Don’t Despair, Repair!
If you are like most people, when your laptop or cell phone gives you the “black (or blue) screen of death” or is no longer functioning properly, you are probably inclined to replace it (and hopefully dispose of it responsibly as e-waste). When a household appliance breaks you might call an appliance repair professional or just replace it altogether. Damaged clothing, furniture, sports equipment, tools, and other consumer goods are often subject to the same fate: disposal in a landfill and replacement.
In today’s disposable and single-use culture, we have been conditioned by retailers and manufacturers to simply dispose of items when they break and conveniently replace them with new ones. Many manufacturers intentionally make things difficult to repair or obsolete to force consumers to return to them for repairs or replacement. In some cases, items are truly damaged beyond repair and warrant replacement, but in many cases broken or damaged items can be repaired or salvaged, extending their life, saving money, and avoiding premature landfill disposal. For these reasons, you should consider repairing before replacing. Repairing can be thought of as the adopted fourth R in the commonly known hierarchy of, Reduce, Reuse, REPAIR, and Recycle.
The repair movement is gaining momentum and has caught the attention of lawmakers. In recent years, “Right to Repair” legislation has been introduced in a number of states and is intended to force manufacturers to provide the information that enables consumers to repair and modify their own consumer goods and electronic devices instead of having no option but to use the repair service available through the manufacturer. California’s right-to-repair bill, SB 244, is currently making its way through the state Assembly after passing the Senate in May, and has received support from tech giant, Apple. The right-to-repair concept originally targeted the automotive industry when Massachusetts passed the first Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act in 2012, which required automobile manufacturers to provide the necessary documents and information to enable anyone to repair their vehicles. This inspired The Repair Association (TRA) to apply the same principles to electronic products. To date, over 25 states are considering right-to-repair legislation.
You do not necessarily have to be technologically savvy or mechanically inclined to tackle a DIY (do-it-yourself) repair job. Fix-it clinics, repair cafes, YouTube, Pinterest, and other online forums are great resources for learning how to repair everything from automobiles, appliances, bicycles, computers, cell phones… to just about anything! With a few simple tools and a little patience, these resources can walk you through your repair job and save you money.
While homebound during the pandemic, I took on several repair jobs around the house that saved our family money by avoiding unnecessary replacement and prevented waste at the same time. Here are a few personal examples of my DIY repairs:
TV Repair
When our 46-inch flat screen television unexpectedly displayed the “black screen of death”, my wife and I promptly did an online search to troubleshoot. We diagnosed the problem, found the solution, and ordered the necessary part (a circuit board). Three days later the part arrived, we watched a short step-by-step repair video on YouTube, removed the back panel of the TV, and in less than 10 minutes the TV display was restored! The $10 part and a few minutes of our time saved us about $500!
Clothes Dryer
A week after our TV repair our clothes dryer decided to take a vacation. A quick Google search revealed the problem and a YouTube video provided the guidance for repair. After receiving my $50 parts order a few days later, I enlisted the help of my teenage son to help disassemble the machine and make the repairs. With a couple of simple tools, we replaced the broken parts and were back in business in less than an hour! Hiring an appliance repairman would have been costly and replacing the dryer altogether would have cost several hundred dollars. We saved money, spent quality father/son time working together, and prevented the appliance from entering a premature recycling fate!
Sewing Machine
When my wife’s sewing machine came to a screeching halt in the middle of a clothing repair (yes, another repair!), she was convinced that she would have to replace the old, well-used machine and began pricing a new one. The next night, with my screwdrivers and pliers laid out like a surgeon, I began inspecting and dismantling the machine, with parts strewn about the kitchen table (much to her dismay). A little lubricating oil, a minor adjustment, and some patience, and in 45 minutes I had the old Singer back together and singing again!
If you want to save money, extend the life of your consumer goods, and help the environment at the same time, consider repairing before replacing. Besides YouTube (which is a great repair resource), below are a list of resources that may be helpful in your DIY repair:
https://www.cultureofrepair.org/community-repair-events
https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-fix-household-appliances/
(Originally published September 2020 and updated August 2023)
