EU survey on appliances and right to repair

May 05, 2018 266 Replies

In the UK, the main ones are run by The Restart Project (most of the London ones), and Repair Cafe (most of the UK ones outside London). Both these are international organisations - The Restart Project started in London, and Repair Cafe started in Holland. They work closely together in the UK. I do events for both of them (I was doing one this morning).

The other place you can find them are local maker spaces or hack spaces (some work via one of the two organisations above, some are independant). Some of these spaces have a regular open evening for non-members as an alternative to specific repair events.

Most of these work by voluntary contributions to pay for the venue and insurance. Small spare parts which the repairers carry are usually free. For more specialist parts, the owner goes and sources them themselves once they've been advised what's required. We have sometimes done specialist mobile phone/tablet repairs in conjunction with a commercial phone repairer, and then they bring stocks of replacement screens and the like so people can get those fixed in one go, rather than going off to get a replacement and coming back next time, but they charge for the screens - you won't get free screen repairs anywhere (unless its a warranty fault).

Do power tools ever get repaired there?

Yes, I noticed a lawn mower and a lawn scarifier being done today. I've often done drills, sanders, hedge cutters, lawn mowers. Some kitchen appliances are just as dangerous, and they are common. Some events don't do power tools or microwave ovens - it depends on the risk assessment, which in turn depends on space available, and the skills of the repairers available, if there migh be lots of children (such as an event in a school) and any restrictions in the insurance cover. Once, we end up in a venue where soldering wasn't allowed, although we would avoid those if we know in advance.

Usually what fails for me is the motor, can a motor be repaired?

Oh my god it's amazing civilisation still continues at all. Why can't people just get on with things? The first thing anyone talks about nowadays is insurance and risks. Just do it! Anyone getting injured should have watched out for themselves.

They had a spell with PSU's in TV's and monitors which died not far outside warranty - we get these at repair events. Of course, that doesn't tell you how the ones they sell today will fare.

Interesting. I have a Samsung big screen telly where the PS died just out of warrenty. Did fix it, but in the spare room now. As it was near impossible to set the picture correctly. Have a small screen one here in the workshop which has been fine.

Got a Panny now, which is better overall.

They do. It's not instinctive for everyone.

And this reminds me. When I was an apprentice many years ago the head of the training school used to pick up the PSUs assembled by the trainees, by the plug, and swing it around his head. I don't need to say any more do I?

There's only 3 wires to connect. Mostly the plug has a little card telling you which colour is which, if not there's always google.

Anyway, wiring a plug was something I learned at high school (or I would have done had I not been wiring them anyway since I was about 5). Are you trying to tell me some schools don't even teach this?!

Surely people don't just leave the cord grip undone?!

But .. do bear in mind that most all appliances now and have come with a moulded on plug....

Not a great need is there really?...

What about when you buy a cheaper foreign device from Ebay? Or do you just use adapters? And do your moulded plugs never break? Does the cord never get chewed by pets, mown over, etc?

Wouldn't entertain such junk..

Nope apart from a 2 pin foreign but there are some decent click on 13 amp plugs for those..

No and Nope!...

And seeing that we use a lot of kettle leads just change the lead anyway!

My OCD dislikes having spare cable to a TV etc which is never going to be moved. So I usually shorten such cables to the correct length.

When you get to that stage you should start trying to work out why they are cheaper are they just cheaper or fake and dangerous products.

Not if yuor careful well mine never have and if they do you bin them in most cases, where it's just a lead with a IEC or similar socket on the end. But if you can't afford a new lead then just make sure you double wrap with newspaper if you can't affrod insulating tape.

In article , Dave Plowman (News) scribeth thus

You spoken to anyone about that Dave;?....

On Tue, 15 May 2018 22:51:31 +0100, tony sayer wrote= :

ote:

It depends what you need it for. Why buy a =A3100 tool you're only goin= g to use once when the =A320 one will last long enough.

You're so lazy.

You're very unusual, most people have to replace stuff. For example I c= hanged the wire on my vacuum cleaner because I yanked it.

Those only work for computers and kettles.

-- =

Interesting fact number 923: Half the world's population has seen at least one Bond movie.

Why did they do that? When did we decide that the majority of the population were thick as f*ck? Wiring a plug has to be one of the simplest tasks we do in life, perhaps after learning how to walk.

I do the opposite. I've yet to find a power tool with a long enough cable.

You'd think medicine would have made a cure for OCD by now, then again we haven't even cured the common cold. Medicine isn't yet a science.

;-)

When I see the rat's nest many have behind a TV, I'm rather glad of it.

You're supposed to sit in front of the TV.

I tend to buy such as Makita and the like and its quite surprising once you have decent pro tools they come in handy again and gain:)..

Nope, there're fine and work well RS components and Farnell sell them..

The buy a decent vac! the Miele we have has its mains cable on an extending reel so you can pull it and it does absorb the shock:)

And a lot of other equipment hi-fi being one..

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