Do users have the ability to self-repair non-complex electrical appliances? Design and development of a self-guided workshop with repair documentation in different formats

Abstract

[EN] In the context of the circular economy, repair is one of the main strategies to extend the lifespan of products. However, when it comes to non-complex and inexpensive small household electric and electronic equipment (EEE), consumers tend to not repair or self-repair these items but purchase new ones instead. The aim of this study is to analyse the self-repair experience of consumers in a three-stage self-guided workshop designed and carried out using an electric water kettle as a case study. Sixty people with different profiles participated in the self-guided workshop. An initial interview was conducted to ascertain previous repair experience, and there was also a final interview in which future willingness to repair was studied, as well as the motivations and barriers. The main stage of the self-guided workshop consisted of repairing a kettle in which two faults had been induced. Disassembly and repair guidelines were provided in three different formats (a video, step-by-step instructions and a guide). Regarding their preferences for the resource used to carry out the repair, 61.4 % preferred the video, 24.6 % the step-by-step instructions and 14.0 % the guide. The participants who successfully repaired the kettle amounted to 63.2 %, and 24.6 % of the total number of participants did not use the repair instructions. An analysis of the variable "repair success" against participants' socioeconomic characteristics showed that having previous experience of self-repair or not was the only statistically significant variable; therefore, self-reported repair experience does influence the disassembly process. Thus, the repair success rate is 40.4 % for those with previous self-repair experience against a rate of 22.8 % for those without experience. In conclusion, con-sumers will attempt self-repair if the information to do so is provided and it is more affordable to repair the product than to purchase a new one.