Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
In addition to asking for evidence of the damage and/or poor workmanship, it might be worth asking to inspect the installation. This would allow you to asses: (1) Is it at all likely that moving the old machine to renew the brushes could have put strain on the waste plumbing fittings, causing them to leak? and (2) What is the general condition of the waste plumbing fittings and/or have they recently been replaced? This information could put you in a much stronger position to dispute the claim.
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.
Washing machines tend to be from Hoover and Dishwashers from Beko, but there are exceptions, so if you can give us model numbers, I can hopefully check. Unless offered with a large discount, they are usually overpriced compared to the OEM brand. Regular failure points on the Hoover washing machines are door handle pins that dislodge from the frame and pcb assemblies that unclip from the control panel. Regular failure points on the Beko dishwashers are vent box drain hoses that pop off and leak internally and (if the door is opened a lot) wiring that fails in the door.
I don’t have any knowledge of cooking or cooling.
You’d also probably need to add plumbing to your public liability insurance policy – insurers would see this as a separate trade.
8 jobs a day, 5 days a week, equates to 40 jobs a week, at around £14-£15 per job. Not an attractive prospect in my book, even if he covers all your expenses.
Nowhere near the most I am sure, but for a Whirlpool dishwasher today, telescopic ball race, front cap, rear cap, pair of basket support runners, sump cover, o-ring for sump cover – 6 parts totalling £98 plus labour. A lot of money for a few bits of plastic, but includes a welcome bit of margin towards overheads.
Speak to John Lewis and ask them to sort it. It is John Lewis’s guarantee and they need to honour it.
Haha, should’ve realised 40 years ago Hooover wouldn’t have been offering engineers financial products! Machines in those days really did deserve protection, given you were probably looking at several month’s wages to buy one.
What kind of value do you carry? Goods in Transit insurance is probably what you are thinking of. I doubt there is anything specific to our trade.
Am I correct that Whirlpool still manufacture their Hotpoint and Indesit tumble dryers in the UK – and exported in significant numbers?
Hopefully the new black floats are modified to make them more resistant – then again, hopefully not, as less work for us!
I’ve seen this a couple of times before. In both cases it was caused by buildup of paraffin based emollient creams – the treatment used by some people with skin conditions. Notorious for causing severe burns due to build up on bedding and nightware, I wonder if this stuff is also a contributory factor in some dryer fires.
As others have said, I think everyone stocks different things, depending on their customer base, the types of machine they get called out to and the faults they come across.
A lot of the parts needed for washing machines are unfortunately pretty random, motor brushes, heaters, door seals, pumps, belts, dampers, locks, handles, door frames, dispensers, control panel parts, sensors, inverter boards. At least we don’t need to worry so much about drum parts these days!
For tumble dryers, belts, capacitors, tensioners, heaters, sensors, bearings, blowers, mains filters and the occasional power module for good measure.
I don’t repair ovens.
Luckily, a good proportion of repairs don’t need any parts. And of those that do, a fair number you can pre-order the parts based on the fault, eg door seals, door handles. Over the years I’ve learned not to stock anything unless it is for a common fault on a type of machine I still get called out to often. My stock value has pretty much halved over the last few years. Less weight to carry round and much quicker to locate the parts when needed in the van.
