The Right to Repair – White Goods
Right to Repair and White Goods: What the Law Actually Provides
Right to Repair legislation has been widely welcomed as a step forward for consumers and the environment. The principle is sound. Based on decades of industry experience, however, the legislation in its current form does not address the real reasons why millions of appliances are scrapped every year. This guide covers what UK and EU law actually requires, where each falls short, and what would genuinely make a difference.
The EU adopted a major Right to Repair Directive in 2024 that goes well beyond the spare parts requirements the UK implemented in 2021. UK consumers currently have weaker repair rights than EU consumers, and the gap is widening. This article covers both, clearly distinguishing what applies where.
Right to Repair legislation requires manufacturers to make spare parts available and design appliances so they can be repaired. While this is a positive step, it does not address the main reasons appliances are scrapped: repairs are simply too expensive relative to buying new, labour costs are prohibitive, and appliances are increasingly designed as unrepairable assemblies. Spare parts availability is the least significant barrier to repair. Until the cost of repair becomes economically viable, the legislation is unlikely to make a meaningful difference to appliance lifespans.
What Does UK Right to Repair Law Actually Require?
In the UK, Right to Repair requirements for white goods appliances come from the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021 (SI 2021/745), which came into force in July 2021. These regulations implemented, into domestic UK law, the EU Ecodesign requirements that were in force at the time of Brexit.
Under these UK regulations, manufacturers of washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, fridges, and TVs must:
Make spare parts available for up to 10 years after a product model is placed on the market (7 years for fridges)- Design appliances so they can be repaired using readily available tools
- Supply spare parts to professional repairers, with a more limited list available to consumers directly
- Make certain technical information, including wiring diagrams and spare parts lists, available to professional repairers
These requirements apply only to new product models placed on the UK market after the regulations came into force. They do not apply retroactively to products already in use, nor to new products sold after the regulations if the model design was already on the market before them. The majority of appliances currently in UK homes are not covered.
What Has the EU Done That the UK Has Not?
Since Brexit, the EU has moved substantially further on Right to Repair. The most significant development is the adoption of the Common Rules to Promote the Repair of Goods (EU 2024/1799), known as the Right to Repair Directive, adopted in 2024 with most provisions applying from 31 July 2026.
The UK has not adopted any equivalent to this Directive. As a result, UK consumers currently have weaker repair rights than EU consumers, and from mid-2026, that gap will widen further.
| Right to Repair provision | UK law | EU law (from 31 July 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Spare parts availability (10 years for washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers) | Yes, in force since 2021 | Yes, in force since 2021 |
| Repairable design (common tools, component access) | Yes, in force since 2021 | Yes, in force since 2021 |
| Manufacturers must offer out-of-guarantee repairs | No | Yes, from July 2026 |
| Spare parts must be available at a reasonable price | No | Yes, from July 2026 (definition unclear) |
| Ban on anti-repair practices (parts pairing, software blocks) | No | Yes, from July 2026 (with loopholes) |
| Guarantee extended by one year if repaired rather than replaced | No | Yes, already adopted |
| Mandatory repairability score at point of sale (smartphones) | No | Yes, from June 2025 |
| Consumer can choose repair over replacement during guarantee period | Limited | Strengthened, repair preferred |
It is worth noting that even the EU’s expanded framework has significant limitations and loopholes, which are covered below. But the direction of travel in the EU is clearly more ambitious than in the UK, and UK consumers are not benefiting from it.
What Is the Real Problem? Why Appliances Are Actually Scrapped
White goods appliances used to last between 10 and 20 years as a matter of course. That is no longer the typical experience. A Whitegoods Help reader poll found that 22% of respondents said their washing machine lasted 3 years or less. The current average lifespan has fallen to an estimated 6 to 7 years. Read the full analysis: how long should a washing machine last?
The environmental and financial consequences are enormous. Millions of large, heavy appliances are scrapped every year, most of which could theoretically have been repaired. But why are they being scrapped rather than repaired? The honest answer is not “because spare parts are unavailable.” That is the least significant reason.
A 2024 report by the Open Repair Alliance, analysing over 200,000 documented repairs conducted at community repair events in recent years, found that only 4% of those repairs would have been covered if all current EU Ecodesign regulations had been in place at the time. Source: Open Repair Alliance, 2024 report, cited in Right to Repair Europe policy paper, November 2024. This figure covers EU regulations only. The proportion covered by UK law is similarly small.
The Eight Real Reasons Appliances Are Scrapped
Right to Repair legislation, in both the UK and EU, addresses only one item on this list. That is the core problem with its current form.
1. Repairs cost too much relative to buying new
The fundamental economics of appliance repair are broken. When a basic washing machine costs £250 to £350, and a repair including an engineer visit costs £150 or more before parts, the decision to scrap and replace is understandable. Making spare parts available for longer does not change this arithmetic at all.
2. The cost of sending an engineer to the home is prohibitive
Labour costs, van operating costs, and business overheads mean an engineer visit starts at around £100 before any diagnosis or repair work begins. This floor price makes even simple repairs uneconomical on budget appliances. The cost of labour has become structurally incompatible with the cost of the appliances being repaired.
3. Spare parts prices are often excessive
The price of spare parts for appliances more than a few years old frequently becomes disproportionate to the value of the appliance. A drum bearing assembly, door seal, or control board can cost more than a third of the price of a new machine. Even where parts are technically available, their price makes using them economically irrational. Research by the Right to Repair Europe coalition found that spare parts price is the most frequently cited barrier to repair among both consumers and independent engineers. In France, independent appliance repairers have reported that manufacturers mark up parts prices by three times or more over cost.
4. Appliances are increasingly designed to be unrepairable
Components that were once serviceable individually, including pumps, motors, bearings, and valves, are now supplied only as complete assemblies. The outer drum of a washing machine, which once comprised many individually replaceable parts, is now typically supplied as a single welded unit including drum, bearings, seal, and spider. This design approach dramatically increases repair costs and eliminates partial repair as an option. Right to Repair legislation requires appliances to be repairable using common tools, but it does not require modular or individually serviceable design.
5. Parts pairing and software locks prevent independent repair
Some manufacturers use a technique called parts pairing, in which replacement components are locked to a specific device via software and must be authorised by the manufacturer before the repair restores full functionality. This practice, originally highlighted in relation to smartphones but increasingly relevant across connected appliances, effectively prevents independent repair even where parts are technically available. The EU’s 2024 Right to Repair Directive bans this practice for covered products, with a significant loophole allowing it where “justified by legitimate and objective factors.” The UK has no equivalent ban.
6. Fixed-price repair models have removed the incentive for efficiency
Major manufacturers and repair companies have largely moved from time-based labour charges to fixed-price repair packages, often tied to insurance products. The result is that a minor fault attracts the same charge as a major one, typically £150 or more. This eliminates the economic case for repairing simple faults, which historically were cheap to fix.
7. Technical information is increasingly restricted
Manufacturers have progressively restricted access to technical documentation, service manuals, and diagnostic tools. Error codes are a particular example: many modern appliances use proprietary fault codes that are not made public, making it impossible for independent repairers or competent consumers to diagnose or resolve faults. Read our analysis: appliance error codes, friend or foe?
8. The local independent repair sector has largely disappeared
A once-thriving network of small, local appliance repairers, which provided affordable, accessible repair at reasonable cost, has almost entirely gone. The economics that sustained it no longer exist. Without this infrastructure, even consumers willing to pay for a repair have limited options outside expensive manufacturer service networks.
9. Spare parts become unavailable too quickly
This is the problem that Right to Repair legislation directly targets, and it is a real issue. Parts becoming unavailable after five or six years is unreasonable when appliances are supposed to last significantly longer. However, it is worth noting that by the time parts availability becomes the limiting factor, most consumers have already decided to replace rather than repair, because of the eight reasons above.
Where the Legislation Falls Short
Even taken at its best, the current legislative framework on both sides of the Channel has specific weaknesses that limit its real-world effectiveness.
No effective price controls on parts (UK and EU)
Manufacturers must make parts available, but in the UK there is no restriction on what they can charge. The EU’s 2024 Directive requires “reasonable” pricing, but “reasonable” is not defined. Parts can be priced so high that using them is economically irrational, technically complying while defeating the legislation’s purpose entirely.
Limited consumer access to parts
The legislation requires parts to be available to professional repairers. Consumers have access to only a limited list of mostly external parts: doors, handles, hinges, seals, filters, detergent dispensers, and similar accessories. No key internal components are accessible to consumers as a legal right. This eliminates DIY repair as a protected route.
Anti-repair loopholes (EU)
The EU’s ban on parts pairing and software blocks includes an exception where practices are “justified by legitimate and objective factors including the protection of intellectual property rights.” This broad loophole significantly undermines the prohibition. The UK has no ban at all.
Narrow product scope
Both UK and EU Right to Repair legislation covers only a small fraction of household appliances. Ovens, microwaves, coffee machines, kettles, toasters, hairdryers, and most small appliances are entirely unregulated. The Open Repair Alliance’s finding that only 4% of community repairs would be covered illustrates how limited the scope remains in practice.
No repairability standards (UK)
Manufacturers must make appliances repairable using common tools, but there are no requirements for modular or individually serviceable design. The shift to unrepairable component assemblies continues unchallenged.
No retroactive application
Requirements apply only to new product models placed on the market after the legislation came into force. The overwhelming majority of appliances currently in UK and EU homes are not covered by any of these requirements.
The fundamental problem that legislation cannot solve
If a washing machine is 12 years old and a door seal replacement costs £130 in parts and labour, and a new washing machine costs £300, most consumers will replace. Extending spare parts availability does not change this calculation. Neither does requiring manufacturers to offer a repair service, if the price of that service is not controlled. The economic structure of appliance repair in the UK is incompatible with the cost of the appliances being repaired, and legislation has not yet addressed this.
What the EU Is Doing That the UK Could Learn From
While the EU’s approach is far from perfect, it offers several elements that would strengthen UK consumer rights if adopted here.
Mandatory repair scores at point of sale
France introduced a mandatory repairability index in 2021, displayed on appliances at point of sale, scoring products on the availability and cost of spare parts, technical documentation, and ease of disassembly. An EU-wide repair score for smartphones is mandatory from June 2025, with similar scores for other product categories in development. Research shows 88% of consumers expect a repairability score to include spare parts prices. The UK has no equivalent scheme.
Spare parts price scoring
The French repairability index includes a scoring grid for spare parts price, with scores ranging from 0/10 for parts costing more than 30% of the product price, to 10/10 for parts costing no more than 10%. Research shows price is the most cited barrier to repair. The EU’s own repair scores do not yet include this criterion, and the UK has nothing comparable.
Out-of-guarantee repair obligation
From July 2026, EU manufacturers of washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, fridges, TVs, and other covered products must offer repair services for the covered parts, for the full duration of the parts availability period. This means a washing machine manufacturer must be able to repair the appliance for up to 10 years. The UK has no equivalent requirement.
Automatic guarantee extension for repairs
Under the EU’s 2024 Directive, if a faulty appliance is repaired in response to a guarantee claim rather than replaced, the guarantee period is automatically extended by one additional year. This creates a regulatory incentive for repair over replacement. The UK has no equivalent provision.
Repair subsidies and financial incentives
The EU’s 2024 Directive requires every EU member state to introduce at least one financial incentive for repair. France funds consumer repair vouchers through eco-modulated producer fees. Germany and Austria have repair subsidy schemes. Sweden makes 50% of household appliance repair labour tax-deductible, deducted directly from the invoice. The UK has no national repair subsidy or financial incentive for appliance repair.
Anti-parts-pairing prohibition
The EU’s 2024 Directive prohibits manufacturers from using hardware or software techniques that impede repair, including parts pairing. While the loopholes are significant and the prohibition is weaker than campaigners wanted, it establishes the principle in law. The UK has no equivalent ban, leaving manufacturers free to use these techniques without restriction.
What Would Actually Make a Difference in the UK
Genuinely extending appliance lifespans would require changes that go substantially beyond current UK Right to Repair legislation. Based on industry analysis and the direction of EU policy, the most impactful measures would be:
- Mandated modular design. Requiring manufacturers to design appliances with individually serviceable components, motors, pumps, bearings, and valves, rather than irreplaceable assemblies. This is technically achievable but would increase manufacturing costs.
- Parts price controls. Without controls on parts pricing, availability requirements are easily circumvented. Genuine access requires parts to be available at proportionate prices, not at costs that make repair economically irrational. Consumer research indicates people are unwilling to pay more than 30% of the new product price for a repair.
- Open access to technical information. Requiring manufacturers to publish service manuals, wiring diagrams, and error code documentation for all appliances, accessible to repairers and consumers alike. This would dramatically increase the scope of viable independent and DIY repair.
- Consumer access to spare parts. Restricting supply to professional repairers excludes the significant number of consumers capable of carrying out their own repairs. Consumer access to internal parts is the cheapest and most accessible form of appliance repair.
- Repairability ratings at point of sale. A UK repairability index displayed at point of sale, scoring products on spare parts availability, parts cost, technical documentation, and design for repair, would give consumers the information to make informed choices and incentivise manufacturers to improve.
- A repair financial incentive. The EU now requires member states to introduce repair incentives. A UK equivalent, whether a subsidy, voucher scheme, or tax reduction on repair labour similar to Sweden’s model, would address the fundamental economics that make repair unviable for many consumers.
- Minimum lifespan requirements. Rather than only regulating what happens when things go wrong, minimum design lifespan requirements would set a baseline manufacturers must meet, creating a commercial incentive to build more durable appliances from the outset.
What Can UK Consumers Do Right Now?
While legislation catches up, there are practical steps consumers can take to extend appliance life and reduce unnecessary waste.
Research spare parts availability and cost before purchasing. Some brands, particularly established European manufacturers, have better parts ecosystems than others. Our washing machine buying guide covers what to look for.
Clean pump filters, descale heating elements in hard water areas, and run maintenance washes. Preventative maintenance extends life significantly and prevents many of the faults that lead to premature scrappage. See our using washing machines guide.
Before replacing a faulty appliance, find out what is actually wrong. Many faults are minor and inexpensive to fix. Our appliance repair section and error code guides can help identify the problem.
Pump blockages, door seal replacements, filter cleaning, and drive belt replacements are accessible to competent home repairers. Read our DIY repair safety guide before attempting any work.
Need help with a faulty appliance?
Before replacing, it is always worth diagnosing the actual fault. Many faults are simpler and cheaper to fix than consumers expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does UK Right to Repair law mean I can get my appliance repaired for free?
No. UK Right to Repair legislation does not entitle consumers to free repairs, subsidised labour, or price-controlled parts. It requires manufacturers to make spare parts available for longer, but places no obligation on the cost of those parts or the labour involved in fitting them. Your rights to a remedy for a faulty appliance come from the Consumer Rights Act, not Right to Repair legislation. See our Consumer Rights Act guide.
Do UK consumers have the same Right to Repair rights as EU consumers?
No, and the gap is growing. The UK implemented Ecodesign spare parts requirements in 2021, matching what the EU had at the time of Brexit. However, the EU adopted a major Right to Repair Directive in 2024 that the UK has not matched. From July 2026, EU consumers will have rights to out-of-guarantee repairs, stronger parts pricing protections, a ban on anti-repair software practices, and an automatic guarantee extension when products are repaired. UK consumers have none of these.
Will Right to Repair make appliances last longer?
In its current UK form, the legislation is unlikely to significantly extend average appliance lifespans. Making spare parts available for longer does not address the fundamental economics of repair. For most UK consumers, replacing an appliance remains cheaper than repairing it, and that calculation will not change because parts are available. The legislation would need to be substantially extended to tackle parts pricing, design for repairability, access to technical information, and the economics of repair labour to make a real difference.
Can I access spare parts directly as a consumer under Right to Repair?
In the UK, manufacturers must supply spare parts to professional repairers. Consumers have access only to a limited list of mostly external components: doors, handles, hinges, seals, filters, and similar accessories. Key internal components such as motors, pumps, and control boards are not legally required to be made available to consumers. Many parts remain available through third-party spare parts suppliers regardless of the legislation. See our spare parts guide.
What is parts pairing and why does it matter?
Parts pairing is a technique where replacement components are linked to a specific device via software, and must be remotely authorised by the manufacturer before the repaired device regains full functionality. This can prevent independent repair even where the physical part is available. It is most widely discussed in relation to smartphones but is increasingly relevant across connected appliances. The EU’s 2024 Right to Repair Directive prohibits this practice for covered products, with some loopholes. The UK has no equivalent ban.
Why are spare parts for older appliances so expensive?
Spare parts for appliances more than a few years old often become disproportionately expensive relative to both the cost of the appliance and the cost of a new machine. The causes include reduced production volumes, supply chain costs, and in some cases deliberate pricing decisions by manufacturers. Independent appliance repairers have reported manufacturers marking up parts prices by three times or more. In France, the mandatory repairability index scores parts pricing directly. The UK has no equivalent transparency requirement.
Is it worth repairing an older appliance rather than replacing it?
It depends on the age, cost, and nature of the fault. As a general principle, getting a diagnosis before replacing is always worthwhile. Many faults are minor and inexpensive to fix. For older appliances where a major component such as a drum assembly or motor has failed, the economics of repair become more difficult. Our appliance repair section can help you assess the options.
11 Comments
Grouped into 6 comment threads.
2 replies What is needed is for low-lifespan electronic components to be banned from being used in kitchen appliances. That would increase the cost of appliances by a few pence but increase the average lifespan by a decent amount.
2 replies Thanks for your comments Peter. This is all an inevitable product of uncontrolled capitalism. It gives on the one hand some wonderful products, technology and to be fair greatly reduced prices, but being an repairable is the downside and it's a very big downside. It's been happening for decades now and I think to a certain extent it's worked reasonably well until climate change. A reasonable part of the answer is to facilitate DIY repairs as there are millions of people who are competent enough to repair many of their own appliances but having parts available is utterly pointless if they are too expensive to fit.
Thanks for your comments Peter. This is all an inevitable product of uncontrolled capitalism. It gives on the one hand some wonderful products, technology and to be fair greatly reduced prices, but being an repairable is the downside and it’s a very big downside. It’s been happening for decades now and I think to a certain extent it’s worked reasonably well until climate change.
A reasonable part of the answer is to facilitate DIY repairs as there are millions of people who are competent enough to repair many of their own appliances but having parts available is utterly pointless if they are too expensive to fit.
Likely replying to Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp)
Thanks Andy, appreciate you taking the time to respond. Cars used to rust away very quickly. People said that was how it was – the forces of capitalism in operation. So how come now cars don’t generally rust? Who maintains that having to make cars that last longer destroyed capitalism? The key to capitalism is innovation.
I note that someone just open-sourced battery replacement for a very popular Electric Vehicle (the Nissan Leaf) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRk_W0O-WUU making it free – a real step forward. THe others will need to compete. A better way is possible and you are in a position of influence – suggest you dare to dream :)
Hi Chris, I apologise for a long reply. I’m obviously quite passionate about the subject :-) I’m not having a rant, it’s just there’s so much to the topic. All these environmental things are great, and need to keep going, but from what I see they are only just very slightly delaying the problem against the full force of capitalism.
I don’t see as many old cars on the road these days compared to the past. They may have rusted badly back in the day, but they still kept running. Any garage no matter how small could repair any car and any fault. And any handyman could also do many maintenance and repair jobs themselves. But you need specialist equipment to be able to repair or diagnose many faults now. Manufacturers won’t give it to independent garages. (If I remember correctly the new law had to be passed in America recently to force them to do so, but there are always ways round this sort of thing as pointed out in my article above).
These days people replace their cars more than ever, and they’ve never been less easily repairable. Manufacturers do the same as white goods manufacturers – only worse. Spare parts are also no longer available after a ludicrously small amount of time. Small local garages go out of business in their droves. My daughter bought a five year old car last year. The rear part of the exhaust fell off last week, and my son-in-law says that despite extensive research, the part is no longer available. Crazy times.
If we turn the issue back to white goods, I believe we had the right balance in the 50s 60s and even 1970s. Back then, white goods appliances were very expensive to buy. Almost everyone had to either take out a loan to buy them (on HP) or rent them. They weren’t necessarily so well-built that they never broke down, but they were built at a time when throughout all previous history, anything made, needed to be made to last, and needed to be repairable.
So appliance manufacturers didn’t know any different. They built them really well, and they built them with the full intention of supporting them through a long life. Every part, from the motor, the small water pump, and even something as small as an inlet water valve could be taken apart. So if the water valve developed a fault, you would unscrew the solenoid and replaced the solenoid. Or if the fault was that the valve had jammed, unscrewed the solenoid, took it apart and replaced the small rubber flange, or even a small rubber “nipple” that used to get swollen with age.
If the pump leaked, we used to strip it down, rub away all the dried up detergent and limescale with a wire brush. Then reassembling it replacing a small “angus” seal, and a small “O ring”. Likewise the drum bearings and the motor could all be easily stripped down and any one of dozens of parts replaced.
We now have a situation where no part can be stripped down and repaired. If a pump leaks, fit a complete new pump, if a bearing on a motor starts to squeak, fit a complete new motor. Even a part as ludicrously big as the main outer drum, comprising a big outer drum, a stainless steel inner drum, a main seal, a bearing seal, 2 bearings and a drum spider only comes as a complete unit.
The thing is that when this new trend started didn’t seem so bad because these new complete parts were built of lower quality and actually relatively cheap. But over the years the price of these parts has now reached such a state where a three year old washing machine is likely to be scrapped and thrown away because it needs a drum bearing, or it’s developed a fault on the motor etc.
So the only way back from this is to go back to making washing machines where all of the parts can be stripped down and repaired. That would be very easy to do, except it would mean that the cost of manufacturing them would go through the roof. Manufacturers of white goods appliances would see sales plummet as eventually more washing machines get repaired instead of thrown away.
They would have to rely heavily on repairing appliances themselves to make up the loss in profits on sales of new ones. But the problem is that it is now way too expensive to send skilled engineers out to repair appliances in the home. I just had someone on my forums say that they have a Hotpoint washing machine, and Hotpoint have quoted them £245 for a fixed price repair. This will be despite the fact that it could be a relatively minor fault.
I myself have a Miele washing machine that is now 17 years old. Miele have apparently stopped all sales of spare parts for their appliances by any third party spare site, and there are no spare parts available to the public on even the Miele UK site. So the only way to get a Miele washing machine repaired is through Miele and to pay their engineer to fit it. But Miele charge a minimum of £160 plus parts to send an engineer.
So the only way that these kinds of repair prices could be economical to customers, is if a basic washing machine cost at least £1600. That would be in line with how things used to be in the early 1980s when a manufacturers Labour charges were about 8% of the cost of their basic washing machine. But Hotpoint’s fixed price £245 repair is about 95% the cost of the current new basic washing machines.
So essentially my argument is that the only way to get back to appliances (and by definition every other product) that are well made, last very long time, and are easily and economically repairable, is for them to start to cost on average 10 times more than they currently do. And this is never going to happen unless someone, or something forces it.
1 reply Thanks for your work on this website! White goods professionals have been priced out of the market by manufacturers eliminating humans from the supply chain. What will always remain is lots of 'ordinary' people keen to repair their own stuff when it breaks. We (Haringey Fixers) have seen a lot of repairs brought to our fortnightly repair cafés in Tottenham. People here can't afford to get stuff fixed so come to us who, unpaid, do it for free for the satisfaction of helping people and growing our skills. We know what we can and what we can't fix (no microwaves, electric blankets etc) Let's call white goods that are designed to be fixed by amateurs "sustainable". Copy IKEA in providing step by step repair instructions. Include lots of pathways that say "you can't do this at home" or "needs specialist intervention" but make the design so modular so people can carry the affected parts into a repair shop. If parts such as motors for example were more standard without quashing innovation we could be like the car industry when many 'brands' all use the same underlying 'platform'. Spares work across brands interchangeably. The "Error Code computer chips" enhanced to aid diagnosis and repair. The EU have forced the phone industry to standardise on common parts (chargers), to not sell them along with phones and to not make proprietary charging cables. Apply this to white goods and maybe we'll see replaceable elements in toasters and microwaves? Washing machines each using one of a fixed range of motors that can easily be removed? Standard tubing and connectors? Product designers are getting better all the time - if manufacturers incorporate standardised, replaceable components in all their products, growing a 'repair' culture, white goods professionals can concentrate more on what they're good at - the hard stuff :) I'd like to see more repairers get together to plan a white goods future in which "no serviceable parts inside" was replaced with "designed to be repaired".
Thanks for your work on this website!
White goods professionals have been priced out of the market by manufacturers eliminating humans from the supply chain.
What will always remain is lots of ‘ordinary’ people keen to repair their own stuff when it breaks.
We (Haringey Fixers) have seen a lot of repairs brought to our fortnightly repair cafés in Tottenham. People here can’t afford to get stuff fixed so come to us who, unpaid, do it for free for the satisfaction of helping people and growing our skills. We know what we can and what we can’t fix (no microwaves, electric blankets etc)
Let’s call white goods that are designed to be fixed by amateurs “sustainable”. Copy IKEA in providing step by step repair instructions. Include lots of pathways that say “you can’t do this at home” or “needs specialist intervention” but make the design so modular so people can carry the affected parts into a repair shop.
If parts such as motors for example were more standard without quashing innovation we could be like the car industry when many ‘brands’ all use the same underlying ‘platform’. Spares work across brands interchangeably. The “Error Code computer chips” enhanced to aid diagnosis and repair.
The EU have forced the phone industry to standardise on common parts (chargers), to not sell them along with phones and to not make proprietary charging cables.
Apply this to white goods and maybe we’ll see replaceable elements in toasters and microwaves? Washing machines each using one of a fixed range of motors that can easily be removed? Standard tubing and connectors?
Product designers are getting better all the time – if manufacturers incorporate standardised, replaceable components in all their products, growing a ‘repair’ culture, white goods professionals can concentrate more on what they’re good at – the hard stuff :)
I’d like to see more repairers get together to plan a white goods future in which “no serviceable parts inside” was replaced with “designed to be repaired”.
Hi Chris. Sadly, my belief is that most things, including white goods appliances, will never ever be made to be repairable by anyone – or even by engineers. This is because it would destroy capitalism. Capitalism can only survive if people are constantly buying things they don’t need, and constantly replacing things that could be repaired. Imagine if a company made a washing machine so good that it lasted 30 years easily, and could be repaired easily and cheaply. They would without a doubt go bust, or they would be having to charge £2000 to £3000 for their products to make up for the fact that they hardly sell any, and make little or nothing on selling spare parts.
If we all stop throwing things away, it will destroy the economy. I also believe that the chances are that sooner or later, if what they say about the environment is true, then the alternative we crave, will be forced on the world. This would knock us all back to living standards of the 1940s at least. Ordinary people won’t be able to afford cars, or to drive, and appliances will be massively expensive and so on and so on. Just like it always was before we created this problem.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be clever, or funny or dismissive. This is what I genuinely believe. There is no way the changes required to prevent global warming can happen without reverting our societies back to how we used to be nearly 100 years ago. There’s also no way any government is going to implement that, until things get so horrifically bad that the general population would accept it. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that :-)
Meanwhile, people like you guys keep doing their best to make a difference, which is great, and sorely needed.
0 replies Really interesting comments and I love the idea of the repair cafe. I have a ten year old magimix toaster, 10 year old AEG dishwasher, 8 year old AEG washing machine, and 5 year old kitchenaid kettle. If my toaster goes I’m going to replace it with the same brand or a dualit, both of which are repairable. I’ve never had to have any engineer repairs on the washing machine. Service and check seals and clean filter about once a year and keep an eye for any parts needing further service. Have had to have repairs on dishwasher as the plastic components break down, but only two engineer visits (parts cheaper through engineers, repair has warranty and it’s nice not having to do it sometimes!). It’s satisfying doing a repair and being happy but it’s “furioustrating” (a word my 8yo made up) to have to break a machine down again to redo a repair after you’ve closed it all up. Have had Zero hassle with full size aeg larder fridge and separate Electrolux matching larder freezer but both only five years old. Wanted an American fridge but learnt that the ice yokes always break and was told that a machine that only had to do one job with its compressor was less stressed. I have to say, having Miele for all my other appliances, they might last twenty years but they also might not and the parts are offensively expensive. It really makes me appreciate AEG for parts availability, parts diagrams, availability online and through servicemen direct to consumers, and ease of repair. When my mum’s Miele dishwasher went (more than one potential issue) we just replaced it with a hotpoint, (WEEE is great and who knows maybe the shop repaired it) which not only was about the same cost as the repair, but interestingly because it came with a multi year warranty, as opposed to a 90 day warranty, it meant that the extension of life was probably similar but was guaranteed instead of not guaranteed. The 2023 top spec hotpoint won’t have all the features of the 2023 entry level Miele, but it does have all the features of the 2010 mid spec Miele. That only dawned on me when I was complaining to my AEG serviceman that to replace my dishwasher with the same “model” in the current year was two thousand euro. He pointed out that for 800 I could get a new model that had all the same features (not missing a single one) cuz they’d cascaded lower down the range over the years and for the 2k I was getting a machine that was far above what I had currently. Obviously because it was repairable we were repairing it (for about 250) but it was good to do all the maths and to know I could go cheaper to match like for like and not feel I was missing out. So if my mums new hot point lasts 6-8 years on average, maybe longer if we’re lucky, it does the first 5years with a guarantee and unlikely there was more than 8 years left in the Miele even with expensive repairs. When our whirlpool engineer came out the first time to replace the element on a dryer he was telling me how he started out with Philips who got bought over, and that with whirlpool buying hot point and indesit they had been replacing hundreds of machines because they have a good customer service model and he’d found it interesting seeing the challenges of pulling up the quality but that it was no fun repairing machines designed to be dumped. He also showed me how to triage and troubleshoot and how to do all the common repairs and how to maintain preventatively, so when I “upgraded” to a Miele heat pump tank, I was able to make sure there was several years left in the whirlpool having replaced the belt myself etc, and tightened up all the frame bolts and checked all the seals to stop lint going in the element. Another point for people used to repairing older electronic items as I had been, I’ve just replaced my 2013 Apple laptop in 2023 (I refused to buy the unrealisable 2016-2019 models, and then was waiting for a model to come out that was “real world” actually better than the 2013 ones), but anyways, when I was servicing my old one while waiting for the new one to be out, it hit me that the biggest change was just miniaturisation of the same circuitry I’d been used to since I started repairing computers aged 8, and that I just needed a microscope and a more precision clinical approach to do repairs, or in my case luckily just a loupe and smaller tools to do the service preventative maintenance repairs (like replacing perished thermal paste, cleaning contacts to prevent arcing, replacing solder on some points, replacing components that had perished with age, etc). Back in 2012/13 I had been hesitant to buy THOSE newer computers that were built like mobile phones because I knew repairs were going to be so much more complex, but essentially they are still repairable and I guess for tech you can find donor parts easily and cheaply because most people don’t know you can extend the life of them so easily. Gives me confidence in my new investment where every chip is soldered to the main board. Obviously for white goods, that’s less relevant, but it’s funny, my experience in repairing Apple products had given me a confidence that is somewhat cross transferable. Although the engineer who I got to rebuild my digital camera was furious an amateur had opened it at all (to be fair I realised that I couldn’t get the part needed as an amateur even if I was cable of doing the repair and would have needed to have expensive calibration and setting equipment as well as the part but at least I did diagnose the problem correctly. Ten years old. Brand new. :-) how it should be. Ps. Extractive capitalism needs to die. The “growth” mindset needs to die. When I saw a Peugeot wheelchair taxi van with 600,000 km on it last year, not a brand known for its reliability, the driver said he gets it serviced every 10k miles and oil change every other 10k. It was driving butter smooth. So maybe the future is in brands warrantying used items and investing in servicing, like they do for their “approved used” cars, maybe instead of entry level products with compromised junk components, they’d sell ten year old models of the 2k machines. I personally prefer to buy used unless it’s a poorer economic value than buying new. Young people are starting to do this with fashion so there’s hope. A bit of hope.
Really interesting comments and I love the idea of the repair cafe. I have a ten year old magimix toaster, 10 year old AEG dishwasher, 8 year old AEG washing machine, and 5 year old kitchenaid kettle. If my toaster goes I’m going to replace it with the same brand or a dualit, both of which are repairable. I’ve never had to have any engineer repairs on the washing machine. Service and check seals and clean filter about once a year and keep an eye for any parts needing further service. Have had to have repairs on dishwasher as the plastic components break down, but only two engineer visits (parts cheaper through engineers, repair has warranty and it’s nice not having to do it sometimes!). It’s satisfying doing a repair and being happy but it’s “furioustrating” (a word my 8yo made up) to have to break a machine down again to redo a repair after you’ve closed it all up. Have had Zero hassle with full size aeg larder fridge and separate Electrolux matching larder freezer but both only five years old. Wanted an American fridge but learnt that the ice yokes always break and was told that a machine that only had to do one job with its compressor was less stressed.
I have to say, having Miele for all my other appliances, they might last twenty years but they also might not and the parts are offensively expensive. It really makes me appreciate AEG for parts availability, parts diagrams, availability online and through servicemen direct to consumers, and ease of repair. When my mum’s Miele dishwasher went (more than one potential issue) we just replaced it with a hotpoint, (WEEE is great and who knows maybe the shop repaired it) which not only was about the same cost as the repair, but interestingly because it came with a multi year warranty, as opposed to a 90 day warranty, it meant that the extension of life was probably similar but was guaranteed instead of not guaranteed.
The 2023 top spec hotpoint won’t have all the features of the 2023 entry level Miele, but it does have all the features of the 2010 mid spec Miele. That only dawned on me when I was complaining to my AEG serviceman that to replace my dishwasher with the same “model” in the current year was two thousand euro. He pointed out that for 800 I could get a new model that had all the same features (not missing a single one) cuz they’d cascaded lower down the range over the years and for the 2k I was getting a machine that was far above what I had currently. Obviously because it was repairable we were repairing it (for about 250) but it was good to do all the maths and to know I could go cheaper to match like for like and not feel I was missing out. So if my mums new hot point lasts 6-8 years on average, maybe longer if we’re lucky, it does the first 5years with a guarantee and unlikely there was more than 8 years left in the Miele even with expensive repairs.
When our whirlpool engineer came out the first time to replace the element on a dryer he was telling me how he started out with Philips who got bought over, and that with whirlpool buying hot point and indesit they had been replacing hundreds of machines because they have a good customer service model and he’d found it interesting seeing the challenges of pulling up the quality but that it was no fun repairing machines designed to be dumped. He also showed me how to triage and troubleshoot and how to do all the common repairs and how to maintain preventatively, so when I “upgraded” to a Miele heat pump tank, I was able to make sure there was several years left in the whirlpool having replaced the belt myself etc, and tightened up all the frame bolts and checked all the seals to stop lint going in the element.
Another point for people used to repairing older electronic items as I had been, I’ve just replaced my 2013 Apple laptop in 2023 (I refused to buy the unrealisable 2016-2019 models, and then was waiting for a model to come out that was “real world” actually better than the 2013 ones), but anyways, when I was servicing my old one while waiting for the new one to be out, it hit me that the biggest change was just miniaturisation of the same circuitry I’d been used to since I started repairing computers aged 8, and that I just needed a microscope and a more precision clinical approach to do repairs, or in my case luckily just a loupe and smaller tools to do the service preventative maintenance repairs (like replacing perished thermal paste, cleaning contacts to prevent arcing, replacing solder on some points, replacing components that had perished with age, etc). Back in 2012/13 I had been hesitant to buy THOSE newer computers that were built like mobile phones because I knew repairs were going to be so much more complex, but essentially they are still repairable and I guess for tech you can find donor parts easily and cheaply because most people don’t know you can extend the life of them so easily. Gives me confidence in my new investment where every chip is soldered to the main board.
Obviously for white goods, that’s less relevant, but it’s funny, my experience in repairing Apple products had given me a confidence that is somewhat cross transferable. Although the engineer who I got to rebuild my digital camera was furious an amateur had opened it at all (to be fair I realised that I couldn’t get the part needed as an amateur even if I was cable of doing the repair and would have needed to have expensive calibration and setting equipment as well as the part but at least I did diagnose the problem correctly. Ten years old. Brand new. :-) how it should be.
Ps. Extractive capitalism needs to die. The “growth” mindset needs to die.
When I saw a Peugeot wheelchair taxi van with 600,000 km on it last year, not a brand known for its reliability, the driver said he gets it serviced every 10k miles and oil change every other 10k. It was driving butter smooth. So maybe the future is in brands warrantying used items and investing in servicing, like they do for their “approved used” cars, maybe instead of entry level products with compromised junk components, they’d sell ten year old models of the 2k machines. I personally prefer to buy used unless it’s a poorer economic value than buying new. Young people are starting to do this with fashion so there’s hope. A bit of hope.
0 replies One thing is certain, Andy, white goods will suffer lots and lots of innovation in future - we can't stop that happening. The Right to Repair laws can and will change washing machines and all white goods slowly. Maybe they will start shipping with AI chips to extend functionality (and reporting). The French publish a white goods repairability index https://repair.eu/news/the-french-repair-index-challenges-and-opportunities which is displayed at the point of sale. I'd like to see a repair chip in every product that can self-diagnose. Manufacturers seem to aim for sub-systems and repairers often end up replacing an entire sub-system by elimination - "de-skilling" will continue, it's cheaper. Modern flat screen TVs often have just three circuit boards inside - generally, you can fix almost whatever's wrong by replacing one. Whereas I can remember when TV service manuals came with circuit diagrams, nowadays many get repaired by people who are denied access to the inner workings so never accumulate the skills to trace a component fault - no need. The controller boards on washing machines contain integrated circuits that are almost impossible to repair if the OEM keeps them secret. So I disagree with you - the future is bright, the kit will get better and the more we legislate for repairability to keep OEM's in tow, the better :)
One thing is certain, Andy, white goods will suffer lots and lots of innovation in future – we can’t stop that happening. The Right to Repair laws can and will change washing machines and all white goods slowly. Maybe they will start shipping with AI chips to extend functionality (and reporting). The French publish a white goods repairability index https://repair.eu/news/the-french-repair-index-challenges-and-opportunities which is displayed at the point of sale. I’d like to see a repair chip in every product that can self-diagnose.
Manufacturers seem to aim for sub-systems and repairers often end up replacing an entire sub-system by elimination – “de-skilling” will continue, it’s cheaper. Modern flat screen TVs often have just three circuit boards inside – generally, you can fix almost whatever’s wrong by replacing one. Whereas I can remember when TV service manuals came with circuit diagrams, nowadays many get repaired by people who are denied access to the inner workings so never accumulate the skills to trace a component fault – no need. The controller boards on washing machines contain integrated circuits that are almost impossible to repair if the OEM keeps them secret.
So I disagree with you – the future is bright, the kit will get better and the more we legislate for repairability to keep OEM’s in tow, the better :)
0 replies Could not agree with you more - my Indesit IDF125 dishwasher's recirculation motor has packed up; the appliance is in great condition and approx 9 years old. Have no problem fixing it but the price of a new motor/impeller is NUTS (averaging 180 sterling across most spares websites). Clearly the maths does not add up. The motor itself looks cheap and plasticky and probably costs no more than 20 quid to manufacture. Somebody is pulling the piss here as regards the price of parts and there should be an enquiry into this. In my opinion, spares prices are the major cause of appliance scrappage as the service engineers/appliance repair shops have no control of these - as already referred to in your article. Right to repair is useless here. As an experienced technician, it galls me to have to make the decision to scrap the machine on economic grounds only. I hate waste and managed to get my mum's 26 year old Creda dryer going again thanks to a set of bearings from a local engineering shop, cost me 10 quid! The current practices by most whitegoods manufacturers is not environmantally sound at all. I have a 46 year old Nilfisk GA-70 vacuum which still runs well, had to replace the carbon brushes and repack the bearings. I worked as a Nilfisk service tech in the late 80's and their cleaners were designed to be repairable with good spare parts availability, but unfortunately, they have gone the same route as the other manufacturers. Seems like quality has been sacrificed for price and people cannot see beyond paying a cheaper price for a short - lived product vis - a - vis a higher price for a better made one. Growing up, we had a 1972 AEG automatic washer which we kept going until 1994 and a 1972 AEG dryer which lasted until 2003! Both machines were expensive at the time, but well built with good and reasonably priced spares. What done for them in the end was just sheer unavailability of the parts needed, due to age. Stuff today is designed to be unrepairable, like the one-piece plastic outer drums and smaller drum bearings on modern washing machines and the lower build quality in general. Yet, these same manufacturers greenwash us with sexy advertising and energy ratings with nonsense like IOT/WiFi control and a few 'eco' low temperature and part load/quick wash programmes. Back in the 80's and early '90's, even standard average-priced washing machines by Hoover were well made (in Wales) with metal outer drums and solid construction with great parts availability and reasonable spares prices, now sadly no more.
Could not agree with you more – my Indesit IDF125 dishwasher’s recirculation motor has packed up; the appliance is in great condition and approx 9 years old. Have no problem fixing it but the price of a new motor/impeller is NUTS (averaging 180 sterling across most spares websites). Clearly the maths does not add up.
The motor itself looks cheap and plasticky and probably costs no more than 20 quid to manufacture. Somebody is pulling the piss here as regards the price of parts and there should be an enquiry into this. In my opinion, spares prices are the major cause of appliance scrappage as the service engineers/appliance repair shops have no control of these – as already referred to in your article. Right to repair is useless here. As an experienced technician, it galls me to have to make the decision to scrap the machine on economic grounds only. I hate waste and managed to get my mum’s 26 year old Creda dryer going again thanks to a set of bearings from a local engineering shop, cost me 10 quid! The current practices by most whitegoods manufacturers is not environmantally sound at all.
I have a 46 year old Nilfisk GA-70 vacuum which still runs well, had to replace the carbon brushes and repack the bearings. I worked as a Nilfisk service tech in the late 80’s and their cleaners were designed to be repairable with good spare parts availability, but unfortunately, they have gone the same route as the other manufacturers. Seems like quality has been sacrificed for price and people cannot see beyond paying a cheaper price for a short – lived product vis – a – vis a higher price for a better made one. Growing up, we had a 1972 AEG automatic washer which we kept going until 1994 and a 1972 AEG dryer which lasted until 2003! Both machines were expensive at the time, but well built with good and reasonably priced spares. What done for them in the end was just sheer unavailability of the parts needed, due to age.
Stuff today is designed to be unrepairable, like the one-piece plastic outer drums and smaller drum bearings on modern washing machines and the lower build quality in general. Yet, these same manufacturers greenwash us with sexy advertising and energy ratings with nonsense like IOT/WiFi control and a few ‘eco’ low temperature and part load/quick wash programmes. Back in the 80’s and early ’90’s, even standard average-priced washing machines by Hoover were well made (in Wales) with metal outer drums and solid construction with great parts availability and reasonable spares prices, now sadly no more.
What is needed is for low-lifespan electronic components to be banned from being used in kitchen appliances. That would increase the cost of appliances by a few pence but increase the average lifespan by a decent amount.
Hi Dave. Yes, a hell of a lot of stuff needs to be banned, but it would increase the cost of appliances by substantially more than that. When it comes to small appliances, I was in a supermarket last month and took a photograph of some of their ludicrously cheap small appliances. There was a kettle for £14, and a sandwich toaster for £10. Those appliances can never, ever be repaired. And because they are so cheap they are not likely to last a reasonably long time. The problem is, how much sandwich toaster and kettle need to cost in order for it to be cheaper to repair them than replace them? I would guess at least £100. And even then because these appliances have been so cheap for so long, there is virtually no one to take them too to be repaired any more.
I have direct experience and memories of repairing small appliances. The last time that it was still feasible to repair kettles, irons and toasters was around 1982. Back then, I was 22, and worked for a Hoover dealer. They had a small shop, and people used to bring in kettles, irons and toasters to be repaired. I have no recollection of how much we charged, nor how much these appliances cost at that time, but needless to say it’s obvious that we were able to repair them at a much lower cost than it would be to replace them.
I used to replace the mains cables & thermostats, and with irons I even occasionally replaced the entire bottom sole plate, which contained the heating element. Of course this practice has presumably long since died out, but without doubt, it must come back if we are to stop this ludicrous throwaway society. This will only be possible if the minimum cost of the small appliances goes up massively. And this of course is very unlikely to happen.