# Build a troubleshooting flowchart for a piece of equipment

A how-it-works explanation plus a step-by-step fault-finding flowchart, with safety stops, for any appliance, machine, or system.

- Topic: Projects & Operations
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Customer Support, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/build-a-troubleshooting-flowchart-for-a-piece-of-equipment

## Prompt

```text
Help me build a troubleshooting guide and flowchart for a piece of equipment.

**Equipment:** [TYPE, MAKE, MODEL - e.g. "gas-fired pool heater", "commercial dishwasher", "rooftop HVAC unit"]
**Who will use the guide:** [homeowner / in-house maintenance / trained technician]
**Symptoms or error codes we see most:** [LIST]
**Manual or spec excerpts I can share:** [PASTE, or "none"]

Give me:
1. How it works: the normal operating sequence in numbered steps (e.g. call for heat, safety checks, ignition, proving, run, shutdown), naming the component responsible at each step.
2. A sequence diagram of that process as Mermaid flowchart code.
3. A fault-finding flowchart (Mermaid) for each common symptom: start at the symptom, check the cheapest and most likely causes first, and branch on yes/no observations.
4. A troubleshooting table: Symptom or code | Likely causes (most to least likely) | Check to perform | Fix | Who should do it (user / technician).
5. Preventive maintenance tasks with frequency.
6. Tools and test equipment needed.

Rules:
- Mark every step that involves gas, high voltage, refrigerant, pressure, or moving parts with a SAFETY note, including isolation or lockout before work, and route it to a qualified technician if the user is not one.
- If I name error codes you cannot confirm for this model, mark them [CHECK MANUAL] rather than guessing their meaning.
- If anyone smells gas or sees scorching or smoke, the first instruction is to stop, shut off supply if safe, leave the area, and call the gas utility or emergency services.
```

## What to fill in

- homeowner / in-house maintenance / trained technician
- LIST
- PASTE, or "none"
- CHECK MANUAL

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.