How User Manuals Support the Diagnosis of Common Faults in Household Appliances: an Analysis of 150 Manuals

Abstract Product repairs are at the core of sustainable consumption and user manuals can play a relevant role in facilitating them. They accredited source product information for end users therefore sought as an important means diagnosis subsequent repair household appliances. However, despite increasing societal demand repairable products, few studies have been conducted on extent to which contribute fault process. In this study, we analysed current guidance provided by process, answering research question: ‘To what do provide sufficient diagnose most frequent faults appliances?’ We examined instructions four different appliances using data appliances’ frequently failing components, framework that considers three steps towards successful diagnosis: detection, location, isolation. total, 150 48 brands available European market. show not instruct components. mainly refer causes failure directly recommend corrective actions after detection. Thus, they rarely include three-step process identify isolate faulty component. Based these results, extended step from cause identification action. Both routes, component-oriented cause-oriented route diagnosis, should be considered during design products easy included future regulations address reparability.