Can you sell DIY in your country? Is it legal?

[audio2design]

if these regulations save at least one person from a traumatic experience then they're not really stupid are they?

Yes they are. This is the silo mentality. What was the cost to stop that traumatic experience and how many lives could have been saved if the resultant money was spent elsewhere?

 

[audio2design]

my partner literally blew a tweeter by sticking a pencil to it days after his parents bought their Hi-Fi set when he was a toddler. In other words, leave children for few minutes unsupervised and things will go where no one would logically put them.

if these regulations save at least one person from a traumatic experience then they're not really stupid are they?

In that case, we better fence off every single tree, river ..... ban bicycles, etc.

 

[Trell]

I'm seeing many double skulls rated power supplies.

Indeed, and is why I only use USB power supplies he has tested or are supplied from reputable companies like Apple, Sony, etc, where one can be pretty sure that their products are safe to use.

 

[mansr]

2) there might be a question what is "DIY" and what is a small-lot production. I have been registered as an entrepreneur in electronics design and production for 30 years and there was a period when I was selling my PCB's and kits and paying taxes from the profit. This is of course legal.

Kits are not necessarily covered by the same regulations as finished products, some of the responsibility falling on whoever does the final assembly. As always, rules vary between jurisdictions, so always verify your local situation before conducting any business.

 

[Doodski]

Do you have stats on the number of kids injured plugging stuff into speaker terminals on the backs of AVRs and Amplifiers?

I've found several metal objects inside electronics stuff. Toddlers see stuff going in and out and they want to try themselves to see stuff going in and out. VCRs are a excellent example with the door and loading mechanism. One day a workmate found little metal tools inside and it tuned out he/toddler was fixing it. Off topic but sorta related.

 

[Doodski]

Indeed, and is why I only use USB power supplies he has tested or are supplied from reputable companies like Apple, Sony, etc, where one can be pretty sure that their products are safe to use.

I got lucky and found my PS called the Power Bear by Amazon and in the review they called it the BlitzWolf. I'm happy to report it was tested okies.

 

[DanielT]

I've found several metal objects inside electronics stuff. Toddlers see stuff going in and out and they want to try themselves to see stuff going in and out. VCRs are a excellent example with the door and loading mechanism. One day a workmate found little metal tools inside and it tuned out he/toddler was fixing it. Off topic but sorta related.

I'm actually a pro OT. I think it promotes creativity and can drive a thread forward.

In addition. electronics and electrical safety, of course it should be discussed completely freely, spontaneously and openly. It is like a little difference if the particular speaker you bought deviates more than half a dB more than the spec in terms of frequency response than if half the house burns down.

Of course it's fun to discuss how speakers perform but eh you understand what I'm looking for. Dignity, difference in problems that may arise that is.One compared to the other.

 

[pma]

Kits are not necessarily covered by the same regulations as finished products, some of the responsibility falling on whoever does the final assembly. As always, rules vary between jurisdictions, so always verify your local situation before conducting any business.

I also did sell my finished products, in quite small lots. However, I have a trade license for this activity and also appropriate certified qualification.

 

[audio2design]

I also did sell my finished products, in quite small lots. However, I have a trade license for this activity and also appropriate certified qualification.

What does "appropriate certified qualification" mean? Unless your product has the relevant product safety approval for the country in question, or has had a specialized inspection (available in many jurisdictions for small quantities), a trade license means little.

CE on a product is next to meaningless unless the company is already reputable. It is "Self certification". Legit companies can back it up with the full paper work. Others cannot. CE is often not enough to sell into Europe with major retailers who will insist on ENEC as do most major products companies.

 

[ta240]

............
if these regulations save at least one person from a traumatic experience then they're not really stupid are they?

It is a slippery slope. Think of the thousands and thousands of lives we could save every year if we dropped all speed limits to 25 mph. How many more could we save if we dropped it to 5 mph?

 

[ta240]

It doesn't matter here in AUS if it is mass produced or DIY... one needs to abide by set standards to be able to sell it for consumer use;

Selling Electrical Equipment in Australia – EESS

www.eess.gov.au

If someone plans on making a small business out of it, then they would be best to consider product & public liability insurance as well.


JSmith

The liability scares me more than any government regulations. It would seem the most dangerous thing that could happen is for the DIY electronic item to end up in the hands of a certain type of attorney.

 

[audio2design]

I would encourage anyone selling anything DIY and AC powered to do 2 things:

1) Take pictures of the interior of the actual product clearly showing things like grounding, fuses, high voltage conductors, etc.

2) Apply a tamper resistant sticker and take a picture of that too. You can buy serialized ones, they are even better, but putting hard to replicate marks works too.

This is to ensure if someone makes a claim w.r.t. safety/injury later, that you have clear evidence of what you did, and if they made modifications or damaged it from playing around.

 

[audio2design]

The liability scares me more than any government regulations. It would seem the most dangerous thing that could happen is for the DIY electronic item to end up in the hands of a certain type of attorney.

He is not an attorney. He is a scumbag that should be in jail, and perhaps will be one day when he picks the wrong mark.

 

[mansr]

The liability scares me more than any government regulations. It would seem the most dangerous thing that could happen is for the DIY electronic item to end up in the hands of a certain type of attorney.

I knew it, printers are evil.

 

[pma]

What does "appropriate certified qualification" mean? Unless your product has the relevant product safety approval for the country in question, or has had a specialized inspection (available in many jurisdictions for small quantities), a trade license means little.

Approval to produce and install electrical equipment up to 1000V voltage that is provided with certificate of conformity. This certificate of conformity was issued on producers responsibility. This were the rules in my country in the time when I made this activity. I am not a native speaker and not going to argue with you on jurisdication terms.

 

[Rick Sykora]

Although I have some limited liability for my business, am going to review with my insurer. From personal experience, I installed an attic fan that caught fire. Mind you it only caused damage to our upstairs, but our house insurance covered even though it was a DIY job with a fan of unknown certifications bought from a reputable home supply store.

In the US, the lawyers are known to extend any claim to any parties with deep pockets. The two likely problems are shock and fire. A shock situation might extend to house wiring and protections (like ground fault protection). Barring any custom parts, I know both Hypex and Purifi modules are thermally protected. So while fire seems unlikely, would expect it to only happen in cases were a defect gets past the thermal protection and fuses. In those cases, would fully expect that those larger suppliers would be held liable too.

Frankly, would be more concerned about products that use lithium or other batteries for power. IME, Cell phones, laptops and other battery-operated products present more risk than most other products. I have had cell phones get too hot to touch and laptops with overheating and/or bulging batteries.

 

[sarumbear]

Then I do not mean if it is possible to find a buyer but if it is legal.

For example in Sweden, as far as I know, it is forbidden to sell DIY tube amplifiers to private individuals BUT if I owned a DIY tube amplifier, which I did not build, I have the right to sell it. This only applies to those who have built, DIY tube amp which the law covers.

What does it look like in your country? Is it legal to sell DIY?

DIY means Do It Yourself for yourself. Otherwise, you are manufacturing an equipment from parts and you become a manufacturer. It doesn’t matter if those parts are meant for DIY. You are then governed by relevant regulations.

This must be the same on all Western countries.

 

[DanielT]

DIY means Do It Yourself for yourself. Otherwise, you are manufacturing an equipment from parts and you become a manufacturer. It doesn’t matter if those parts are meant for DIY. You are then governed by relevant regulations.

This must be the same on all Western countries.

Damn, I should check with the authorities what applies in Sweden, of course I forgot to do that.

To take two extreme examples. You assemble a chair. No one objects if you sell your DIY wooden chair. On the other hand, if you build a small nuclear reactor... Yep, a mad man in Sweden was building one. Let's say he didn't get it together before the authorities searched him, so no sale was ever considered.

"Wanted to build a nuclear reactor

The 33-year-old man from Ängelholm "is very interested in nuclear physics and radiation". But the experiment with a nuclear reactor at home on the kitchen stove went awry. He is now indicted on suspicion of, among other things, violations of the Radiation Protection Act, illegal possession of chemical weapons and military equipment crimes.

In May 2011, he writes enthusiastically on his blog: "My project is to build a working nuclear reactor. Not to gain electricity, just for fun and to see if it's possible to split atoms at home.”

In July, the authorities become aware of his experimentation when he writes to the Radiation Safety Authority to make sure that he is not engaging in any illegalities."

Ville bygga kärnreaktor

Den 33-årige mannen från Ängelholm ”är väldigt intresserad av kärnfysik och strålning”. Men experimentet med en kärnreaktor hemma på köksspisen gick snett. Nu står han åtalad misstänkt för bland annat brott mot strålskyddslagen, olovlig befattning med kemiska vapen och krigsmaterielbrott.

www.svt.se

 

[Caliban]

Damn, I should check with the authorities what applies in Sweden, of course I forgot to do that.

To take two extreme examples. You assemble a chair. No one objects if you sell your DIY wooden chair. On the other hand, if you build a small nuclear reactor... Yep, a mad man in Sweden was building one. Let's say he didn't get it together before the authorities searched him, so no sale was ever considered.

"Wanted to build a nuclear reactor

The 33-year-old man from Ängelholm "is very interested in nuclear physics and radiation". But the experiment with a nuclear reactor at home on the kitchen stove went awry. He is now indicted on suspicion of, among other things, violations of the Radiation Protection Act, illegal possession of chemical weapons and military equipment crimes.

In May 2011, he writes enthusiastically on his blog: "My project is to build a working nuclear reactor. Not to gain electricity, just for fun and to see if it's possible to split atoms at home.”

In July, the authorities become aware of his experimentation when he writes to the Radiation Safety Authority to make sure that he is not engaging in any illegalities."

Ville bygga kärnreaktor

Den 33-årige mannen från Ängelholm ”är väldigt intresserad av kärnfysik och strålning”. Men experimentet med en kärnreaktor hemma på köksspisen gick snett. Nu står han åtalad misstänkt för bland annat brott mot strålskyddslagen, olovlig befattning med kemiska vapen och krigsmaterielbrott.

www.svt.se

Thanks for that Daniel !

Cooking radioactive stuff in a sulphuric-acid mix on the stove in hes million-program apartment, unbelievable !
And it exploded.
A bit more bold than making you own moonshine at home, yes, people did that in the old days !
Kul historia ! (Great story)