Vacuum cleaners downgraded by the EU to tackle climate change in Europe
Story submitted by P. Wilson
Anyone wanting to buy a powerful vacuum cleaner has only 10 days left to be certain of getting one – following new EU rules that come in next month.
From 1 September, companies in the EU will be banned from making or importing vacuum cleaners above 1600 watts.
Hoover – based in South Wales – said that most of its cleaners were in that category.
It has been replacing its models since July with less powerful versions, but a few are still left on the shelves.
The new European rules are part of the EU’s energy efficiency directive, designed to help tackle climate change.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28878432
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I don’t see the point of this. Vacuum cleaners run for a few minutes each week. The amount of energy saved in this transient use of the appliance will be miniscule in the scheme of things.
I visualize a black market developing for more powerful vaccum cleaners, an aftermarket retrofit to replace motors with more powerful ones, and a lot of purchases made outside of the EU.
One more reason to dump the EU- they are going to make criminals out of average people who just want to keep their home clean. – Anthony
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It is a perfect storm of both eco-lunacy and Greenie authoriatarianism. The end of civilization as we know it, if allowed to continue.
SidF says:
August 23, 2014 at 2:28 am
I have a 1400 W Dyson that has very strong suction, so much so that on older carpets it can difficult to push. So 1600 W should be more than enough for a well designed cleaner. Dyson led the way in the transition to more efficient cyclone bagless cleaners and now dominate the UK market.
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Sensorman says:
August 23, 2014 at 3:11 am
Just FYI, from the Dyson website: “Dyson has never engineered a machine with a motor rated higher than 1600W. We campaigned for motor wattage caps for vacuum cleaners, and welcome the fact that the energy label will introduce a maximum power input for new vacuum cleaners, capping motors at 1600W in order to reduce their electricity usage”
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John A says:
August 23, 2014 at 4:12 am
None of Dyson’s vacuum cleaners use 1600W or more – did they do this because of EU diktat?
[…]
Sheesh, some of you people seriously need to grow up.
[“We campaigned for motor wattage caps for vacuum cleaners” – Dyson]
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GeeJam says:
August 23, 2014 at 3:53 am
James Dyson’s comments in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph are excellent. A ‘must read’.
[…]
He says “Many machines rely on old-fashioned technology and use vacuum bags and filters to do the hard work of separating dust from the air . . . . 126 million bags and filters were binned last year, but the EU didn’t consider these environmental and financial costs relevant to an energy label.”
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Noelene says:
August 23, 2014 at 4:58 am
Looks like Dyson has paid some bucks to the EU
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Bingo, Noelene. Every Dyson I’ve met (usually in piles of abandoned trash) was evidently designed with a very short lifespan. That is why the machine is loudly and proudly “guaranteed for its entire (short) life.” But the EU didn’t consider the energy and resources used in the manufacture, distribution, and constant replacement of crappy appliances designed with the philosophy of planned obsolescence.
Catweazel (at 9:32 am) has the right idea: a commercial unit, at a fraction of the cost of a Dyson, will probably keep working beyond your lifetime.
“I visualize a black market developing for more powerful vaccum cleaners, an aftermarket retrofit to replace motors with more powerful ones,”
Accompanied by vacuum cleaner companies making two 1200 watt units that can be coupled together to provide performance consumers demand. Marketing departments will be laughing at EU/AGWers all way to bank.
JJM Gommers: “The minister said on a question to restart a coal facility I will not allow. Regions will be cut off from the system one after another for 1 or 2 hours.”
Want to see the Elitist change his attitude? Every time a region’s power is cut, make sure power to “The minister’s” home(s) and office are cut.
Yup. Vacuumed up some fireplace ash and it caused the Dyson to burn in hell. It is now in a landfill somewhere. Give me a good old fashioned shop vac. In fact, the more it looks like a “woodshop” vac, the more likely some big strapping man will vacuum my carpets.
With a vacuum cleaner that’s less powerful, a person has to run it longer to suck up all the dirt. The longer running time may consume more power than the more powerful vacuum cleaner.
As the purchase of a vacuum cleaner is pretty much a religious ritual with my wife I would imagine that the EU has just reached the point where they have insulted the intelligence of the electorate once too often.
Sell vacuum cleaners without an air pump – “add your own”. Then sell nice powerful air pumps to go with them.
Non Nomen says:
August 23, 2014 at 6:05 am
There is going to be a market for assemby sets,
afaik these are not(yet) prohibited.
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Mike Jonas says:
August 24, 2014 at 12:55 am
Sell vacuum cleaners without an air pump – “add your own”. Then sell nice powerful air pumps to go with them.
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You got it right. Do it as the printer manufacturers do. Give awy the casing for -almost- free, just beyound the break-even-point, and then offer a variety of electrickery 1200/1500/2000/2500/3000 Watt and pumps, easy to insert to make money with. Use the same motor with different wiring. So it’s plug and suck…
We’re going to get rid of our vacuum cleaner. It’s just lying around gathering dust…
I’ll get my coat…
Non Nomen says:
August 23, 2014 at 6:05 am
There is going to be a market for assemby sets,
afaik these are not(yet) prohibited.
______________
Mike Jonas says:
August 24, 2014 at 12:55 am
Sell vacuum cleaners without an air pump – “add your own”. Then sell nice powerful air pumps to go with them.
_________________________________
You got it right. Do it as the printer manufacturers do. Give awy the casing for -almost- free, just beyound the break-even-point, and then offer a variety of electrickery 1200/1500/2000/2500/3000 Watt and pumps, easy to clip in to make money with. Use the same motor with different wiring. So it’s plug and s*ck…
Zeke says: August 23, 2014 at 11:53 am. “Is it the EU, or is it the German Empire? Angela Merkel selected EU Comissioner Juncker. “The whole thing has been the most extraordinary stitch-up!””
Wish these claims were true: Angela Merkel is chemist by education and thus de facto immune to the most absurd alarmist claims.
But the reality is not too bad either: The recent European Parliament (EP) election shifted the EP political majority from left to right for the first time. Germany is not the only currently right-wing governed EU member state. Moderate right wing politician, Jean-Claude Juncker, has support extending beyond Germany and the country he served as the prime minister.
So, what is Farage trying to achieve in the EU? It to be led by another socialist like R. Prodi? Or himself perhaps? Too bad the UK prime minister nominated UKIP only for a fruitcake and the local electorate forgot him in the UK parliament elections. At this stage even the Italian comedian Grillo is to be taken more seriously. Pity for those like me who wish EP to develop a competent and respected opposition. Like that’s gonna work with EP’s Stan and Oliver.
The negotiations for the high officials in the EU institutions is currently on-going. That process is equally democratic as the nominations by the national parliaments with their Malthusian lords. It’s still possible that the EU Climate Action Task Force will feel the pinch this time and the future initiatives will suck less. Only time will tell.
Soon to follow- 7 day waiting period on the purchase of vacuum cleaners with a ban on souped up energy mags.
I’d guess that in the EU there will be an increase in door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesmen (Opps! Salespersons.) A common sales gimmick is to have you vacuum a bit of carpet then putting a paper filter on their vacuum and going over the same spot. They then show you the filter to show you how much dirt your’s missed that that theirs didn’t. If they try that, ask for a filter to put on your vacuum and go over that same spot again.
Another dirty filter.
They may be selling a better vacuum but you won’t be basing your decision on a gimmick.
(Many sales…whatevers… were just trained to do this. The individual may not intentionally be trying to deceive.)
rogerknights says “This sucks”.
Good one!
The stupid part is that people will run a vacuum longer if it is less effective, having to make more passes to get dirt/stuff they can see.
My new admonition to voters “Elect stewards not stupids.”
(But the meaning of steward has changed to have an eco-connotation.)
“jaako” says “Angela Merkel is chemist by education and thus de facto immune to the most absurd alarmist claims.”
Margaret Thatcher had a scientific degree and worked in the field for a few years, but fell for climate alarmism, at least initially. But I suppose at least one could reason with either of them IF one got access for several minutes.
“Government idiocy”, yes, right category.
Vacuum cleaners do have power adjustment buttons, so normally one can use the power one needs. Now the highest limit is being forced down – in the future to 900 W! which will force longer vacuum time or lower quality work.
I bet none of those who made the rule ever used a vacuum cleaner, and the users were also not consulted in the making of the rule.
Well, no wonder for more stupidity, the IQ levels are going down in this world…
ww.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2730791/Are-STUPID-Britons-people-IQ-decline.html
Short-sighted policy. A few years ago we bought an “energy saver” dryer. And we have to run it 3 times longer to get the clothes dry. Likewise, I’m betting the EU vac cleaners will be used at least twice as much as the old ones just to get the job done.
“Fen says: August 26, 2014 at 11:44 am Short-sighted policy. A few years ago we bought an “energy saver” dryer. And we have to run it 3 times longer to get the clothes dry. Likewise, I’m betting the EU vac cleaners will be used at least twice as much as the old ones just to get the job done.”
The problem with the “energy saver” dryers is that the only place they save energy is on the EU labels, which have been modified such that condenser and warm-pump dryers are rated ahead of traditional (simpler, cheaper, easier-to-maintan, and longer-lasting) forced-air dryers. The standards are based on unrealistic tests performed in artificial lab conditions that have no connection to typical household laundry routines (and laudry-room temperature, humidity, etc.). More pie-in-the-sky math-challenged miscalculations from the Malthusian misanthrope (water)melon crowd….
Shower heads, toilets, unrecyclable compact fluorescent lamps, vacuums, dryers, etc.
What next?
The internet of things will connect them all together with time, energy, and other sensors, and “call home” to let “nanny” know how much we’ve used (wasted) in our daily chores, etc. ELV, Reichelt, Conrad, and other catalogs are just stuffed with these devices and home automation gadgets….expensive toys, but they could become mandatory if the Eurocrats connect the dots….
Technology is nice, but I don’t think I need to have a monitoring app on my smartphone to tell me my dishwasher is on fire….
(/rant) (two “energy-saving” dryers for the price of 4 or 5 normals ones…..)
The EU edict about limiting the maximum wattage of a vacuum cleaner is supposed to be about energy efficiency. That is silly. Limiting the wattage of the cleaner has nothing to do with its efficiency which I would define as the least amount of energy to accomplish a task of sucking up dirt. Some vacuum cleaners do it more efficiently than others and it has nothing to with wattage.
Its clear that the legislators do not understand simple engineering principles.
Jim from Stanwell Park
When that volcano goes off in Iceland it will play havoc with the global warming stats and the vacuum cleaners will be going overtime.
It was the same with energy saving light bulbs as 80% of the energy used by filament bulbs was lost as heat, easy sums while boiling up the bureaucratic coffee and convincing arguments at the many conferences but my home thermostat just keeps the boiler burning a little longer to compensate for the heat that would have been produced by the filament bulbs.
Next they will find that wind turbines are drawing energy from the atmosphere and changing the climate. Nature is a finely tuned machine.
I just need a few more degrees of global warming and I will be able to stop depending on fossil fuels.
Energy saving light bulbs for pennies and also insulation all supplied by the energy companies subsidised by our pockets to meet European directives, condensing boilers and now vacuum cleaners, all this energy saving we buy into gets us price hikes on tariffs because we use less so the rich get richer for less
Lol, next computers, they wanted a world where they can watch us and control us, now a computer is part of nearly every household in the developed world, two to three computers is common place these day not to mention the gaming consoles, TV’s, ipads, etc etc, technology is growing not shrinking, and the eu brain is definitely shrunk on this matter, smaller motors mean twice the work needed, same energy used as before? no gain..in fact more energy in some cases as persistant debris might require more than double the time, also lighting on longer etc in winter months, but the present government are behind this as there are monetary incentives involved, so not just the eu needs to be got rid of