EU ban on vacuum cleaners above 1,600W

[RowlandoGloom]

Wow if they carry on like this eventually carpet won't be an option, it'll be laminate flooring and plastic sofa's all round that includes a free mop and bucket!

 

On a serious note I do agree with this in certain aspects I like the fact they are pushing manufacturers to become more "eco" though what about Kettles, Toasters, Microwaves. It's a bit of a weird move to just say Vacuum Cleaners, maybe the main man in the EU fell out with this guy over a beer and cursed them all for life.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26147[/ATTACH]

 

Good old Henry, best hoover I ever bought - 100 quid in Currys - especially with a dog and carpets....

 

Vax are rubbish so could t care less. Mine always hoovered everything up, then chucked it all out the back, making it airborne.

[Trapper]

I'll cherish my Henry for as long as he lasts.

 

We've tried God know's how many hoovers, even a specific pet hair one, and nothing works better than a Henry.

 

It's also good as the caretaker let's me borrow the hoover bags!

[unixman_again]

Good old Henry, best hoover I ever bought

Henry is made by Numatic International Limited not Hoover and in any case according to this man we Dyson the floor

 

The best vac I ever had was a Hoover upright, which my Aunt gave me in 1980. It was probably third or fourth hand when she got it a number of years before. It was still going strong when I left Australia in 1993. I donated it to the local church and they are probably still using it.

[RowlandoGloom]

I'll cherish my Henry for as long as he lasts.

 

We've tried God know's how many hoovers, even a specific pet hair one, and nothing works better than a Henry.

 

It's also good as the caretaker let's me borrow the hoover bags!

 

That's it, our cleaners at work use them. Seriously, they are invincible.

 

We've seen with ours, pet hair, pound coins, socks, bits of mangled plastic dog toys, receipts, pillow fluff, pegs, bobbles, lego, everything......

 

Only 1,200 watts max also.

Edited August 23, 2014 by RowlandoGloom

[Trapper]

Second best I had was a 1970's Vac wet and dry. It was invincible.

 

Finally had to get rid of it when the missus wanted a "modern" machine. Worst thing I ever did.

 

Was useful with the old car for sucking water up off the carpets when the door seals started to perish.

[localzuk]

Why are people moaning about this? Dyson has not complained about the ban itself, but about the method of rating how good vacs are. IE. The vacs are tested when empty only. Most vacuums lose suction strength as they fill up, which puts Dyson's vacs at a disadvantage (as they don't lose anywhere near as much suction as they fill).

 

My family switched to Dysons with their first model, and have never looked back. So why do people need domestic vacuum cleaners with giant motors, when Dysons don't need them?

 

As far as I'm aware, the EU are doing this to reduce energy consumption. They're also introducing a raft of other rules to reduce energy consumption too.

 

Those saying "have they got nothing better to be looking at" have missed just how big the EU govt is. There's over 35,000 people working in EU institutions, they can do more than a single thing at once!

[synaesthesia]

Well this is it - no harm in taking aim at some of the most inefficient devices we have and forcing a change as we're just stuck in habit. Henry's are great vacuum's, and I love my Hoover (yes, a Hoover) 2100w which I've called Monica Lewinsky. They've been doing it for cars already, energy efficiency ratings for washing machines and fridges where devices with less than an A rating will have difficulty getting sold. Manufacturers are then forced to buck their ideas up.

[pcstru]

Manufacturers are then forced to buck their ideas up.

Quite. 1KW is a lot of power to need to deal with some grit, hair and dust.

 

Of course, I mourn the day when OUR government outlawed V8 engines in domestic appliances - my carpets have never achieved quite the same pile since.

[CHR1S]

I can see a business opportunity here!

 

I love my VAX Air Pet Upright Vacuum Cleaner U91-MA-P | VAX.co.uk its so good I cant vaccum the rugs as they get sucked up

[truebluesteve]

Imagine the uproar if they decide to apply this legislation to hairdriers!

[laserblazer]

The front page of the Mail today is about panic buying before the ban comes into effect!

[Dos_Box]

Imagine the uproar if they decide to apply this legislation to hairdriers!

 

And lawnmowers!

[elsiegee40]

I'm waiting for the clampdown on the candlepower of torches

[AMLinington]

Whilst I disagree strongly with this (mostly on principle), I'd like to point out that most Vacuum cleaners are pretty pants where pet hair is concerned anyway - despite marketing to the contrary. The most efficient and best method I've ever encountered for removing Cat Fur/my hair/Rabbit Fur from carpet is an old fashioned rubber broom. I kid you not. Vacuum the room then go over it with a rubber broom. You'll be shocked.

 

@sparkeh I'm not sure which alternate dimension your Vax pet vacuum came from but mine is pretty useless. Not as useless as our Russell Hobbs upright, but still not great. It's not exactly like I have a Persian cat either - my Cat is short haired and he's pretty good at self grooming and I rarely manage to groom a handful from him when I take a brush to his coat. Our Buck Rabbit on the other hand.... I could stuff a cushion with his fur but thankfully he lives outside and our Doe and her Babies are the same as Enzo - I never get much off them during grooming.

 

I often think that we shouldn't rely on the Vacuum cleaner as ultimately it just 'sucks stuff up' if you really want to pull up all the crap on the carpet you need a stiff brush. Hooray for Hard floors and Rugs. Take them outside with an old tennis racquet and beat the ever-living-shag-pile out of them.

[zag]

Totally agree with this ban. More power does not necessarily mean a better vacuum cleaner!

 

About time they started to introduce laws to reduce energy consumption so we are less reliant on dirty coal and Russian oil!

[pcstru]

Whilst I disagree strongly with this (mostly on principle),

Why? Manufacturers use power more as a marketing tool than any difference it makes to picking up dust, grit or hair. As you say, for hair in particular, it's more about brushing than suction. Surely, we need _in principle_ to legislate on energy issues if our children are to have any chance.

[abillybob]

Whilst I disagree strongly with this (mostly on principle), I'd like to point out that most Vacuum cleaners are pretty pants where pet hair is concerned anyway - despite marketing to the contrary. The most efficient and best method I've ever encountered for removing Cat Fur/my hair/Rabbit Fur from carpet is an old fashioned rubber broom. I kid you not. Vacuum the room then go over it with a rubber broom. You'll be shocked.

 

@sparkeh I'm not sure which alternate dimension your Vax pet vacuum came from but mine is pretty useless. Not as useless as our Russell Hobbs upright, but still not great. It's not exactly like I have a Persian cat either - my Cat is short haired and he's pretty good at self grooming and I rarely manage to groom a handful from him when I take a brush to his coat. Our Buck Rabbit on the other hand.... I could stuff a cushion with his fur but thankfully he lives outside and our Doe and her Babies are the same as Enzo - I never get much off them during grooming.

 

I often think that we shouldn't rely on the Vacuum cleaner as ultimately it just 'sucks stuff up' if you really want to pull up all the crap on the carpet you need a stiff brush. Hooray for Hard floors and Rugs. Take them outside with an old tennis racquet and beat the ever-living-shag-pile out of them.

 

Cats *Shudder* I don't like the things, I think they're the dirtiest pet you can have. This may be due to bad experiences and the fact I'm allergic but my dog for the past couple of weeks has suddenly somehow got fleas even though we use "Spot On" on him all of the time, we found a cat at the bottom of the garden the other day and I'm not kidding you fleas where jumping off this big fat ginger ball of fur people call pets. We can't find a way to stop this cat from coming into our garden and now have resulted to getting the hose pipe out, we don't even know who's cat it is.

 

Sorry bit of a rant about cats there but I really don't like them, maybe get a small dog like our Cocker Spaniel instead our Vax hoover sucks up all dog hair and it's a 750Watt hoover

[elsiegee40]

The EU is apparently reviewing many small devices, including hairdryers and kettles. In both cases, the higher wattage means that they are used for sjorter periods... I cannot se how a lower output device would help in either case.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29004060

[jinnantonnixx]

The EU is apparently reviewing many small devices, including hairdryers and kettles. In both cases, the higher wattage means that they are used for sjorter periods... I cannot se how a lower output device would help in either case.

 

BBC News - High-powered hairdryers under threat as EU considers ban

 

 

Kettles to be limited to 150W.

 

As mitigation, the EU is proposing to lower the boiling point of water to 60'C.

[pcstru]

The EU is apparently reviewing many small devices, including hairdryers and kettles. In both cases, the higher wattage means that they are used for sjorter periods... I cannot se how a lower output device would help in either case.

BBC News - High-powered hairdryers under threat as EU considers ban

 

It's not just about consumption. A lower power draw will help on the supply side - it is more efficient to ramp up supply for longer periods.

[localzuk]

It's not just about consumption. A lower power draw will help on the supply side - it is more efficient to ramp up supply for longer periods.

 

That doesn't really help electricity producers though, that I can tell!

[unixman_again]

I wonder how long it will be before vacuum cleaner upgrade kits appear on the market? The EU might have banned the sale of powerful vacuum cleaners, but not electric motors. When they banned 100W incandescent light bulbs, some enterprising people started to sell 100W mini heaters. Mind you the light bulb ban was ineffective, as it is still very easy to buy "proper" 100W-ers rather than the newfangled dim energy savers.

[sted]

I wonder how long it will be before vacuum cleaner upgrade kits appear on the market? The EU might have banned the sale of powerful vacuum cleaners, but not electric motors. When they banned 100W incandescent light bulbs, some enterprising people started to sell 100W mini heaters. Mind you the light bulb ban was ineffective, as it is still very easy to buy "proper" 100W-ers rather than the newfangled dim energy savers.

now while i agree energy saver bulbs are dreadful led bulbs are much better and i prefer them to normal bulbs

[Arthur]

newfangled dim energy savers.

I wouldn't exactly call energy saving light bulbs new fangled. They've been around for ages.

 

I recently replaced all of the energy saving light bulbs in my house with 800 lumen LED bulbs. Much much brighter and they less power too (8 to 9.5 watts, compared to 14 watts previously).

[pcstru]

When they banned 100W incandescent light bulbs, some enterprising people started to sell 100W mini heaters. Mind you the light bulb ban was ineffective, as it is still very easy to buy "proper" 100W-ers rather than the newfangled dim energy savers.

I guess it depends if you want energy you pay for to provide light or heat. Energy saving bulbs have improved substantially in terms of ramp up and 'half life' but if it is too dim, you can simply buy a higher output and still pocket a sizeable difference in running cost vs any incandescent bulb lumen for lumen.

 

I find it amazing that measures which can only benefit consumers seem to draw such opprobrium.