As a Lane County resident, you may have attended a Fix-It Fair or visited a Repair Booth in the past few years. These “repair events” are designed to provide patrons with free repairs. Skilled repair coaches offer their time and tools to serve drop-in clientele at these multi-hour events.

 

Most of the time, repair events are a positive experience where an item is either fixed or diagnosed. Sometimes, however, this is not the case. Due to the way things are manufactured these days, items can be difficult and time-consuming to diagnose and repair.
 
Designed (or planned) obsolescence refers to the practice of manufacturing companies intentionally designing an item to break prematurely, thereby forcing it to be replaced by a new one. This practice generates more revenue but also causes excessive waste.
 
In this article, we outline what makes a good item repair candidate for repair events, ensuring that everyone has a positive experience at these events.

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Know the event focus areas
Each event focuses on a handful of different repairs, based on the fixers present and their specialties. Sometimes, these items are restricted by space at a particular venue, so we can only invite a limited number of repair coaches to join us. Because each repair coach has a specialized body of knowledge and set of tools, this dictates what we can repair at each event. We aim to communicate this to the public through the descriptions of our focus for different repair events. Please read the event description for details on bringing your item.

Triage time
Oftentimes, you know the story behind when something stopped working. But sometimes it’s a mystery. The first step a repair coach takes at a repair event is to diagnose the issue with an item, so they can determine the best course of action to fix it. Having this knowledge from the item’s owner is helpful.

 
Everybody’s understanding of how items function and work varies from person to person, but frequently, you have some idea of the circumstances around why something no longer functions correctly. Be prepared to bring the story and communicate it with your repair coach at a repair event. This will help them diagnose and expedite the repair process if possible.
 
Parts
Because repair events are public events, they take place at venues that are not specifically designated for this purpose. Therefore, all parts and tools must be transported to the event by the repair coaches.
 
Because they have no way of predicting which part will be needed for any given repair, this can be a challenge in successfully repairing items. Not having the right part comes down to the event’s specifications and the fixer’s acquired stock.
 
Therefore, if you know that a specific part of your item is broken and you can proactively order the part ahead of time, bringing it with you, this will lay the path for a successful replacement at a repair event.
 
Simple repairs
Some items are mystery boxes and simply don’t work. The first step in figuring this out is opening them up. And in some cases, this is a task within itself. If the item is not powering on and requires extensive troubleshooting, it may not be a suitable candidate for a repair event.
 
We allot 30 to 45 minutes per repair for fixers to focus on a single item. This duration includes time to diagnose the item, open it up, fix the problem, and close it back up. If the item requires extensive disassembly, it may not be an appropriate candidate for a repair event.
 
The best candidates are items that may require a simple fix, such as a switch or cord replacement. Frequently, these switches and cords are universal and relatively easy to set up and bring to these events.
 
Too much to handle
If an item’s repair feels overly intimidating to you, it might be too much for a repair coach to handle as well. For example, if you need to use a dolly to transport your item, it’s probably not a great candidate.
 
Smaller, simpler, mechanical items are the best candidates for successful repair. Items like lamps, countertop kitchen appliances, and the like have great success at repair events.
 
What if my item is not a great candidate for a repair event?
As identified in this article, not all items are suitable for repair events. So, what can you do? For Lane County residents, your next step may be to visit FixitLaneCounty.org. The site is a hub of information and education for those seeking fix, mend, and repair services, as well as event information about upcoming repair events where community members can get items repaired at no cost. 
 
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming repair event!