestic appliance service engineer you should:

• have an aptitude for practical work
• have good communication and customer care skills
• have good troubleshooting skills
• be reliable and punctual
• be able to work on your own, without supervision
• have good report-writing skills
• have some basic computing skills
• have normal colour vision for electrical or electronic work
• understand relevant health and safety regulations.

Entry

There are no specific entry requirements needed for this type of work but in practice, it is very unlikely that you will be employed by an organisation without some formal training behind you. Additionally, it may be difficult to get public liability insurance without recognised qualifications.

You normally need experience and qualifications in at least two of the following fields:

• electrics
• electronics
• mechanics
• plumbing
• gas servicing
• refrigeration.

Relevant courses covering some of the skills required, et into this job include:

• Edexcel (BTEC) First Diploma in Electronics (contains options in domestic appliances)
• City & Guilds Progression Award in Electrical Electronics Servicing (6958): Consumer, Commercial or Domestic Appliance Electronics at levels 2 and 3 (contains options in TV, video, radio and PC repair).

For full details about entry requirements for working in the fields mentioned above, see the profiles for Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical, Gas Service and Refrigeration / Air Conditioning Technician, and the profile for Plumber.

If you are a young person you can train as a technician apprentice in engineering, plumbing or gas servicing. Most apprentices start at 16 to 19, but entry may be possible up to 24 (see Training section for contacts). You will need four GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3), including maths, science, engineering, design and technology or an appropriate equivalent.

For more information about this career, contact SEMTA and the Domestic Appliance Service Association in Further Information.

Training

Training is carried out on the job under the supervision of an experienced technician. There is a variety of NVQ/SVQ qualifications available for those employed in the sector. The precise award taken will depend upon the type of work you specialise in, for instance, servicing gas appliances or installing and servicing electrical equipment.

Some typical awards include:

• NVQ/SVQ Electrical and Electronics Servicing at levels 2 and 3
• NVQ Mechanical Engineering Services (MES): Plumbing at levels 2 and 3, and SVQ MES: Plumbing Level 3
• NVQ/SVQ Domestic Natural Gas Installation and Maintenance levels 2 and 3.

For more details about specific on-the-job awards, check the Training sections of the profiles mentioned in Entry.

If your duties include servicing electrical appliances you are likely to need the City & Guilds Inspection, Testing and Certification of Installations (2391) and City & Guilds 16th Edition IEE Wiring Regulations (2381). These are widely offered by local colleges.

Similarly, if servicing gas appliances is part of your job, then CORGI registration will be required. Contact CORGI in Further Information for details about the registration procedure.

The Domestic Appliance Service Association offers a membership scheme for independent service engineers together with details of codes of practice and development of work-based qualifications. For details, see their website in Further Information.

Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland

Opportunities

Opportunities are good for qualified engineers. Appliance manufacturers, specialised servicing companies, local authorities, recycling projects, public utility companies and retailers all employ domestic appliance engineers. There is also plenty of scope for self employment.

If working for a company, there may be options to progress into management, area services coordination, technical sales or training.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Starting salaries are between £12,000 and £14,000 a year.
Experienced engineers earn between £15,000 and £21,000.
Service engineers with specialist skills, such as gas servicing, can earn up to £25,000.

Additional allowances may be offered for call-out duties.

Further information

14 Upton Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 0JT
Tel: 0800 282 167 69 The Maltings
Stanstead Abbotts
Hertfordshire
SG12 8HG 1 Elmwood
Chineham Business Park
Crockford Lane
Basingstoke
RG24 8WG
Tel: 0870 401 2300