[HP laptops] What does it take for a product recall?

david39

The issue of fluff and overheating is a very good point.

My wife's hairdryer suffered a similar fate only a fortnight ago - kept cutting out. I looked through the air vent grill and saw what appeared to be a thick circle of grey material inside which I took to be a filter.

When I opened the dryer up, it was a thin metal perforated disc with an enormous build up of dust (dandruff???) on both sides of it.

If this happens with hairdryers, where the air that is entering the machine is effectively just fresh air - obviously the incidence of dust, detritus and fluff from clothing entering a laptop must be much higher - the clue is in the name : LAPTOP.

If I am using mine on my lap, I always put it on a tray so that there is a barrier between it and my trousers - more comfortable, too.

Squire_Fulwood

David39 I hope your system is effective.

With the tower I experimented with some Bonded Acetate Fibre. This is a substance used extensively in the audio industry. I made a sock out of it and pulled it over the fan/cooling assembly. Since it allows air to pass freely it acts as a sort of filter. A great success but you must ensure that none of it fouls the fan etc. You should have seen the muck that it filtered out of the air.

Kushan

I think dust and debris is just a natural aspect of computers. I believe the electronic components attract dust due to the electrical charge, so it's always going to be an issue, even on systems where you don't use fans (such as water cooled ones).

It's always good practice to clean your machine every few months.

Squire_Fulwood

I agree with you Kushan but the build up in the cooling fins of the heat sink is massive compared to elsewhere. Nevertheless when I do clean any of my computers I use a soft haired paint brush and apply it to anywhere I can reach. I dismantle the fan assembly so that I can get to the heat sink.

It has been my view for some time that it would be a good thing if the computer industry took on the cleaning aspect in their design. As you say all computers are prone to fluff, it's just that laptops don't seem designed to allow you to remove it.

I know I had the coincidence of investigating three HP laptops but I suspect the others may also have this problem.

Kushan

Absolutely. The way I see it, the Sale of Goods act basically states that a laptop must be fit for use for up to 6 years. I think that's a reasonable time frame and part of that would rely on keeping it relatively well maintained. If HP (or whomever) don't give you a way of cleaning it and that causes it to die before the 6 years, well then it wasn't fit for its purpose.

david39

Where in the SOGA does it say that a computer should be good for 6 years?

Squire_Fulwood

I have been trying to find the same thing in SOGA. So far all I have found is a statement saying that they don't specify a term since it would be different for every item. Also I found a comment by someone to the effect that 6 years is the limit of time you have to make a claim. So far, nothing saying anything should last 6 years.

Kushan

david39 wrote: »

Where in the SOGA does it say that a computer should be good for 6 years?

Ah, I may have slightly misinterpreted things. Here's what I'm going on -

This link (http://whatconsumer.co.uk/satisfactory-quality/) states:

in order to make a claim under the poor quality issue, it will vital for you to know how long items such as washing machines or printers should last. You can get this information relevant trade association

Now I'm not sure what the "relevant trade association" for computers is, but then I found this on the same site - http://whatconsumer.co.uk/faulty-laptop-rights/

Which states:

Your statutory rights give you six years from the date of purchase to make a claim (five years Scotland) and are in addition to any warranty that came with the laptop.

When I first read this, I presumed that the relevant trade association stated that laptops should last for 6 years, but when I think about it, I think that just means you have 6 years to make a claim, regardless as to when it broke and how long it's meant to last for.

RussJK

Yours will probably be more about a manufacturing fault, if you can get an engineer to support that claim.

Kushan

I fully intend to if it comes to that. It's a hardware fault of some kind, it certainly hasn't been caused by the laptop being dropped or anything. My plan is to push for a fix over the phone and if they want an engineer's report, there's plenty of PC repair shops around. I presume the likes of PC world and such count as "reputable"?