Pet Peeves

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

This still unresolved peeve may yet drive me postal today.

[The Butcher]

More of an annoying observation than a pet peeve of mine but oversized caps for detergent with hard to see "fill to here" marks, done deliberately to make people use more than required so people buy more - shoddy company practices by corporate serfs pushing higher volumes of sales.

My brother was moaning about his Subaru Outback, only 30,000km on it, bought new, always serviced, treated perfectly - is burning through coolant. The overflow hose isn't sealed to the expansion tank - It's designed to fail - as soon as car radiators hits boiling temp a valve spring opens to let off pressure and hot coolant goes into the expansion tank. If its not sealed it'll partially steam out the gaps. The hose is covered in residue from coolant steam but nothing is wrong. It's designed to do this.

If you look at the fine print in the warranty it says if you drive the vehicle with low oil or coolant you void the warranty 

[John Kimble]

It's a pure "old fart" thing to say but definitely cars aren't built to last these days. I've gone through a few cars over a relatively short period of time, maybe 10 years, where they kept going in for major repairs and eventually became too expensive to keep on the road. Services are a joke these days, pay a couple of hundred for a quick diagnostic check where they end up identifying more issues that you have to cough up for.
Switched over to an EV this year, all ok so far but I won't hold my breath.

[The Heretic]

It's a pure "old fart" thing to say but definitely cars aren't built to last these days. I've gone through a few cars over a relatively short period of time, maybe 10 years, where they kept going in for major repairs and eventually became too expensive to keep on the road. Services are a joke these days, pay a couple of hundred for a quick diagnostic check where they end up identifying more issues that you have to cough up for.
Switched over to an EV this year, all ok so far but I won't hold my breath.

Nothing is built to last, cars, tv's, latops etc, no schematics are released, throw away pcb's, even changing a phone battery is a nightmare

We have gone through 3 electric kettles in the last 5 years, the last one that broke I tied to fix the switch and broke the remainder of the flimsy switch trying to fix it, finally went online and bought a used electric kettle from the 80's, what a difference in build, chunky on/off switch, quality stainless steel, feels like it will last forever.

Complete throwaway society I'm afraid.

[Eoin McLove]

The endless cost of keeping a car on the road can make you despair but the only thing I can imagine would be worse would be not to have a car at all. Imagine going back to relying on public transport. Waiting on trains and buses. Taking two hours to get anywhere instead of ten fucking minutes with a CD blaring. Driving costs are a cunt, but God bless them.

[The Heretic]

The endless cost of keeping a car on the road can make you despair but the only thing I can imagine would be worse would be not to have a car at all. Imagine going back to relying on public transport. Waiting on trains and buses. Taking two hours to get anywhere instead of ten fucking minutes with a CD blaring. Driving costs are a cunt, but God bless them.

We would be fucked here without a car, we have bikes but sometimes they just aren't practical, plus the roads are dangerous, and no chance with public transport unless you want to wait in town all day to be picked up when you have your stuff done.

[astfgyl]

It's a pure "old fart" thing to say but definitely cars aren't built to last these days. I've gone through a few cars over a relatively short period of time, maybe 10 years, where they kept going in for major repairs and eventually became too expensive to keep on the road. Services are a joke these days, pay a couple of hundred for a quick diagnostic check where they end up identifying more issues that you have to cough up for.
Switched over to an EV this year, all ok so far but I won't hold my breath.

Nothing is built to last, cars, tv's, latops etc, no schematics are released, throw away pcb's, even changing a phone battery is a nightmare

We have gone through 3 electric kettles in the last 5 years, the last one that broke I tied to fix the switch and broke the remainder of the flimsy switch trying to fix it, finally went online and bought a used electric kettle from the 80's, what a difference in build, chunky on/off switch, quality stainless steel, feels like it will last forever.

Complete throwaway society I'm afraid.

This is a constant peeve of mine, the relentlessness of the shittening quality of everything

[John Kimble]

Nothing is built to last, cars, tv's, latops etc, no schematics are released, throw away pcb's, even changing a phone battery is a nightmare

We have gone through 3 electric kettles in the last 5 years, the last one that broke I tied to fix the switch and broke the remainder of the flimsy switch trying to fix it, finally went online and bought a used electric kettle from the 80's, what a difference in build, chunky on/off switch, quality stainless steel, feels like it will last forever.

Complete throwaway society I'm afraid.

You're right, of course. It's not just cars. We have three kids so naturally the washing machine is nearly constantly running. Have gone through at least 3 in a 6 year period. Once or twice, I went the repair route and realised with an €80 call-out charge, before even taking about parts etc, it almost works out the same to just buy a new one.
The missus is constantly buying tat from Temu and Shein. She thought she got a right bargain a month back when she picked up a bedside table for the daughter for a tenner. The thing arrived and it was some weird styrofoam/cardboard material, doesn't stand upright without wobbling, and had to bin it straight away.

[Circlepit]

Nothing is built to last is the theme song of our age. A good follow up should be nobody wants to fix anything when it breaks.
Trying to get someone to fix a washing machine or any similar large appliance is painful.

[The Heretic]

I've been trying to get into basic electrical repairs (without frying myself)  there's an iron waiting to be fixed and a small portable radio. I fixed a touch lamp last year, it felt like I had just split the atom!

[91/30]

I've been trying to get into basic electrical repairs (without frying myself)  there's an iron waiting to be fixed and a small portable radio. I fixed a touch lamp last year, it felt like I had just split the atom!

Buy a RCD to protect yourself if you inadvertently touch the 'live'!  It will trip out before you get a blast from the mains

[The Heretic]

I've been trying to get into basic electrical repairs (without frying myself)  there's an iron waiting to be fixed and a small portable radio. I fixed a touch lamp last year, it felt like I had just split the atom!

Buy a RCD to protect yourself if you inadvertently touch the 'live'!  It will trip out before you get a blast from the mains

Many thanks for the tip, do you think one that plugs into the socket would do?

[91/30]

One like this https://share.google/ytSRkOwyBqSn3mdSD  will protect the house electrical circuit and yourself.  I always use one when I'm using power tools on an extension lead in case something shorts out.

[The Heretic]

Cheers!! I see a few different models available, I will suss them out, many thanks!!!

[91/30]

Cheers!! I see a few different models available, I will suss them out, many thanks!!!

When you have it 'fixed' turn it back on once its plugged in to the RCD and hopefully the latter won't 'trip'. Don't be tempted to just reset it if it trips !!