If the repair is complex, technicians may bring defective components back to the repair shop for a thorough diagnosis and repair. When equipment breaks down, repairers check for common causes of trouble, such as dirty or defective components. Many repairs consist of simply cleaning and lubricating equipment. For example, cleaning the tape heads on a videocassette recorder will prevent tapes from sticking to the equipment. If routine checks do not locate the trouble, repairers may refer to schematics and manufacturers' specifications that provide instruction on how to locate problems.
Repairers use a variety of test equipment to diagnose and identify malfunctions.
Repairers use handtools such as pliers, screwdrivers, soldering irons, and wrenches to replace faulty parts. They also make adjustments to equipment, such as focusing and converging the picture of a television set or balancing the audio on a surround-sound system. Improved technologies have decreased the price of electronic home entertainment equipment. As a result, customers often replace broken equipment instead of repairing it. Field technicians, however, spend much time traveling in service vehicles and working in customers' residences.