John Lewis you will have heard of, Strix probably not. Strix make the controls and components that go inside electrical goods from many different brands. They made the controls inside my three-year-guarantee, John Lewis kettle. The controls failed after three years and five months. Both John Lewis and Strix have been utterly professional and customer-caring in their responses to my queries, (see below), indeed John Lewis have offered me a new kettle free of charge. The only problem is that I have to throw away a perfectly good kettle, in which energy and materials have been invested, for the sake of a switch that seems to have been designed with limited-life built in. I don’t think the kettle will convert well to stove-top use. Either I hard-wire the kettle with no switch or thermostat so that when it’s on the base, it’s on, or I use it as something else. Answers on a post card please. The real question here is, how can we as consumers change this culture? I think that the only answer is, by not consuming. By stopping buying stuff.
My message to Strix:
I have a John Lewis Kettle number CJK17BCJLU purchased in June 2009 containing a Strix switch/thermostat unit marked U1831.
The switch/thermostat unit has failed and though I have been able to repair it, I don’t expect it to go on working for very much longer.
John Lewis have generously offered to replace the kettle, however my centre is committed to minimising waste and as the kettle is sound apart from the failed switch, I’d like to repair it if at all possible. Could you send me, or let me know where I can obtain a replacement unit?
Best wishes
John Hill-Daniel
And four minutes after sending this email, the response.
Dear John,
Thank you for your enquiry.
All of our products are manufactured at our China factory and then shipped direct to the appliance manufacturer in bulk quantities for factory fitting. As you can appreciate, we are governed by strict safety standards and insurance restrictions which only allow us to supply controls which are fitted in line with these standards to ensure safety and compatibility.
Unfortunately, therefore we are unable to supply individuals or spare part suppliers with replacement parts
Kind Regards,
Strix Limited
One reply on “A message to Strix”
Do they think they alone are capable of fitting such a part? I too, am faced with the same problem. Stainless steel Russell Hobbs kettle, one month out of warranty and it now will not reach the boiling point. Not yet found a supplier of a Strix U1855 control. Their reply seems to me to me that they are hiding behind safety standards and insurance restrictions rather than supply to the normal distribution chain and thence to the customer. I have many years of electronic design experience and have facilities to perform such a simple task. It really annoys me to throw away a nearly new kettle for want of such a trivial item. It has nothing to do with cost, it’s the waste that infuriates.