Appliance, TV and Generator Repair

Who it is for. Beginners with no formal certificate, including school leavers, young people who already help in a repair shop, women's groups and persons with disabilities. National Proficiency I is the first level of Ghana's TVET qualifications framework: basic skills for routine tasks under close supervision.

Why this trade

• Electrical faults are the leading cause of fires in Ghana homes. In the first quarter of 2026 the Ghana National Fire Service recorded 881 domestic fires; short circuits from appliance misuse, overloaded circuits, faulty wiring and poorly maintained devices were named as causes. A careful repairer prevents fires as well as fixing things.
• Fake and substandard electrical goods are common. A Ghana Standards Authority survey found about 43% of imported cable brands on the market were substandard or counterfeit. Customers need someone who can tell good parts from bad.
• Small generators kill people when they are run indoors. In Akyempim, Tarkwa Nsuaem, three sisters died after a generator was run inside a drinking spot during a power cut, and police urged the public to stop running generators indoors. Teaching safe generator use saves lives.

What this course does NOT teach

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical work at the bench. Every unit ends with a practical task, homework and three "Check yourself" questions.

Competency standard

Range. Training appliances at the bench. Evidence. Isolation demonstration; visual check record; oral questions.

How electricity hurts people

• A current as small as about 10 mA (ten thousandths of an amp) through the arm can make the muscles lock so that a person cannot let go, and about 30 mA through the chest for one second can stop the heart beating properly.
• Wet or broken skin lets current in much more easily: the body's resistance can drop to about 1,000 ohms when wet, compared with up to 100,000 ohms when dry. Never repair with wet hands or on a wet floor.
• Current also burns: heat can cause deep burns inside the body.
• Ghana's mains supply is 230 volts at 50 hertz. That is more than enough to kill.

Isolation: the routine you will do hundreds of times

The UK Health and Safety Executive says the same thing in plain words: switch off and unplug the equipment before you start any checks.

The visual check (do it on every job)

Before you plug anything in, and before you hand anything back, look closely:

A cable repaired with tape is a fault: the cable should be replaced by a competent person.

The "never" list

Fire and first aid

• Keep a CO2 or dry-powder extinguisher by the bench. Never put water on an electrical fire.
• If someone is stuck to a live appliance, do not touch them. Switch off or pull the plug first, or push them free with dry wood. Then call for help.
• Report every shock, even a small one, to your trainer and write it in the logbook.

Check yourself

1. Name the steps of isolation in order.
2. Why is a wet floor dangerous when you repair?
3. Name two appliances you must never open in this course.

Competency standard

Range. Unplugged appliances, loose cables and fuses only. Evidence. Test record; worked sums; oral questions.

Four words you need

• Ohm's law: V = I × R.
• Power: P = V × I, and for heating elements P = V² ÷ R.

So a heating element's power tells you what resistance to expect. A 1,000 W iron on 230 V should draw about 1,000 ÷ 230 = 4.3 A and its element should measure about 230 × 230 ÷ 1,000 = 52.9 Ω.

The parts of a multimeter

• COM port: the black lead goes here.
• VΩmA port: the red lead goes here for voltage, resistance and small currents.
• 10A port: only for measuring large currents. You will not use it at Level 1.
• The dial chooses what you measure. "OL" or "1" on the display means the reading is beyond the range: turn to a higher range.

Buying a meter

A basic digital multimeter is sold in Ghana for about GH¢85 to GH¢550; most listings in October 2026 were between about GH¢100 and GH¢530. Buy one with a continuity beep, a capacitance (µF) range and a CAT II rating or better. CAT II is the category for appliances plugged into sockets. Look for a mark from an independent testing laboratory, because some makers only claim a rating.

Continuity test, step by step

Continuity mode beeps when two points are connected with very low resistance.

1. Make sure the appliance is unplugged.
2. Put the black lead in COM and the red lead in VΩmA.
3. Turn the dial to the continuity symbol (a sound wave or diode symbol).
4. Touch the two probe tips together: it should beep. If not, check the leads and the meter battery.
5. Touch one probe to each end of the wire, fuse or switch you are testing.
6. Beep = connected (good). No beep = broken (open).

Resistance test, step by step

1. Appliance unplugged and cool.
2. Dial to Ω. Choose a range above what you expect (for example 200 Ω for an element of about 50 Ω).
3. Touch the probes together: it should read close to 0 Ω. Remember this small number (the leads' own resistance).
4. Measure across the part.
5. Compare with what you expect (use P = V² ÷ R).

Plug fuses

Ghana uses square three-pin plugs (type G) and round-pin plugs (type D). The square three-pin plug follows the British standard BS 1363, and its cartridge fuse follows BS 1362. The fuse protects the cable between the plug and the appliance; 3 A (red) and 13 A (brown) are the common ratings. Use the rating the appliance's rating plate or instruction book asks for.

Check yourself

1. What does "OL" mean when you test an element?
2. Why must the appliance be unplugged before a resistance test?
3. A 1,500 W heater runs on 230 V. Roughly what current does it draw?

Competency standard

Range. Dry irons, steam irons (basic), electric kettles and basic rice cookers. Evidence. Job cards; test records; repaired appliances.

How they work

• Element: a coil or plate that gets hot when current flows. Kettle elements are usually fully enclosed and rated about 2 to 3 kW.
• Thermostat: a switch that opens when hot and closes when cool. Many use a bimetallic strip, two metals that bend when heated. An iron's temperature dial adjusts its thermostat.
• Kettle auto switch-off: steam is led to a bimetallic switch that cuts the power when the water boils, so the kettle does not boil dry.
• Rice cooker: the bowl heats at full power until the water is gone; then the bowl gets hotter than boiling point and the thermostat trips.
• Thermal fuse: a one-time safety fuse that opens if the appliance overheats, for example if a thermostat sticks. Once it opens, it must be replaced, not reset.

Fault-finding order for any heating appliance

Work from the plug towards the element. Appliance unplugged for every step.

Earth on metal appliances

Most irons, kettles and rice cookers with metal bodies have a three-core cable. The brown core is live, the blue core is neutral and the green-and-yellow core is earth. Earth must be connected to the metal body. After any repair, test continuity between the earth pin of the plug and the metal body: it must beep.

Repair 1: replace an appliance cable

Tools: insulated screwdrivers, wire strippers, side cutters, crimping tool, meter. Materials: a new cable of the same type and size or bigger, with the right number of cores; heat-resistant cable for irons; crimp terminals to match the old ones.

1. Isolate. Photograph the inside before you remove anything.
2. Open the terminal cover. Note where each colour goes.
3. Remove the old cable. Cut a new one to the same length.
4. Strip only as much insulation as the terminal needs.
5. Crimp or clamp each core in the right place: brown to live, blue to neutral, green-and-yellow to earth.
6. Fit the cable grip so it holds the outer sheath, not the cores.
7. Close up. Test: continuity of each core; earth pin to body (beep); live and neutral pins resistance (close to the expected value); no continuity from live or neutral to earth.

Repair 2: rewire a square three-pin plug

1. Isolate. Open the plug. Note the fuse rating.
2. Strip the outer sheath so it sits under the cable grip.
3. Connect: brown to the fused pin (L), blue to N, green-and-yellow to the top pin (E).
4. Leave the earth core slightly longer, so it is the last to pull out if the cable is yanked.
5. Tighten the grip. Fit the right fuse (3 A or 13 A, as the rating plate says).
6. Close and test as above.

Repair 3: replace a thermal fuse

1. Isolate. Open the appliance (photograph first).
2. Find the thermal fuse: a small metal or ceramic tube, often in a sleeve near the element or thermostat.
3. Test it: no beep = blown.
4. Read its rating (for example a temperature in °C and a current).
5. Buy the same rating. Fit it with crimp connectors. Do not solder it unless you can keep it cool, because the heat of soldering can blow a new one.
6. Refit the heat-proof sleeve. Test the thermostat too.

Common faults

Check yourself

1. What does a thermal fuse do, and can you reset it?
2. Which colour core goes to the earth pin?
3. An iron gives a shock from the soleplate. What do you do?

Competency standard

Range. Household blenders; table, stand and wall fans. (Ceiling fans hang from the building wiring: refer to a CEWP to take them down and put them back.) Evidence. Job cards; test records; repaired appliances.

Two kinds of motor

• Blenders use a universal motor. It runs very fast, often 4,000 to 16,000 turns a minute or more, and suits machines used for short times. It has carbon brushes that rub on a part called the commutator and slowly wear away; worn brushes spark.
• Fans usually use a small motor helped by a run capacitor. When the capacitor fails, the fan runs slowly, hums without turning, or needs a push to start.

Blender faults

Many blenders have a safety switch pressed by the jar or lid. Never bypass it.

Fan faults

Test and replace a fan capacitor

Tools: meter with capacitance (µF) range, insulated screwdrivers, crimp connectors. Part: a new capacitor with the same µF value and the same or higher voltage rating. Fan capacitors are sold in Ghana for about GH¢15 to GH¢100.

1. Isolate the fan.
2. Open the motor cover. Photograph the capacitor wires before you move them.
3. Discharge the capacitor before touching its leads: your trainer shows you how with a resistor. Do not short the leads with a screwdriver.
4. Disconnect one lead. Set the meter to µF. Measure.
5. Compare with the printed value. Most motor run capacitors should be within about 5 to 10% of their rating; for example a 4.0 µF capacitor at 10% should read between 3.6 and 4.4 µF. A reading far outside, zero or wild means replace.
6. Fit the new one exactly as in your photograph. Secure it so it cannot touch moving parts.
7. Close up. Visual check. Supervised function test.

Clean and oil fan bearings

1. Isolate. Remove the guard and the blade (note how the blade nut turns: some unscrew the "wrong" way).
2. Pull off hair and thread from the shaft.
3. Wipe the shaft. Put one or two drops of light machine oil on each bearing. Do not flood it.
4. Turn the shaft by hand until it spins freely.
5. Reassemble. Check the blade is tight and the guard is closed.

Check yourself

1. Which motor part in a blender wears away and causes sparks?
2. A fan hums but only turns if you push it. What is the most likely fault?
3. What two things must match when you buy a new fan capacitor?

Competency standard

Range. Flat LED/LCD TVs, satellite decoders and free-to-air digital set-top boxes. No opening of TVs at Level 1. Evidence. Fault-finding records; customer explanation; referral notes.

Ask first

1. What exactly happens? (No power light? Light but no picture? Picture but no sound? "No signal"?)
2. When did it start? After a power cut, a storm, rain, moving the TV or cleaning?
3. Was anything new connected?
4. Is the subscription paid?

TV checks from the outside

Decoders and set-top boxes

Ghana chose the DVB-T2 standard for digital terrestrial TV in 2012 and told importers to stop bringing in other digital TV decoders. By December 2023 the national digital network covered over 80% of the population, most stations had stopped analogue broadcasting, and set-top boxes were being procured for poor households. An older TV that shows only snow on aerial channels may simply need a digital set-top box.

Satellite decoder error messages. Pay-TV decoders show codes on the screen. A common pattern (from one popular pay-TV service) is:

Codes differ by service and model: read the provider's own help page.

Dish and cable checks. Rust on the dish arm and loose or corroded connectors are common in damp coastal areas. Look at the dish from the ground first. Do not climb a roof at Level 1.

Check yourself

1. A TV has sound but no picture. What simple test points to the backlight?
2. A decoder shows E48-32 in heavy rain. What do you tell the customer first?
3. Why do you not open a TV at Level 1?

Competency standard

Range. Small four-stroke petrol generators up to about 3 kVA. Evidence. Service record; starting-fault record; load sum; oral questions.

Carbon monoxide kills

Fire and shock rules

• Turn the generator off and let it cool before refuelling. Petrol spilled on a hot engine can catch fire. Refuel outdoors, on level ground, and do not overfill.
• Keep the generator at least 1 metre from walls and other equipment while running, and never build a closed box around it.
• Store petrol in a labelled, sealed container outside living areas, away from cookers and flames.
• Keep the generator dry; using it in rain or with wet hands can kill.
• Never plug a generator into a wall socket or join it to a building's wiring. Power can flow back into the street lines and kill line workers; a proper changeover must be installed by a qualified electrician. In Ghana that is a CEWP.
• Connect appliances with good heavy-duty extension leads, not damaged or taped ones.

Parts of a small generator

Some very small, cheap generators have two-stroke engines that need oil mixed into the petrol. Use only the mix written on the generator or in its manual; if you cannot find it, ask the seller. The servicing below is for four-stroke engines, which have a separate oil sump.

Daily checks before each use

Fuel

• Use clean, fresh petrol. Never use petrol that is old, dirty or mixed with oil (in a four-stroke).
• Petrol goes stale. It can start to break down in as little as 30 days, leaving gum that blocks the carburettor.
• For storage, the manual advises: under 1 month, nothing special; 1 to 2 months, fresh fuel with a fuel stabiliser; 2 months to a year, also drain the carburettor float bowl; a year or more, drain the tank and carburettor and change the oil.

Service 1: change the engine oil

Tools and materials: the right engine oil, a funnel, a drain tray, rags, a sealed container for used oil, gloves.

1. Generator off, outside and cool enough to touch; spark-plug cap pulled off.
2. Put it on level ground over the drain tray.
3. Remove the oil filler cap or dipstick (and the drain plug if there is one). Tilt the generator if the manual says so, and drain all the old oil.
4. Refit the drain plug.
5. Fill with new oil to the mark. One common small generator takes SAE 10W-30 oil for general use and only 0.44 litres. Your model may differ: check its manual or the label.
6. Refit the cap. Wipe spills. Put the used oil in a sealed container and take it to a garage that collects used oil. Never pour it on the ground or into drains.

The first oil change is due early, after the first month or about 20 hours of running; after that, follow the maintenance table in the manual. Customers who run a generator every night need oil changes often: log the running hours.

Service 2: clean the air filter (foam type)

1. Engine off and cool. Remove the air-filter cover.
2. Wash the foam in warm soapy water, rinse and let it dry completely.
3. Dip it in clean engine oil and squeeze out the extra. Do not twist it.
4. Wipe the housing with a damp rag. Do not let dirt fall into the air duct.
5. Refit. Clean more often in dusty places.

Service 3: check and gap the spark plug

Tools: spark-plug spanner, wire feeler gauge, small wire brush.

1. Engine off and cool. Pull off the plug cap. Clean dirt from around the plug base.
2. Remove the plug with the spanner.
3. Look at it. Replace it if the electrodes are worn or the white insulator is cracked, chipped or fouled.
4. Measure the gap with a wire feeler gauge. For one common small generator the gap is 0.6 to 0.7 mm. Use your model's figure.
5. Correct the gap by gently bending the side electrode only.
6. Screw the plug in by hand first, so it does not cross-thread. Then tighten: about 1/8 to 1/4 turn more for a used plug, or 1/2 turn for a new plug. A loose plug overheats; an over-tight plug damages the threads.
7. Refit the cap.

Starting faults

Engine lacks power? Check for a blocked air filter and bad fuel first.

Do not overload

• A generator has a maximum output for short times and a lower rated output for continuous use. For example, one small inverter generator gives 2.2 kVA maximum and 1.8 kVA rated.
• Add up the watts of everything you will plug in. Motors (fans, blenders, pumps) need more power for a moment when they start.
• If an appliance slows or stops, switch it off and find out if the generator is overloaded. Overloading again and again shortens the generator's life.

Prices. In October 2026, new small petrol generators under 3 kW were advertised in Ghana from about GH¢1,930 (800 W) to GH¢4,430 (2.8 kW).

Check yourself

1. How far from the house should a generator run, and is a porch allowed?
2. Name three early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
3. Why must you never plug a generator into a wall socket?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own plan. Evidence. Completed job cards; costing sheet; one-page plan.

The job card

Every job gets a card with two parts. The customer keeps the ticket.

Good customer care

1. Listen and write down the complaint.
2. Test before you quote. Give a price for the repair before you do it. If the job turns out bigger, call the customer first.
3. Explain simply. "The thermal fuse blew because the thermostat stuck. I replaced both."
4. Return old parts if the customer wants them.
5. Tell the truth when a repair is not worth it. A cheap iron with a burnt element may cost more to repair than to replace: new dry irons were advertised from about GH¢150 to GH¢370 in October 2026.
6. Teach safety with every job: no taped cables, the right fuse, generators outside.
7. Never sell or fit fake parts. Ask suppliers for GSA-approved cables and accessories.

Costing a repair

Location settings that give good returns

Business ideas and ingenuity

Market yourself

• A clear sign with your name, services and phone number.
• WhatsApp Business: a free business profile, a catalogue of services and prices, and greeting and away messages.
• A free Google Business Profile so people find you on Google Maps and Search.
• Before-and-after photos (with the customer's permission).
• A sticker on each repaired item with your phone number and the date.
• Ask happy customers to tell others.

Old parts and e-waste

Broken appliances, cables and old parts are e-waste. Ghana's Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) repealed the 2016 e-waste law (Act 917), took in its rules and has a part on electrical and electronic waste. The EPA has warned that people who openly burn e-waste, such as cables burnt for copper, will be arrested and prosecuted. Never burn cables. Keep scrap dry and sorted, and sell it to collectors who strip cables mechanically.

Accessibility

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) protects the rights of persons with disability, including in employment. The Assemblies' share of the Common Fund for persons with disabilities was announced to rise from 3% to 5% from 2026; ask your Assembly's disability desk about support for tools.

Safety rules are the same for everyone: isolation, no live work, generators outside.

Check yourself

1. Why do you agree the price before you repair?
2. Name four things on a job card.
3. What must you never do with old cables?

1. Name the steps of isolating an appliance.
2. About how much current through the arm can stop a person letting go?
3. Write Ohm's law and the power formula.
4. What resistance do you expect for a 2,000 W kettle element on 230 V?
5. What does a beep mean on continuity mode?
6. Which colours are live, neutral and earth in an appliance cable?
7. Can you reset or bypass a thermal fuse? Why?
8. Name two causes of a fan that hums but will not turn.
9. A TV has sound but no picture. What do you check from the outside, and when do you refer?
10. Give four rules for running a generator safely.
11. What is the spark-plug gap for the generator model in this book, and where do you find your own model's gap?
12. Why must you never open a microwave oven cabinet?

Best next reads: the owner's manual of every generator you service; the CPSC carbon monoxide leaflet; the Hub's Workplace Safety, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Basics, Phone and Small Electronics Repair and Money Skills manuals.

What this module does not cover: building wiring (CEWP only); microwave oven and CRT internals; work on live circuits; fridges, freezers and air conditioners (see Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Basics); phones (see Phone and Small Electronics Repair); inside-TV repairs, carburettor overhaul and live testing (see Levels 2 and 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.