BBC Breakfast - Mending stuff

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by SCP440

We all know you can buy a new washing machine for under £300 but buying one for £1000 is often a better buy long term. One brand offer a 10 year warranty of bearing and drums and they are good for this as I found out. If they are happy to warranty it for that long they must be confident, I bet you wont get that on a £300 machine..

As with the car batteries, manufacturers can easily afford to double and treble the guarantee period, if they double or triple the cost. Simple economics - double the cost and they can provide a brand new replacement for a £300 washer if it fails after five years. It doesn't necessarily ensure it will last twice as long.


In my opinion, the biggest cause of faults, is just short comings and mistakes in design. There are a number of such on the MG/75, the handbrake compensator, the diesel's engine ECU in the plenum which floods, the Hi-Line ICE installed in a wheel well which floods so easily.



Our ten year old washer, came with a design fault, such that like many of the same model - it failed just out of its warranty. Cost to fix - £190 to replace the control PCB, which might extend its life for another year. Rather than buy an exchange PCB to install for £120 or scrap the machine, I investigated the PCB and traced the issue to a single failed 10p capacitor. The capacitor was mounted between two heatsinks, over heating and failing. I replaced that cap with a higher temperature rating version and it has been fine ever since, apart from a few very minor repairs. That now old washer, looks good as new, has absolutely no signs of any wear on its major components and looks set to last many more years.



I published the fix and numerous other people have since saved their machines from the scrap man.



I found the cause of the issue with the 75's handbrake system, likewise on this forum - I published the cause and the fix. Numerous MG/75's will have gone for scrap, simply because their owners couldn't get an MOT because of the failed handbrake. Simply a case of inadequate design strength and lack of testing, on a small insignificant car component.

[impvan]

Originally Posted by Andy_with_a_screwdriver

..loves the little thing called VAT..

It's not just the VAT they love..
Making or importing all the replacements for short-lived kit, increases GDP. Every flavour of government wants GDP to increase.


It's better for government figures to build 3 lots of cars which last 10 years, rather than one car lasting thirty.

[AndyN01]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

.........


In my opinion, the biggest cause of faults, is just short comings and mistakes in design.........


Our ten year old washer, came with a design fault, such that like many of the same model - it failed just out of its warranty. Cost to fix - £190 to replace the control PCB, which might extend its life for another year. Rather than buy an exchange PCB to install for £120 or scrap the machine, I investigated the PCB and traced the issue to a single failed 10p capacitor. The capacitor was mounted between two heatsinks, over heating and failing. I replaced that cap with a higher temperature rating version and it has been fine ever since, apart from a few very minor repairs........

First, respect for doing all the research and tracking down the cause of a fault. I'm not too sure I could manage that. .

I wonder what causes any "design fault" to get in there and be allowed to get into production?

Every new item has, apparently, been rigorously tested under the harshest of conditions and come through with flying colours but it seems most (all?) of them have some sort of issues almost as soon as they arrive in the market place.

Insufficiently skilled & experienced designers? Lack of input or acknowledgement for engineers? Costs? A desire to be "up there" with new "stuff" and/or breaking new (untested) ground? Timescales that force shortcuts to be made with their associated problems? Style over substance?

Something of all the above?

Andy.

[Andy_with_a_screwdriver]

Originally Posted by Andy_with_a_screwdriver

Heard the same thing on Jeremy Vine Radio programme today.
Somebody helped Jeremy repair a kettle which had a loose wire, pushed a spade terminal back on and away they went.

As luck would have my washing machine packed up today blew a fuse and tripped the rcd. More investigation required to sort it. Maybe the heater element which hopefully won't be too bad to change.

I'll see how the parts costs compare to https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/househ...63881-pdt.html
Which I think answers the question why nothing is repaired.

Stripped down the washing machine this afternoon after work. before that I did some testing and t still works on rinses and spin although it won't switch off properly. I found that some part or component of the programmer has blown and left a burnt mark on the pcb, also part of a pcb track blown as well.

Just checked all the spare parts websites and this part is now obsolete, it is an early 1990 machine. When it was available it was £106, not sure I'd want to take the risk when it's only going to cost an extra £60 for a new machine. People aren't going to fix stuff if there aren't any spares available.

[MSS]

I would address that first in the interest of the environment.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by mss

I would address that first in the interest of the environment.

I agree, that is excessive. Once per week here, but even that isn't necessary. We could go for several weeks without need for washing, we have more than enough clothes to last out.

[stevestrat]

My other half wanted one of those all singing, all dancing Dyson washing machines. Got a letter about extending the warranty, for a ridiculous price. About a week after the original warranty expired the machine flashed up a fault code and a phone number. I might be cynical but I refuse to believe that was a coincidence. A quick internet search revealed how to clear the fault.

[HarryM1BYT]

I just tend to wear a bib and braces (dungarees style) when working, they get washed rarely and just hang in the garage.



We never use the drier, its a condensing type. I long ago installed a series of washing lines in the utility, then when washing needs to be dried, we run a dehumidifier and a small desk fan mounted on the wall. That setup, left running over-night, dries them out nicely and at little cost in winter.



Outside for use in summer, I devised a counter balanced ss wire for a 25m long washing line. It pulls down to load it up, then released it takes the washing high in the air and breeze. Pulleys, mean you can load/unload from one spot. I just got fed up with replacing broken washing lines and decided I could design something much better.

[Andy_with_a_screwdriver]

I rebuilt the washing machine this morning, only lost one screw!


Started it up to see what would happen on a 50 degrees wash cycle. Filled with cold water ran for about 30 mins on wash without heating up, the heating control part of the programmer must be busted. I drained it a bit a chucked a couple kettles of hot water it. It carried on and rinsed/spun ok and is now out drying in the breeze.

So I now had a cold wash only machine.

Thinking outside the box, I set the a machine for a 60 degree wash which uses a hot and cold fill. I switched the cold tap off and let the machine fill up with hot water only initially. When it stopped filling for the first time, I put the cold tap back on and turned the dial to 40 degree wash. It then proceeded to top up to the required water level with cold water as it normally does, and is carrying on through the cycle right now. I'm hoping this'll give a good enough wash.

I'll see how long this lasts before the Mrs gets fed up fiddling with taps and insists on a new machine!

[gnu]

I've been repairing stuff for years now, and enjoy it. You can get parts for most stuff (or workable substitutes) on the internet. Plus someone will have been there before, so the forums and YouTube is likely to have some tips. I sometimes give up with complicated electronics though; if its not an obvious dry connection, broken wire or replaceable module.