Saturday 5 July 2014

Is Everything Designed to Self Destruct ?

 
When we moved house we used our savings to buy ourselves the nice things we had always wanted and had waited for since we got together, we left our old supermarket 'basic' toaster at the old house for the handyman to be able to use when he had his tea breaks and bought ourselves a new Russell Hobbs kettle and toaster.
 
It looked lovely on the work top all matchy matchy with the kitchen cupboards and the Aga, well guess what ..... last week with two slices of bread in it half toasted it went 'BANG', a very loud bang and then nothing ... it was dead.
 
So much for paying a bit more and going for quality, our cheapo toaster had been with us for four years and was still going strong when we left it behind.
 
We are not amused.
 
 
In fact we are so not amused we are not going to replace it at all turning instead to one of these, an Aga toast maker.  You simply pop your slices of bread or teacakes etc in between the layers close it up and place it under the hotplate lid.
 
The toast is delicious, dry right through and deliciously crunchy with a lovely texture, something we have never experienced from any other toaster.
 
 
And I love the space where the toaster used to sit even more than I loved the toaster!!
 
Then this morning we discovered a hole in the rubber door seal of the washing machine and I have discovered to my horror that we have a pool of water sitting under all the kitchen cupboards.  The washing machine too is only six months old
 
So as the title of this post says ....  Is Everything Designed to Self Destruct ?
Things at least used to last until just after their initial 12 month guarantee ran out, now they are going wrong six months into use.
 
So that's two things gone wrong, I wonder what the third will be?
 
Sue xx
 
 


25 comments:

  1. I went through two expensive brand name toasters and three brand name kettles before I settled for a supermarket value range toaster and kettle. The toaster has been going strong for nearly 6 years now! Hope disaster number 3 doesn't materialise Sue! x

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  2. Ah Sue - t'is the dreaded appliance jinx...! No, don't think in three's - two is more than enough.

    Reminds me of many, many years ago, when the seal round my first washing machine went. I asked fo,r and was given a replacement, and proudly took it home for RMan to fit. Unknown to me the shop had given me the wrong size, and, after trying unsuccessfully for an hour to fit the bloody thing, with the door constantly bonking RMan on the head, he, in a fit, wacked the door so hard that it flew off it's hinge and across the kitchen. So, we went to buy another washing machine. What we didn't know was that it wouldn't fit into the space left by the old one.

    That resulted in my getting a brand new kitchen. RMan swears I did it on purpose. But I didn't. I wasn't that clever then... LOL

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  3. We have an old swan kettle (you know those brown and almond coloured ones) that DHs parents gave him years ago. It lives in the garage and is still working **cough cough** 26 years later.........obviously we were only little sprogs then lol

    We bought (saved up like you) a Krups fandangled all singing and dancing kettle, so expensive it should have served you coffee first thing in the morning wearing a bow tie and serving a bowl of cornflakes along with the morning papers. You guessed it, six months in it blew the fuse box! the company did send a replacement but that only lasted four months.

    Never again, cheapies all the way. I hope your third isn't too drastic xx

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  4. I had exactly the same thing happen with a Russell Hobbs toaster in fact it never toasted properly on one side at all. I replaced it with a Morphy Richards and thats just as bed. Cannot complain about the washer though fingers crossed I have had it 5 years, had to have a new seal on it last year as the other one was disgusting, all black although I dried it everytime I used the washer.

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    Replies
    1. If you have a front loader - leave the door open and completely remove the soap drawer between washes. This helps to air it, as well as allow for evapouration of the water residue within. That will also cut down on mould.

      By the way, when remove the soap drawer you'll find it's a hive of mould. The heat from your warm / hot load rises to that area and mixes with the damp surface. It's an ideal mould generating area. A squirt of bleach every now and thensorts that out :)

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  5. Yep, I, too, no longer buy into "pricier is better" claptrap. The simpler the design, the less it can go wrong. I can't tell you how often I see Krupps, etc appliances in the trash bins on Monday down the streets. When my $10 toaster, coffee pot etc. breaks down in 3-4 years, I get another. And, honestly, the toast and coffee taste just the same. Sorry about your fancy one.

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  6. Cheap or expensive it's all in the lap of the appliance gods. I'm assuming you got a refund on the toaster even if you didn't want to replace it, which will pay for your Aga toaster. My washing machine made a strange noise this week, but I've cleaned it all out and I ran a white vinegar and water cycle through, with no clothes obvs, and it seems a bit happier. Our last machine lasted yonks and this one is only a few years old but who knows? Built-in obsolescence keeps the manufacturers happy.

    Jean x

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  7. I daren't even mention how long any electricals here have been going for fear of Jinxing something!

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  8. built in obsolescence

    we had to finally replace our washing machine after 14 years. this new one. OMG it is awful and half the time I don't think it washes the first time and knows I will have to put it on again. the machine and the water board must be in cahoots!

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  9. We, also enjoy the pleasure of Aga toast - we've always made it in the "tennis racquet". As long as you remember to let it heat up first it's wonderful. We found that out very quickly as otherwise it takes ages removing toasted bits from all the little squares!

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  10. Watch on BBC 1 ' the men who make up spend' and see how when buding items they ensure it does not last too much longer than the warrenty. It's all a con to ensure we keep spending, I hope you love your toast.

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  11. As a child, we had a coke fired aga, the toast on that was the best I have ever tasted!

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  12. The hubbie has just fixed a couple of our friends' TVs - both premium (but different) brands, both flat screens, both just outside of warranty - and both had exactly the same power problem. Everything is made to last for just a few years, because they know that people have access to cheap credit to just replace stuff with something more fashionable. It's infuriating.
    The lower tech the better, I think. Enjoy your Aga toast!

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  13. I knew there was a reason that I always wanted an Aga.........
    Sometime you don't realise what you already have to use until the alternative breaks down, although I don't think a dolly tub and washboard will be on your shopping list soon, unless you wanted to plant one up as a garden feature!

    Hope you get sorted soon and back to 'normal'.

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  14. I have given up with expensive kettles - but our toaster, a Dualit ( purchased in the early 1990's) has been repaired and given the once over by Dualit who offer a repair service.
    It's a terrible way to live that we all have to keep replacing small appliances for the want of a small repair which isn't cost effective anymore it all goes to landfill.

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  15. Nothing is made to last anymore, as manufacturers want you to keep shedding the pennies on their appliances. Going back to basics might well be the best idea in the long run, and your new (or is it old?) toasting idea is the safest and most consistent. You`ve made the right choice. With the washing machine playing up, what will you do in the future? Will you go back to hand washing all your clothes? I`ve done this many years ago when I had 3 small children, just had moved into my council house and had no money for a new appliance. It`s hard work, but it also is the most consistent idea. I could do it again, but I would invest in a good spin dryer.

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  16. Had my mix master for twenty years and then the wire loosened. Bought a new one and it caught fire after a month. Suppose l was just unlucky, but l do believe a lot of things are made to break quickly to ensure that we have to buy new. Pam

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  17. I was given my microwave for my 21st birthday by my mum, and that managed to last twenty years, til one day it caught on fire and died. It was big and brown and I am sure weighed more then my washing machine. I am sure that appliances now days are only made to last a year or so.

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  18. I've been saying for years that things aren't built to last these days. You can't even repair things like you used to as the parts can be pricier than buying a new one

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  19. I've made our toast in a skillet on the stove for years, it's easier to get the toast to our taste---I like mine dark, he likes his light.
    One of the reasons I don't want a front loading washer is I've heard they leak.
    We're working on our 3rd microwave, they just don't last.

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  20. Our Russell hobbs toaster almost burnt the house down when ghe switch got wedged on. No safety cut out. It's only because I smelt toast at eleven o'clock at night that it didn't go up in flames! Stuff does seem crap these days, designed to last until the warenty runs out.

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  21. We have had the same Sue, since Christmas we have had to replace..dishwasher,washing machine,shower, hot water tank,kettle...the list goes on

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  22. Have you checked out your local law? In New Zealand there's a Consumer Guarantees Act that basically says that an appliance must do what it's designed to do for reasonable period - i.e. not limited to the period of guarantee. How do I know? Our Bosch dishwasher developed a 'noise' six months out of its 2 year warrantee period and the Bosch people have agreed to cover the repair costs which will be in excess of $300 (£150) - probably $400 by the time labour is included. It cost us about £850 so that's a considerable % of its new price! Good on Bosch!!

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  23. I love Aga toasters, way better than any pop up version. I am a big fan of not using electrical gadgets (apart from my dearly loved Kenwood mixer which is a fabulous and long lasting thing). So we don't have a bread maker and have got rid of juicers and the like. Let's face it, what is there to break in your Aga toaster? Perfect answer.

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  24. I hope a third thing didn't break down for you. I love my Aga toaster and only use the worktop one when the Aga is off for the summer.

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