Electrical Waste, signs of change perhaps?

[PsychMan]

It certainly is the way the world is now, but some factors could change that, and arguably should given the uncertain future of this planet and climate change.

Defining reasonable service lifes for products for one. Rather than leaving it up to the sale of goods act "reasonable" period, define that period and enforce it. Don't make it acceptable for a toaster to not last 10 years for example, ensure its possible to open products and insert some regulations and standards around the parts. Charge for products going into landfill. At the very least ensure they can be recycled with ease. There are many measures that could be considered.

All of the above will result in far more expensive products, but I really do think serious measures are needed. What we landfill is completely unsustainable, and is nothing short of disgusting and a disgrace to humanity in my view. I don't think history will look kindly upon this time of such wanton waste

[Guineafowl]

Originally Posted by ms660

If spares were available who's going to fork out for them plus the service charge in repairing for what is essentially a low value item, there's also transport and parking costs for most of us.

Again, true for now, but the future will have to be different.

We’ll have to wean ourselves off cheap disposable electronics and onto more expensive, but longer-lasting stuff. It even makes financial sense in the long term - consumers/manufacturers/society need to be more forward-thinking.

My parents still use a Panasonic microwave that must be 40 years old. Why has it lasted? Stainless steel interior, so no enamel to flake off and arc. Simple rotary timer and low-high switch (made of metal) so no electronic board to crap out during a thunderstorm.

It must have been pricey to buy, but how many disposable microwaves would you need to last you 40 years (and counting?).

[CambridgeWorks]

Ref. Refugee
Neon bulb? Our previous and current one are blue led. Both in the £10-£15 price range. Despite regular descaling and only the two of us, we are lucky to get 3 years from them these days.
Rob

[PsychMan]

Originally Posted by Guineafowl

Again, true for now, but the future will have to be different.

We’ll have to wean ourselves off cheap disposable electronics and onto more expensive, but longer-lasting stuff. It even makes financial sense in the long term - consumers/manufacturers/society need to be more forward-thinking..

Indeed, and if there was no £20 toaster, instead one cost £100 or more, suddenly repairing it for £20-£50 looks far more attractive. We then have a viable repair industry again

[Guineafowl]

... and if you decided your toaster didn’t match the decor of your new house, you could flog it, as a repairable, valuable toaster would have some market value. Repairable, long-lasting and re-sellable - all things that keep stuff out of the skip.

[ms660]

If our toaster failed and the cost of an electric toaster suddenly went up to £100 minimum I'd be doing the toast with gas.

Lawrence.

[John10b]

Thank you Rubberfingers for your post #37, I must have missed that. As a previous forum member pointed out we are not permitted to rummage through our local tip without very specific rules being followed.
As I previously mentioned cost of repair seems to be, in the main, the governing factor, that is of course if you can get the spares.
There is a local store that sells used (second hand) Electrical Appliances, I have not really made any enquires so far but I might venture in and ask some questions.
Cheers
John

[MotorBikeLes]

We must be lucky here in the Isle of Man. Our "places" are called "Amenity Sites" and you take stuff in. You can put it in a designated area in the covered shed where, if any use, it will be snapped up in a jiffy. There are of course numerous skips for everything else, garden waste, bricks and concrete, household items (the broken toasters that can't be fixed) and so on. Only yesterday, a box FULL of mobile phones, maybe 50 or so. I picked out a (new?) boxed Sony Ericsson, basic not smart which may supplant my simple Samsung. Panasonic bread machines (we make all our own bread), sewing machines, toasters, Kenwood mixers. All good, or easily repairable, or in the extreme, taken back the following week. There are (at least) four of these sites, but the better two are laid out so that you pass the covered shed first, with the skips further on. One of the larger ones works the other way, and the quality "on the tables" is poor by comparison.
They now charge if you take in a fridge, freezer, TV or monitor, and you can no longer take away the TVs.
I must have saved £££s in recent years.
Les.

[Richard_FM]

I bought a Philips kettle when I moved into my flat nearly 10 years ago & it started leaking through the base after owning it around 4 years.

Quickly I bought an Asda own brand one which has so far lasted nearly 6 years.

Today I saw one of the local scrap man with a load of old white goods in his pick up, when metal prices were high a few years ago there were a lot of them around Stockport.

[Refugee]

I was once given a Molinix kettle that still worked.
It started leaking onto the live base overnight. It went bang at about 4am. I resigned myself to the fact that I had a fuse to repair when I got up and just as I went back to sleep again it went off again so I had to get up and sort it out there and then.
The next day I examined it to find that there was a little hole for the water to run out of under the window in the side. The hole was actually part of the plastic moulding and allowed the water to drain onto the live part.
It reminded me of a corded one with a leak in the same place I was asked to repair.
It got the flimsy window shoved back in with smelly silicone RTV and lasted a while longer. The one that woke me up ended up in the black bin in short order.

[Viewmaster]

Originally Posted by McMurdo

If a toaster costs £6 to buy from China and retails at £12, no-ones going to pay a worker to reach for the screwdriver after 18 months and spend an hour changing an element that costs them £7 plus £4 post and packing.

I've just bought a twin toaster from Wilko for £6 !!
Has a time adjustment too and illuminated off switch.

[dseymo1]

Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell

These days I buy by weight, the heavier they are made the better, no one wants to ship unwanted weight without reason.

Ah, but they are a step ahead of you! I've dismantled a number of items and found a cast iron or similar makeweight to add heft and increase the perceived quality.

[Rubberfingers]

When did the repair of small appliances start to die out?. If I look at old Argos catalogues (http://retromash.com/argos/), in 1980 toasters started at approx £11 and Irons started at about £12. Using an online inflation calculator, (http://inflation.iamkate.com/) £11 in 1980 is £53 today. I believe that by 1980, most larger repair organisations had stopped repairing irons and toasters, (although smaller "electrical shops" carried on to an extent), suggesting that repair of a £50 appliance is not viable as a business.

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by MotorBikeLes

'We must be lucky here in the Isle of Man. Our "places" are called "Amenity Sites" and you take stuff in. You can put it in a designated area in the covered shed where, if any use, it will be snapped up in a jiffy...'

You are indeed very lucky. I tried to get Eden District Council to consider such a thing at their Flusco recycling centre. They made interesting noises but did nothing. I was told that more enlightened councils down country have facilities as you describe. I believe discarded 'white goods' are taken to a depot near Workington and repaired or rebuilt and offered to those unfortunate souls who find such things out of reach, via 'Impact' housing or somesuch.

We have the 'Freecycle' network, but that's about it.

[Nickthedentist]

Numatic "Henry" vacuum cleaners are very robust and offer excellent potential lifespan because genuine and pattern spares are readily available. Even so, I found one put out for the bin men the other day and as it looked like new, I grabbed it. All that was wrong was that the hose was kinked and this had caused fluff to gather and cause a complete obstruction. A new, genuine hose assembly was bought cheaply via eBay, and it now does sterling service in the workshop.

Nick.

[Guineafowl]

Originally Posted by russell_w_b

You are indeed very lucky. I tried to get Eden District Council to consider such a thing at their Flusco recycling centre. They made interesting noises but did nothing. I was told that more enlightened councils down country have facilities as you describe. I believe discarded 'white goods' are taken to a depot near Workington and repaired or rebuilt and offered to those unfortunate souls who find such things out of reach, via 'Impact' housing or somesuch.

We have the 'Freecycle' network, but that's about it.

We also have the eBay search term “spares or repair”.

[Boater Sam]

Gutted a Breville toaster this morning.
Base attached with 4 ante-tamper screws, all my bits failed to fit.
Lever knob is a onetime fit, you have to break it to remove the cover.
Loading switch pcb snap fitted into plastic.
Fault? Broken connection on the end of the first element, riveted into thin mica sheet. All too brittle to do anything with, tape element micro thin.
So unrepairable, scrap.
What a waste, 20 years ago I could have bought spares and repaired.

[evingar]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

Numatic "Henry" vacuum cleaners are very robust and offer excellent potential lifespan because genuine and pattern spares are readily available. Even so, I found one put out for the bin men the other day and as it looked like new, I grabbed it. All that was wrong was that the hose was kinked and this had caused fluff to gather and cause a complete obstruction. A new, genuine hose assembly was bought cheaply via eBay, and it now does sterling service in the workshop.

I've just inherited one from The Folks - they had already bought a new Henry by the time they told me their old one had broken. I can't imagine what they were thinking - the old one was only 20 years old, so barely run in !!
All that was wrong was cable fatigue where the cable entered the "windy in bit". The location of the break was soon found by a bit of cable bending - and I only lost 3" of cable length. Total time to fix about 20 Mins. Cost of materials - a couple of crimps that I already had.
My workshop now has its very own Henry

[Station X]

You're lucky! I have a "Charles" the wet and dry version of the "Henry" for use in the house and it's never gone wrong in at least 10 years. I occasionally used in it the workshop, but finally decided to get a "shop cleaner" from Machine Mart". I don't like it though as it lacks suction. I should have shelled out on a Numatic model.

I've always liked dustbin type vacuum cleaners. My first was a Rowenta which I couldn't repair owing to spares not being available. The wheeled cylinder now serves as the workshop waste bin.

[broadgage]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

Numatic "Henry" vacuum cleaners are very robust and offer excellent potential lifespan because genuine and pattern spares are readily available. Even so, I found one put out for the bin men the other day and as it looked like new, I grabbed it. All that was wrong was that the hose was kinked and this had caused fluff to gather and cause a complete obstruction. A new, genuine hose assembly was bought cheaply via eBay, and it now does sterling service in the workshop.

Agree, I have several of those vacuum cleaners. All have been made out of two or more discarded units that had different parts broken. Generally from one with a burnt out motor, and another with a broken case.

And they work, with much reduced suction on 110 volts, an advantage if cleaning anything delicate.