In 2021, my partner and I received a food dehydrator that became a household hero, preserving surplus fruit and vegetables through the simple magic of warm air. Over the years, it helped us save and share countless kilograms of food—like berries, apples, and even mangos during winter. But in 2024, the magic died; the dehydrator stopped producing hot air.
Thanks to the Abbey People Repair Cafés I had attended since 2023, I knew enough to understand the basics: the dehydrator had two main functions—a fan and a heater. After googling for some repair and “tear down” videos of other dehydrators, I learned that the heater was just a small wire with electricity passing through it. My limited knowledge of electronics didn’t deter me, as I remembered a crucial lesson from the Repair Cafés: “It’s already broken; how much worse could I make it?”
With that in mind, and a spare half hour I carefully took the dehydrator apart, although I soon hit my knowledge limit, not confident with testing electrical circuits – something I know is easy for many other helpful, brilliant people in Cambridge.
Within a week, I was on my bike, to a Repair Café run by Together Culture. The volunteer repairers helped to figure out the problem—a failed part on the single little circuit board that links the power, a sensor, the heater and the fan together. They told me that this tiny part is easily replaced with a soldering tool; something I didn’t have, and wasn’t comfortable using.
But I’d spent three hours already, and the dried fruit and veg was so tasty, and avoided so much waste… I wasn’t giving up yet. I reached out to some local connections, including those made at a previous Repair Café. With some help, we replaced the component in the time it took to have a cup of coffee, at the kitchen table. The dehydrator sprang back to life with 15 minutes of work and a common 50p part!
This isn’t my only Repair Café success story. Thanks to the skills and connections made at Repair Cafés, my partner and I have also now repaired several pairs of trousers and even a slow cooker, both by learning from, and building social connections with Abbey People and Repair Café volunteers.
These experiences prove that together, we can fix and build more than money can buy. We can rebuild hope and resilience with the support of community. Joining a Repair Café not only helps fix broken items but also strengthens community bonds, empowers us with new confidence and skills, and fosters a culture of sustainability.
So, if you have something that needs fixing or if you want to learn new skills and meet amazing people, come and join us at the next Repair Café.
Written by Mike, Abbey People Trustee and Repair Café volunteer.
