Fix a fridge that died after a storm by finding a faulty WiFi module with Claude

Posted

Oct 12, 2026 by James Reagan (@jpreagan)

·

Last checked

Oct 22, 2026

·

Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Outcome

James Reagan's fridge stopped working after a storm. Working through it with Claude, which Reagan says can look at photos and point to the exact page of a manual, they traced the fault to a defective WiFi module. Reagan disconnected its wire on the main circuit board and disabled WiFi in the settings panel, and the fridge worked again. It still took a good bit of troubleshooting.

AI tool

Claude

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

What the prompt labels mean

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about anything important that's missing below. Keep them quick. Then do the task, checking in with me at the key points.

Goal: Work out why my fridge stopped working and whether I can fix it safely myself.

What I can give you (ask for whatever's missing):
- Fridge brand and model number: [MODEL]
- What happened and what it's doing now (lights, display, sounds, cooling): [SYMPTOMS]
- Photos of the display, label or control board, if I can take them: [PHOTOS]

Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional.

Rules:
- Go one check at a time, from the simplest (power, breaker, reset) to the more involved, and wait for my result before the next step.
- Point me to the right section of the official manual or service guide for my model where you can.
- Tell me how to unplug the fridge before any panel comes off, and what food-safety steps to take while it's off.
- If the fix needs a part, give me the part name and number from the official source.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: The likely cause, the fix I can do safely, and when to call a repair technician instead.

You'll know it worked when: the fridge is cooling again, or I know exactly what part or repair it needs.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about anything important that's missing below. Keep them quick. Then do the task, checking in with me at the key points.

Goal: Work out why my fridge stopped working and whether I can fix it safely myself.

What I can give you (ask for whatever's missing):
- Fridge brand and model number: [MODEL]
- What happened and what it's doing now (lights, display, sounds, cooling): [SYMPTOMS]
- Photos of the display, label or control board, if I can take them: [PHOTOS]

Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional.

Rules:
- Go one check at a time, from the simplest (power, breaker, reset) to the more involved, and wait for my result before the next step.
- Point me to the right section of the official manual or service guide for my model where you can.
- Tell me how to unplug the fridge before any panel comes off, and what food-safety steps to take while it's off.
- If the fix needs a part, give me the part name and number from the official source.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: The likely cause, the fix I can do safely, and when to call a repair technician instead.

You'll know it worked when: the fridge is cooling again, or I know exactly what part or repair it needs.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about anything important that's missing below. Keep them quick. Then do the task, checking in with me at the key points.

Goal: Work out why my fridge stopped working and whether I can fix it safely myself.

What I can give you (ask for whatever's missing):
- Fridge brand and model number: [MODEL]
- What happened and what it's doing now (lights, display, sounds, cooling): [SYMPTOMS]
- Photos of the display, label or control board, if I can take them: [PHOTOS]

Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional.

Rules:
- Go one check at a time, from the simplest (power, breaker, reset) to the more involved, and wait for my result before the next step.
- Point me to the right section of the official manual or service guide for my model where you can.
- Tell me how to unplug the fridge before any panel comes off, and what food-safety steps to take while it's off.
- If the fix needs a part, give me the part name and number from the official source.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.
- Tell me what to watch over the next few days to be sure the fix held.

Output: The likely cause, the fix I can do safely, and when to call a repair technician instead.

You'll know it worked when: the fridge is cooling again, or I know exactly what part or repair it needs.

Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.

Source

https://x.com/jpreagan/status/2109455926893900283