Are Repaired Electrical Appliances Safe to Use

In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s been a rise in the Repair and Reuse of everything including Electrical Goods

This is great to see, but how does a consumer recognise that their repaired item is safe to use and has been repaired by someone who knows what they are doing? Indeed, how do we know the person doing the repair knows what they are doing?  The Environmental Audit Committee have thanked EEESafe for it’s work and say that Safety is CRITICAL

Fans of programmes like “The Repair Shop” and readers of Citizens Advice (CAB) will no doubt recognise the warnings about using “a suitably qualified electrician”.  It’s worth noting that an Electrician isn’t Trained in Appliance Repairs, and if they are, have no independent proven depth of knowledge.  In White Goods alone, you are working in a contained product environment of Water, Electricity and Mechanical Engineering.  CAB is also showing a lack of understanding here as they are with misleading PAT Test Guidance.  Perhaps we can help by highlighting a few key areas.

Many repairers and consumers will recognise that to carry out work on your Gas supply or Gas appliance you need a person that is ‘qualified’ and GasSafe registered.  EEESafe represents the equivalent in Electrical Repair Safety and it comes on the back of over 50 years experience in training over 4000+ people in White Goods Repairs and Recycling. We will offer Certified & Qualified options.

Sure, you could Google what it is and perhaps build your knowledge, but what’s important to The Repairer and The Consumer who will use a repaired appliance, is knowing the history of its repair. (Something EEESafe is preparing)  You would seek to find out if the repairer was independently assessed for competency and what their knowledge was, when the item was being repaired.  Do they understand how to repair, without looking up an online video? It’s often a signal that someone doesn’t know what they are doing which surely questions their “professionalism” in the repair sector, and could leave a consumer in doubt about the safety of it’s use.

Did the Repairer know about how the flow of current works in any appliance work when it’s switched on to ensure that it’s safe to use.  A PAT Test for instance only means it’s safe to switch on, but what happens when other circuits become active, during the different cycles of a Washing Machine for example.  Did they know that it’s possible to determine the “integrity” of a component and inform them about it’s potential durability.  Being unaware of or not acting on such knowledge, could build a mistrust of Reuse and Repair and cause a consumer not to purchase a Reused item, thereby creating more waste.

Most Local Authorities, their projects and Compliance Schemes operate a “protocol” called Preparing for Reuse. (A BSi standard)  These tick box protocols have no Competent person requirement behind them, apply testing standards that dictate refurbished products may not last long and in fact do not teach and test diagnostic skills when products go wrong in a home environment.  EEESafe is in fact SAFER than this British Standard.

What other things should an Appliance Repairer need to be aware of?

• Why is it important to know about RCD’s when conducting an earth Loop Test?

• How do you know when to report something to a qualified Electrician?

• What is a Class 1 Appliance and why do you need to know?

• What “minimum” Level of insulation in (MegaOhms) should they be testing to and why?

• Why do you need to know about Latching Relays?

• Is a Repaired appliance from a Repair Cafe (a DIY Repair) overseen by a volunteer, going to cause a problem in your home?

• Are any components replaced, the same products that gave the Appliance its Product Conformity Certificate, that made it safe to sell on the market?

• What’s impossible to know about with a large domestic appliance tested in a factory, building or a Council site? And why is it important to know when comparing with an in home assessed Competent Appliance Repairer (EEESafe)

Whenever an electrical product is placed on to the market, it must conform to relevant safety standards.  Testing houses do this work and every aspect of the product must meet stringent standards.  Guidance produced by the Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) which is for Local Authorities (Trading Standards), which shows the LA’s are legally required to report unsafe products. Repaired products are often repaired with sub-standard components and possibly 3D printed parts, to save costs and overcome a lack of spares.

No one is going to know what parts are used, except the person doing the repair. So we could have thousands of Unsafe Products placed on the market which will render the OPSS guides and Trading Standards roles as ineffective, in this regards. EEESafe intends to help address these problems to help protect consumers and properties.