Are your appliances "overaged"?
Guangdong Consumer Council: There are many hidden dangers of "over-age" appliances, which should be eliminated and replaced in time
Text/Guangzhou Daily All Media Reporter He Yingsi Correspondent Yue Xiaoxuan
On August 5, the reporter learned from the Guangdong Provincial Consumer Council (hereinafter referred to as the Guangdong Consumer Council) that the results of its special survey on "safety service life of household appliances" showed that 57.66% of the respondents had used it at home for more than 8 years. 54.6% of the respondents did not know the national policies or regulations on the safe service life of home appliances, and 70.4% of the respondents did not know the specific safe service life of various home appliances.
Consumers have insufficient awareness of the safe use of home appliances, the concept of safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable consumption has not been effectively formed, and there are still some blocking points and difficulties in the renewal cycle of home appliance consumption.
To this end, the Guangdong Consumer Council issued four consumer reminders to the society and consumers.
Consumer Tips
Clarify the difference between safe use period and warranty period
The Guangdong Consumer Council pointed out that from the results of this survey, 52.8% of the respondents did not understand the concept of the "safe service life" of home appliances, and 39.7% of the respondents considered the "safe service life" and "product warranty period" of home appliances. "confused.
In fact, the safe use period is the basic period calculated to ensure the safety of the user (user) under the normal use conditions of the product, while the product warranty period is the repair of the whole product or key components made by the enterprise to the consumer. , replacement, and return promises, so the safe use period and the product warranty period are two different concepts.
When consumers buy home appliances, they should take the initiative to learn about the safety use knowledge and safety years of electrical products from the business or salesperson, or carefully check the relevant instructions on the product manual.
Try to avoid using appliances beyond the safe age
The survey found that 19.22% of the respondents would only replace home appliances when they frequently fail after a long period of use and are difficult to repair, or until they cannot be used normally.
The Guangdong Consumer Council pointed out that household appliances that have exceeded the safe service life are likely to have potential safety hazards such as leakage, fire, explosion (crack) due to ageing. Among them, gas stove products may also leak air, range hoods, Products such as air conditioners may also have hidden dangers such as falling.
According to the "Safety Service Life of Household Appliances" series of group standards released in 2020, the safe service life of home appliances such as washing machines and air conditioners is generally 8-10 years. In real life, the impact of operation and use environment should also be considered. The useful life may be shorter.
Therefore, consumers should try their best to use and replace home appliances in accordance with the requirements of the safety period to avoid safety problems caused by overdue use.
Carry out maintenance and regular safety inspections
The survey found that 42.18% of the respondents indicated that the frequency of cleaning and maintenance of home appliances was seldom or not at all, and 57.85% of the respondents would not conduct safety inspections on home appliances with a long service life.
The Guangdong Consumer Council pointed out that, in fact, as a commodity with a high frequency of use, household appliances should be cleaned and professionally maintained in a timely manner, otherwise it will not only easily breed bacteria and endanger health, but also affect the performance of electrical appliances and shorten the service life.
Consumers should pay more attention to the "over-age" old home appliances. Even if they are operating well, they should regularly contact professional institutions or manufacturers for safety inspections, and do a good job in maintenance and repair; When using, pay special attention to its aging, and replace it in time when faults occur frequently.
Practice the concept of green, low-carbon and sustainable consumption
The Guangdong Consumer Council pointed out that home appliances that exceed the service life not only have potential safety hazards, but also have performance degradation, increased energy consumption, and poor experience. The leakage of harmful substances may occur, which affects the health of consumers.
Consumers should consider the safety, environmental protection, health, economy and other perspectives, fully realize the importance of the safe service life of home appliances, and promptly eliminate and replace "over-age" home appliances.
It is recommended to grasp the current opportunity for home appliances to benefit the people and promote consumption, replace new home appliances, and enjoy a quality life.
In addition, in order to create a good consumption environment and enhance consumer confidence, the Guangdong Consumer Council also issued a special initiative to the majority of home appliance companies and operators, calling on home appliance companies and operators to actively respond to the relevant national and provincial policies to promote consumption, and actively carry out home appliances to benefit the people. , trade-in and other activities, adopt more convenient and user-friendly home appliance recycling services, and at the same time provide the market with more green, environmentally friendly and intelligent high-quality home appliance products, and jointly contribute to promoting consumption and stabilizing the economy.