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The Federal Trade Commission is considering new rules that require all appliances with a known yellow EnergyGuide label to also include “information on how consumers can fix their products.”
Citing its own “Nixing the Fix Report,” the FTC states that repair information “will strengthen consumers’ right to repair damaged products without having to return to the manufacturer.” That could save customers money, allow unauthorized dealers and repair technicians to compete more effectively and protect the environment, the FTC claims.
Proponents of the right to repair are encouraged by the proposed regulation, the publication of which has been unanimously approved. “This is a big problem,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of repair attorney and retail store iFixit, wrote Monday. “It’s hard to imagine a more impactful, customer-focused and repair policy from the FTC, or a more surefire way to get repair instructions into the hands of more consumers who need them.” Wiens noted that manuals for devices, whether provided by the company or written by iFixit members on the company’s wiki-style site, are harder to find than for small electronics. Most people don’t want to take apart devices that weigh hundreds of pounds and draw a lot of power or flammable gas to learn more about them.
Nathan Proctor, Lead Right to Repair of the US Public Interest Research Group, said in a press release that “incorporating repair requirements as part of the Energy Guide program is the right choice for the planet and important for consumers.”
What will be critical to any suggested repair information requirement is access to device firmware and software: enabling diagnostics, reset alerts, and repair beyond the basics. If a consumer repair manual tells you to use a software tool to install a new belt or filter, but that software program isn’t available or costs hundreds of dollars, then an FTC-prescribed manual doesn’t reinforce anyone’s right to repair.
Devices are replaced faster and faster. The viability of repairs is no small part of that.
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$900 to see a $20 fuse replaced
GE Appliances, a division of appliance giant Haier, offers licensed technicians a SmartHQ service. SmartHQ allows repairers to “communicate directly with devices for real-time diagnostics.” The service also provides service manuals for devices. When you sign up for the service, you get a mobile app, how-to videos, technical support, and a portable Bluetooth module that connects to devices. Signing up without GE Appliances Authorized Servicer status costs $919, if you prepay for a full year. $720 of that fee is access to the mobile and web versions of SmartHQ.
Almost every major brand of appliances has a similar “authorized” or licensed repair program. They range in scope and scope from a “nice to have” diagnostic tool to necessary devices for unlocking and re-enabling devices that have failed. Device manufacturers probably won’t easily provide the same service to customers if they sell to repair shops for hundreds of dollars a year.
Parts availability is another potential drawback — or loophole — of a repair manual requirement. If a manufacturer doesn’t provide the parts needed for common repairs or needs software to authorize and match those parts to the device, a repair manual is more of a dream journal than a learning tool.
It’s not impossible for a company to open up some of its licensed repair network – linked parts and exclusive software and all – under repair pressure. Apple, long able to withstand any self-guided consumer repair, launched a self-service repair program in April. Customers can purchase parts, rent special tools and use detailed guides to repair their phones, then authorize the parts for their devices through a web service. The process includes providing Apple with all relevant serial numbers; however, most people would be a little less wary of LG knowing they have a new belt in their dryer.
I’ve had the experience of fixing my mom’s heater which worked fine until one day it stopped working. A circuit board in the console had a visibly damaged capacitor, so the heater resets itself unreliably during use. The actual heating/circulation aspects of the furnace worked fine, but they could not be controlled. I spent days looking for a replacement circuit board on high markup parts sites, eBay, and through authorized dealers, but in the end I had to help my mom buy a new model. The appliance store has taken away the old oven and I doubt it has been repaired for a new home.
Right to repair legislation stalled
These types of repair pitfalls are driving repair rights legislation, with accounts operating in more than half of the US states and at the federal level. The New York legislature passed the first such law in June, requiring electronics manufacturers to supply the same diagnostic and repair tools and parts to individuals as their own repair technicians. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to sign the bill.
The FTC’s proposed regulations, published unanimously, may also seek to change and expand labeling for a number of products, including air purifiers, humidifiers, and cooktops, and make EnergyGuide labels more accessible to people who buy appliances online.
Disclosure: The author has previously worked for iFixit. He has no financial interest in the company.
