How Appliance Verdict decides what to recommend

Methodology reviewed September 14, 2026

Appliance Verdict is built as a structured decision engine, not a free-form repair chatbot. Diagnostic families are created from reviewed source material and stored as explicit questions, branches, results, and safety stopping points.

Source hierarchy

1. Manufacturer support and owner documentation is preferred for error meanings, external checks, installation requirements, and service stopping points.
2. Official recall information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is used as a separate safety gate when a model number is available.
3. Model-specific parts sources are used only to verify compatibility. Compatibility never proves a component is defective.
4. User outcomes currently stay on your device, separate from source-backed facts. Remote outcome collection is disabled. No repair-success probabilities are inferred from that local feedback.

What the engine refuses to do

• Invent a diagnosis for an unsupported code or symptom.
• Show a model-specific part when the exact model has not been verified.
• Present a compatible part as proof of failure.
• Walk a homeowner through energized electrical testing.
• Suggest bypassing leak-protection or other safety systems.

Recall safety check

When a model number is provided, Appliance Verdict can query public CPSC recall information. A recall result is treated as a safety signal, not as proof that every unit in a model family is affected; official recall notices may depend on serial number, manufacture date, or other identifiers. If a potential match is returned, the diagnostic asks the user to review the official notice before continuing.

Local label-photo helper

If you choose to photograph the appliance rating label, the photo stays in your browser. On supported browsers, Appliance Verdict may use built-in on-device text or barcode detection to suggest model-like values, but you must confirm the value against the label before it is used. Appliance Verdict does not upload the image.

Review dates and corrections

Every source record includes a last-reviewed date. Internal validation flags stale records so they can be rechecked before guidance becomes silently outdated. Questions or correction requests can be sent to privacy@applianceverdict.com.