We’ll always try. Almost everything is worth a look — but for safety, insurance, or because we simply can’t beat local trade or spare parts availability, there are a few things we have to say no to.
We won’t be able to help repair
For safety reasons:
- Microwaves, if it means opening the case or working near the magnetron/door interlock (a dirty waveguide cover is often the real fault — ask us, this bit’s usually fine to check)
- Anything running on 3-phase or high-voltage supplies
- Items with a fuel tank, or containing flammable liquids or gas
- CRT TVs and monitors, plasma lamps, flash guns
- Anything that may contain asbestos
- Radioactive items (old radium-dial clocks and watches, etc.)
- Safety-critical items: smoke/CO alarms, medical devices, helmets, car seats, harnesses
- E-bike, e-scooter or mobility scooter batteries — please don’t bring these in, even separately
Because a trusted local business does it better:
- Mobile phone and tablet screen replacements
- Clothing alterations (resizing, taking in/out) — but repairs (tears, buttons etc) are absolutely fine to bring along. We may be able to help with small zip repairs but a full replacement may need longer than we can offer at our events.
Help us help you
Before you bring something in, a couple of minutes at home can save a lot of time on the day — and might even fix it outright:
- Empty and clean it — vacuum cleaners, toasters and kettles arrive with their fair share of crumbs and fluff; please give it a shake or wipe first
- Descale it — coffee machines, steam mops and kettles often “fail” simply from limescale build-up
- Try a new bulb or fuse — the fault is sometimes as simple as that, and it’s much quicker to try at home
- Check the obvious — batteries, cables, plugs, filters — anything that’s designed to be user-replaceable
If in doubt, bring it along anyway and ask — we’re always happy to take a quick look and explain what we find, even if we can’t fix it there and then.