PITFALLS OF GOING CORDLESS

Firstly, thank you for an always interesting magazine that keeps me occupied for many an hour every month. I have also tried some of the DIY ideas, with good results.

Regarding “The complete cordless arsenal” (DIY supplement, October 2017), I felt it necessary to share my experiences with you and other readers to help avoid frustrations on this route.

Two years ago, I began my collection of cordless machines and had just got to the stage of having everything I needed when we experienced a power surge in our area. The surge destroyed many of our appliances and the chargers for all of my cordless machines. All plug points with chargers were switched off at the time of the surge, but this did not prevent damage.

After engaging with the retailers, it was quickly apparent that they do not keep any unusual spares, such as chargers. I then approached the importers and again hit a blank wall. There appeared to be very little willingness to assist, other than to suggest I go out and buy new machines – not so easy when you are on pension and when your insurer rejects claims caused by such

events as power surges. Unfortunately, my inability to get chargers from manufacturers has left me with a number of unusable machines.

Some readers might ask, what about generic chargers? I tried this route and now sit with a few chargers that do not work.

So, my advice to fellow readers is: once you have charged your machine, take the chargers out of the wall socket.

P.S. Don’t try claiming for surge damage from your electricity supplier; that is a story for another day.