EU banning hoovers over 900 watts

[ghostisonthecanvas]

I just heard a snippet on the news. For the environment? Did I understand correctly? They want us to hoover for twice as long? Is anyone able to give more info?

[PenisesAreNotPink]

It's over 1800 I think

[SingingSands]

There's a ban on making or importing hovers over 1600w.

I've got a Henry, no idea how many watts it takes to run him!

[ilovepowerhoop]

mine is 2200 watts - miele

[ilovepowerhoop]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28878432 - supposed to make them less than 900 watts by 2017!!

[ilovepowerhoop]

so they are going to ban all the good hoovers then? Idiots!

[SingingSands]

Give it a year and you'll find gangs of housewives meeting in car parks, showing off their customised, souped up hoovers

[legitsuperhero]

Thank goodness Mieles last so long!

[ghostisonthecanvas]

I googled. One said 1600w and another said eventually 750w. I never thought about energy consumption of hoovers before. Doing my bit for the environment using mine twice monthly then.

[ilovepowerhoop]

its 1600w dropping to 900w by 2017

[PigletJohn]

I have heard it said that the high-power motor is a marketing ploy.

The punters think a 3,000W Pig brand is better than a 1,500W Miele, so they buy Pig.

It isn't

[FiloFunky]

It's the air watts that matter

[InsertUsernameHere]

I heard a similar thing to PJ from a friend that had worked at both dyson and hoover that higher wattage doesn't relate to better clean. Manufactures use wattage as a way of selling as consumers presume it is better. In fact the engineers then have to work on making sure the damn things don't over heat. There isn't to my knowledge an agreed method of measuring cleaning ability/strength. I suggested a new SI unit if the "fluffon" it has yet to take off

[ghostisonthecanvas]

I think you need to copyright "fluffon"
listening to chat about this on R2. Not sure what the knock on effect will be on factories and employment either. It seems a strange energy saving idea to me.

[PigletJohn]

"factories and employment"

why should there be less people employed making a million 1,000W vavs than in making a million 2,000W vacs?

Dyson's factory (which is in Malaysia, they do not manufacture in UK) will probably be unaffected.

[ghostisonthecanvas]

Surely though, the factories will have to invest in new equipment to make different machines? Maybe existing equipment will have to be made obselete? Dyson is only one company.

[PausingFlatly]

ROFL at factories being affected.

Changing to make different machines (and in different colours!) is what vacuum manufacturers DO. Let's face it, "new" is pretty much their only sales point. Major re-engineering like the cyclone doesn't come along very often.

[ghostisonthecanvas]

Yes BUT small changes and changes of colour are factored into future plans surely? This will be big changes in a short period. Also unsure what colour has to do with anything? Even if my questions are laughable, I don't think the colour of a part changes the spec?
Dyson started with the cyclone so for them the impact is mimimal.

[Keenoonvino]

So I want to buy a new vac, as I've needed one for ages and this has pushed me. I want a super powerful one that leaves lines in the carpet with loads of sucking power! What shall I order? Want to order today before this new ruling comes in....

[ghostisonthecanvas]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/good_housekeeping/2162789-HIGHEST-STRENGTH-HOOVER
hopefully that link works. I have a sebo. Had it 3 years. Its fantastic, got the pet one.

[PausingFlatly]

Colour doesn't change the spec - it was just an example of another thing that's changed ALL the time, just to make things look new.

I really can't see that being restricted to a specific, previously common, wattage being a big problem for factories, because they are set up to constantly make changes.

A change of 3 mm in the size of hose clip is just as big in terms of manufacturing as a change of 100 mm in a fan-blade: you still have to make a new mould, etc, etc.

Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. But haven't you noticed how they all make changes, all the time? If retooling were a significant problem, we probably wouldn't have seen the change to higher wattages in the first place - and even there, the engineering design is a much harder problem to crack than the manufacturing.

[ghostisonthecanvas]

These changes are planned though. I know things are rejigged all the time but only very slightly usually. As your average joe bloggs it really unsettles me that the implications of changes like these outweigh the savings iyswim. I had this image of vacuum factories everywhere (dyson excepted) having big refits Thats obviously not the case

[BaronessBomburst]

Keenoonvino Anything by Miele.

[Keenoonvino]

thanks Ghost and Baroness....I guess i need to do some review reading online as people also rave about the Henry as well....so many choices! wish i had the money and the space to just buy 3 and see what's best!

[Rooners]

How many watts does a Henry use? I've got two and may start to stockpile them. There is no better hoover

[Rooners]

Sorry I like my Miele fridge. Very much. But the hoover has a very dodgy floor to tube angle that makes the pushing feel pointless, like the floorhead is going up in the air when you push instead of along the floor.

NOT GOOD

but it is a few years old. It was always the same though.