Repairing Electronics Is Greener than Replacement
One of our biggest driving factors for operating is to repair down to component level where absolute possible. If you take a typical valve guitar amplifier, it’s electronic and metal contents typically weigh 10-15kg. A faulty component or handful of components could weigh as little as 10g! Think how much raw material and hazardous waste has been diverted from either landfill or even if recycled the amount of energy to melt and recover the metals and elements.
Pitfalls of the need for cheap electronics
With a constant drive for cheaper products with greater functions and advances of technology crossing the boundaries of interfacing with phones, tablets and devices the ability to repair without precisely specialist test equipment for the one individual brand, and even individual model the cost for a general repairer such as ourselves becomes uneconomical.
In a drive to become more battery and power efficient a circuit which would have been made with several common part components on a board easily to repair and replace, has now become a hybrid self contained chip built only for the manufacturer. These parts can be harder to obtain, they may need programmed.
We’re finding it harder to repair a 3 year old amplifier for a simple fault than we would a 30 year old amplifier. Of the two the older amp is generally more cost effective, easier and quicker for us to turnaround repairs!
Precious Metal Recovery
Precious metal is often used in electronics to keep resistance at a minimum to reduce current and heat. These metals can include, gold, silver, platinum however are not solid sections, they’re generally plated on top of copper. The recover of these metals involves some rather nasty corrosive chemicals to strip and absorb the impurity metal in this instance copper, this requires huge amounts of energy and generates toxic byproducts as a result. In a way it’s good and bad at the same time. You can read more about precious metal recovery here
Carbon Offsetting, Green Policy, Red Tape
We’re not like big companies who have big long green and environmental policies, carbon offsetting procedures and other such lip service which meets a tick box exercise. We have even had calls from companies offering to 100% carbon offset out business for a mere £500, and we don’t even have to change anything! We’re not a big company, we actually care and consider our actions.
Our Genuine Simple & Practical Approach
Our online booking system and appointment saves us from our previous method of using a carbon triplicate book for repairs. Each repair was a minimum of 3 pieces of paper excluding invoicing!
Invoicing and payments using digital means
Workshop Schematics and service manuals are stored on computer and viewed on computer
Metals are split into their similar kinds and recover all at a local metal recycling agent.
Batteries are stored and collected from a battery recycling agent when we fill up a 45kg tub
Individual components are saved into bins for WEEE recycling at a registered metal recovery facility.
Our workshop facilities have installed solar PV panels which feed back into the grid to provide additional power.
In addition our website servers are hosted in the UK and use 100% renewable energy sources.
Our workshop heating is provided from a reverse heat pump inverter system. The typical cost for running this to hear our workshop warehouse facility is generally less than the cost of running a fan heater!
Our workshop operates on a smart system and all bench sockets are fitted with smart sockets for test equipment and power using devices. We can monitor individual power usage of all appliance groups. The real benefit of the system is it automatically powers down all sockets when everybody leaves.