Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

Do you like fixing electrical things?

sparkybird

sparkybird

ask the bird...
Hi everyone
I've just come back from my monthly volunteering with Restarters. Basically members of the public bring in electrical items like irons, laptops, Hoover's that have stopped working and the volunteers try and fix them to save them going to landfill. We always have many more items than we can fix.
These type of events happen all over the UK and I can see demand growing. We need to find more volunteers. Would any Urbs consider it? Maybe you already are involved. It's great fun and I love meeting the owners and showing them how things work (or not!)
Maybe DM if you'd be interested and I can find your local group.
SB
Here's a bit more info about a group in Camden. I go to one in Croydon.
 
I'd consider it.

I've done some electrical fixing. Nothing too spectacular. Got a hoover working by bypassing the speed control that had fried. That kind of thing.

Did a national diploma in electronic and computer engineering back in the late 90s. Discovered I love programming but am less good at electronics.
 
Hi sparkybird sounds like a good thing to volunteer at. Unfortunately I am not qualified and would worry I might have sent something home with an ongoing dangerous fault.

I don't even trust my many and various chargers, when I leave the house everything is off and unplugged even if it hasn't finished its charging task.
 
magneze said:
I'd be interested. Is there much call for fixing software tho..
Click to expand...
Hi magneze and thanks
Do you mean like updates etc? Not really, we focus on the more physical things like battery replacement, cleaning fans in laptops etc. If you know how to get into a phone/laptop/tablet that's a good start. The other fixers are very helpful if it's not something you do much of but want to learn. I did some soldering today for the first time for example.
Where are you based?. You could always go along to one to see what it's like?
 
weltweit said:
Hi sparkybird sounds like a good thing to volunteer at. Unfortunately I am not qualified and would worry I might have sent something home with an ongoing dangerous fault.

I don't even trust my many and various chargers, when I leave the house everything is off and unplugged even if it hasn't finished its charging task.
Click to expand...
Hi weltweit You don't need to be qualified, people bringing items in are told at the outset that we might not fix them and might make them worse 🤣. They were destined for landfill anyway.
You don't have to tackle anything you don't want to and I've learnt lots from the other fixers who are really helpful and will check stuff for you. Where are you based? You could always go along to one just to have a look?
Always good to unplug stuff 😉
 
I live way out in the sticks, I doubt there would be any meets near me, but anyhow I am already supposed to be at a camera club weekly .. so I probably don't have the spare evenings.
 
Shippou-Sensei said:
I'd consider it.

I've done some electrical fixing. Nothing too spectacular. Got a hoover working by bypassing the speed control that had fried. That kind of thing.

Did a national diploma in electronic and computer engineering back in the late 90s. Discovered I love programming but am less good at electronics.
Click to expand...
Hi Shippou-Sensei you're exactly the sort of person we need! It's quite good fun disassembling stuff! The caveat is that we don't promise to fix them, but the items were going to landfill anyway....
Where are you based? Maybe you'd like to go along to one just to find out more?
 
sparkybird said:
Ha, but it's satisfying to fix something, eh? If you fancied having a go at something a bit more complicated than a fuse, let me know!
Click to expand...
If it’s a bit more complicated than a fuse then it probably involves procurement of parts. I’m guessing this project doesn’t do that?
 
sparkybird said:
Hi Shippou-Sensei you're exactly the sort of person we need! It's quite good fun disassembling stuff! The caveat is that we don't promise to fix them, but the items were going to landfill anyway....
Where are you based? Maybe you'd like to go along to one just to find out more?
Click to expand...
Currently up in Belsize Park. NW3.

It might be fun. I have a soldering kit I got about 20 years ago still in a case somewhere.

20230225_221217.jpg

Hardly ever use this in anger.
 
Sue said:
gentlegreen, this sounds right up your alley? :)
Click to expand...
I'm more of a repurposer.
Far too often recently I've found that appliances are built down to a price and the only useful part is the mains cable.
I've never been tempted to volunteer for repair cafes.. I did get persuaded to give a neighbour's partner's bike a full service at the start of COVID so an essential worker could function only for them never to use it.
I bet it's rusting in the back garden.
I have a vision of being persuaded to repair things if as planned I'm the only full-time resident surrounded by second homes, but thankfully my visa will make that illegal
 
Magnus McGinty said:
If it’s a bit more complicated than a fuse then it probably involves procurement of parts. I’m guessing this project doesn’t do that?
Click to expand...
Sometimes. We are slowly building up a stock of the most common (eg battery contacts) but people will often come back the following month having purchased the relevant part. Yesterday I had a pressure washer that needs new right angle crimps for example. They are cheap and the owner is more than happy to get them and return.
 
gentlegreen said:
I'm more of a repurposer.
Far too often recently I've found that appliances are built down to a price and the only useful part is the mains cable.
I've never been tempted to volunteer for repair cafes.. I did get persuaded to give a neighbour's partner's bike a full service at the start of COVID so an essential worker could function only for them never to use it.
I bet it's rusting in the back garden.
I have a vision of being persuaded to repair things if as planned I'm the only full-time resident surrounded by second homes, but thankfully my visa will make that illegal
Click to expand...
Oh that's a shame, I think we got any 50% of the items fixed yesterday and some more will return next time with the right parts. Sometimes fixes are very easy (had someone who was using the wrong charger yesterday on a portable TV....5v DC wasn't cutting it 🤣)
 
sparkybird said:
Hi magneze and thanks
Do you mean like updates etc? Not really, we focus on the more physical things like battery replacement, cleaning fans in laptops etc. If you know how to get into a phone/laptop/tablet that's a good start. The other fixers are very helpful if it's not something you do much of but want to learn. I did some soldering today for the first time for example.
Where are you based?. You could always go along to one to see what it's like?
Click to expand...
South London. I think there's one at the end of March nearby. Been subscribed to the mailing list for a bit already. Might go along to the March one to see what's happening.
 
gentlegreen said:
I'm more of a repurposer.
Far too often recently I've found that appliances are built down to a price and the only useful part is the mains cable.
I've never been tempted to volunteer for repair cafes.. I did get persuaded to give a neighbour's partner's bike a full service at the start of COVID so an essential worker could function only for them never to use it.
I bet it's rusting in the back garden.
I have a vision of being persuaded to repair things if as planned I'm the only full-time resident surrounded by second homes, but thankfully my visa will make that illegal
Click to expand...
Unless you actually set up a shopfront and take payment other than in cash, you'll be fine. And there is almost certainly loads of others doing similar things! The French like making rules a lot more than they like following them :)
 
I fix things but prefer not to do electrical as I find it a faf and less fun. Prefer fixing metal, wooden, fabric, painted and plastic things. I want to get paid every time too
 
I've always wondered if there always has to be someone formally qualified to sign things off ?
I was a techie for years and generally know what I'm doing, but used to watch a colleague do the PAT testing - and I recently made a fundamental mistake regarding my house earth trip and needed my brother to remind me about things ...
 
gentlegreen said:
I've always wondered if there always has to be someone formally qualified to sign things off ?
I was a techie for years and generally know what I'm doing, but used to watch a colleague do the PAT testing - and I recently made a fundamental mistake regarding my house earth trip and needed my brother to remind me about things ...
Click to expand...
There’s a City & Guilds course for PAT but it isn’t mandatory. You just have to be a ‘competent person’ which I guess means you have the experience and knowledge to understand the tests and results.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Orang Utan
Things you eat straight out of the jar
2 3
Replies
77
Views
2K
bcuster
bcuster
Fez909
Things that annoy you about your house
2 3 4 5
Replies
122
Views
4K
lazythursday
L
Elpenor
Do you own a jug?
2 3 4 5
Replies
126
Views
3K
pug
pug
Me76
Question for people who like coffee
2 3
Replies
87
Views
3K
twistedAM
twistedAM
Epona
What's ASDA Delivery Service Like These Days?
2
Replies
33
Views
1K
Shippou-Sensei
Shippou-Sensei
Back
Top Bottom