By Bryan Wall
Product Test Journalist | Kaipūrongo Whakamātautau Hautaonga
We bought our Brabantia foot-operated flip-lid bin about 15 years ago from a certain store advertised by the world’s smiliest woman.
We were going to buy a cheaper bin, but the Brabantia was discounted with a small dent in its side. The desire for a brand name and a feeling it would be better quality won us over. Our Brabantia has since acquired several dent siblings.
Fast forward to the present, and the bin is still with us, although many years of lid flipping has led to some wear. This manifests as a very loud ‘DONG’ when the lid drops shut. (I half expect to see ‘Gongman’, of Rank films fame, striking his huge gong, or the hunchback Quasimodo lurching into the room looking for his bells.)
My better half hates the noise, so ‘Fix-it Dad’ started looking for a way to solve the problem.
The diagnosis
Bins aren’t complicated – unless you’ve purchased one of the new ‘smart bins’. (I kid you not, these things exist!) So, the diagnosis was clear after some simple observation.
The connection between the metal lid and plastic hinge had loosened over time, making the lid slam down harder and reverberate more.
Closer inspection revealed the potential problem – a plastic clip clamps the hinge in place and its edges were somewhat munted (and a tad grubby!).
The plastic clips on the hinge block were also quite worn, which probably contributed to the extra movement.
Ordering a spare and removing the old hinge
An online search revealed spares available on the Brabantia website.
It wasn’t the same colour, but there didn’t seem to be a black option available.
More interestingly, I spotted a check box to make a warranty claim.
I filled in the form, fully expecting to be rejected (after all, our bin was 15 years old, well beyond the 10 years max given in the form). But – surprise, surprise - the order went through, and I received a shipping notice the same day. Result!
The new hinge was coming from Belgium, so took a few weeks to arrive. I began to wonder if the warranty claim had been a mistake and I might not get anything.
But the package eventually arrived.
A nice clear instruction sheet accompanied the parts.
Notice the ‘strong arm’ image on steps 4 and 5, indicating the body builder prowess required for these stages.
The instructions weren’t wrong. It took Herculean strength to dislodge the metal bar holding the hinge onto the bin’s body. And then I still couldn’t remove the bar from the hinge so resorted to sawing it off!
Fitting the new hinge and clip
This was equally taxing (for someone without the strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger) and required much straining, grunting and the occasional bit of swearing. But in the end, I prised apart the metal hinge just enough to wrestle on the new part.
The next step, installing the new hinge clip, was thankfully, a lot easier. It just sprung into place with minimal effort.
Has the dong gone?
Yep! There’s still a noticeable clang, but the bin doesn’t reverberate like a West Indian steel drum anymore.
A good result and a testament to a company that stands behind its products for many years. If only all manufacturers could be like Brabantia.
The 3D print option
Before ordering the spares online, I tried a 3D printed replacement as we have a 3D printer at home.
First, I did an internet search to see if anyone had uploaded a print file for this clip online. I was in luck!
An hour later, and I had myself a free replacement clip!
Installation was a bit fiddly, but the new clip fitted nice and securely.
So, did it work?
Well, disappointingly, no! The clang was still there when closing the lid.
So, then I looked for a 3D print file of the rest of the hinge, but to no avail. That’s when I decided to order the spare parts direct from Brabantia.
Sick of wasting money on products you can’t repair?
Learn about our campaign for a right to repair and help us demand a mandatory repairability label.
