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Finally (at least somewhere) some attention is being paid to the insanity of the throwaway nature of this industry:
https://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/appliance-industry-news/4395-investigation-on-obsolescence
Perhaps all is not lost just yet.
Now if the rest of the EU and the UK can just legislate to stop this stuff things will improve for the repair industry. And, I think that they will as I can’t see any other option that will be open given the changes in how this stuff is being viewed and, politically, this is an easy win.
We can but hope.
K.
It needs too, im passing scrapmen wearing sovereign rings smoking cigars, im wearing a copper olive!
On BBC news now https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49884827
Comment here: https://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/appliance-industry-news/4397-right-to-repair-rules-introduced
K.
Bones of the requirements for manufacturers can be found here:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_19_5889
But.
The UK government, if we leave the EU and do not maintain legislatory alignment there is absolutely no requirement for the UK to have this on the statute nor to enforce it. Of course the design will be pan-European you’d think but, the UK subsidiaries of the global companies could tell you all to shove it where the sun don’t shine and be completely above board, legal and within UK legislation.
I’d think that’s food for thought for some people and not a political comment at all before someone kicks off, merely fact as things stand as of now.
As reported by The BBC correspondent here:
So whilst this is utterly brilliant news for the repair and spares trade, as with a great many things, the details of how that will all play out is very dependent on what happens with Brexit. 🙁
It is also true that this is not the start of this. This is just the start.
It is also true that this may well be discussed in more detail at the upcoming conference, details of which we’ll all get to soon.
K.
I’m not sure this directive will have a huge impact on our trade. On availability of spares, most white goods manufacturers already comply, and often make spares available for over double the 10 year period specified in the directive.
I only really remember problems in obtaining spares for a few obscure Argos own brand models. Admittedly, I’ve also come across a few model-specific items like dishwasher wiring harnesses and washing machine control panels becoming obsolete significantly before 10 years, but these have been relatively few and far between.
Again for white goods, I don’t think there are many issues with repairability. The only special tool I carry is the Hotpoint belt fitting tool for vented dryers. I know everyone is thinking about sealed tubs, but is there anything in the directive to suggest tubs will have to be dismantleable? Or is the intention to take us back 40 years, when things were usually repaired at component level?
A major benefit of the directive for white goods repairers will be compulsory availability of repair documentation to independent repairers, although at significant cost to the repairer I suspect. So secretive manufacturers like BSH, Miele, etc, will no longer be able to obstruct access to their service manuals and bulletins.
As I said, this is the start. Not the end.
Sealed tanks, bonded seal (dish, refrigeration), sealed doors, sealed dryer units, valve/disp sealed units, filters only with pumps… the list goes on and on. Some you may have seen, some you may not have but please believe me, it is getting worse. It is extremely wasteful and has to have time called on.
Obsolete parts, not even remotely unusual to see stuff obsolete after a few years. Granted, often branded, often Chinese but again, not a bad thing to stop and there’s no argument to say that stopping it is a bad thing.
Your mileage may vary though and I see a lot more than most probably and, it’ll (for repairers) vary I expect on what you do or don’t. Much that’s a thing you can’t get parts for it’s all too likely you reject at first contact.
But to my mind and I am sure others, anything that makes repair rather than replacement the best option cannot be a bad thing. The flavour that comes in, I could care less.
K.
I agree with Stratford Girl re tech stuff the WTA has hassled so many manufacturers over this and still some of the biggest manufacturers hide behind health and safety, lack of skills etc etc
Lawrence wrote:I agree with Stratford Girl re tech stuff the WTA has hassled so many manufacturers over this and still some of the biggest manufacturers hide behind health and safety, lack of skills etc etc
I agree Lawrence, getting technical info can be real fun, some of the sites we obtain info are done on the quiet so to speak. it would be nice to register in your own name and get your own access code once you proved professional status
This forum has been a bit of a game changer, it allows members to share both knowledge and information. My first brush with this help was on a Zanussi washer main board, got the new board could not figure why it was not working till a kind member send me the info to put the hex code in to get it going.
Without this co-operation life would be much harder for the independent engineerDave
as I see it there will need to be two changes
1 the general public will need to think repair. and as ALL every day products become more reliable and cheaper the just buy a new one has taken hold
2 the need to repair must be there to support someone to carry out those repairs and once again as ALL products become more reliable and cheaper who would look at this trade as a long term career?
to see any changes that will stop the slow death of this business two things must happen, reliability goes down and new prices go up. that aint going to happenwilf
Think about it a bit more. 😉
If manufacturers are “forced” to have spares available and to chuck it with the whole needless sealed up unit caper then that will almost inevitably push the RRP up on all products. This is a good thing and will make the cost of repair more attractive than chucking it and buying a new one.
A lot of people and, I speak to many every day, are well hacked off that they cannot buy bearings, door handles, door seals (dish and cool), dryer stats, dish wheels you need to buy a new basket to change and much more as they are part of a larger assembly, bonded on or the manufacturer simply doesn’t supply the small part that breaks. When I say, “well hacked off”, that is the very, very mild version.
Products will not become more that much more reliable if at all. At least not until they manage to train customers in proper use and negate the mechanical elements that wear out and, to stop them wearing out you need to use ever better components but, even Miele’s break.
As for a long term career, if you look at things through the prism of today you’re right, it’s not at all attractive.
If circumstances change and repairs become as commonplace as they were two or three decades back, it’s a different light that’s shed on things. And, then there will be legislation in place to protect the industry.
So I don’t agree that the reliability has to change at all. New prices going up, yes that will happen but that was inevitable in any event, this just pushes that further, faster.
Keep in mind though that as I said, this is the start, not the end. This is merely the first step and effectively a warning shot across the bows of producers that policies which increase waste are not going to be tolerated any longer and that “durable goods” must be that and must be “reasonably” repairable without barriers to that.
It is also critical to understand that this is not just about appliances, it’s a far wider scope than that.
And this will not change overnight, especially for repairers. You’ve got the time it takes them all to get their heads wrapped round this, change production and then for that to filter through to the field.
The only good news there is, machines have been dying so soon it won’t take as long as it might have done in years gone by.
K.
reliability is hugely better on anything made than was the case thirty years ago materials development has seen to that. I happened to meet a man that owned a car spares shop near to us years ago now retired. he was recalling the first cold days of winter in the 70s 80s etc customers queuing down the street antifreeze, batteries, hoses, pumps,belts, radiators, thermostats, radweld, points, plugs, leads, caps,etc etc then his day to day brake hoses, pads, alternators, and panels for mot work. I and no doubt you kept various bit in the boot for tinkering as necessary. those days are gone.
I just cant see work increasing because its a good idea to keep stuff for longer which is no doubt good for the planet. I’m still running a zanussi fl1084 but I’m probably barmy!wilf
I am afraid that reliability in that respect was always set to improve and yes, those days are long gone, thankfully.
But I just answered a guy. 6 year old Samsung washer needs bearings and a drum spider… scrap. Just because the drum spider is £80.
Every day it’s a procession of every few parts enquiries being sealed up, bonded and so on parts and even just little old me scrapping hundreds of machines a year due to that and that alone.
K.
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