I have a Goodmans TV which has gone wrong, I took it to be mended and was told it would cost £90 to fix and that it was the line out transformer. I have found the Part to replace it at £30 so i could save £60 if its easy enough to replace? anyone?

Will, November 2005

PS. Practically, you would also need a powerful soldering iron, (a general purpose iron from the local hardware store wouldn't stand a chance), as the transformer has heavy connections. Also, you would need a suitable desoldering tool, which all adds to the cost.

Cobweb, November 2005

I wouldn't recommend anyone except a qualified TV engineer replace it.

The part supplies around 23,000-30,000 Volts to the final anode of the cathode ray tube. It is also important that it is correctly soldered and adjusted to the manufacturers specification. The correct version of the manufacturers part must be used, as it is a safety specified component.

It's easy to replace if you know what you're doing.
For instance, the tube can hold a substantial charge which may need to be discharged before removing the old transformer.
Sometimes, the focus and final anode lead are not supplied and it requires transferring the existing cables, which occasionally can be tricky to remove.
The cables must be routed carefully for safety.
Other potential problems with the TV may be noted and caught early during the repair etc.

Repairers tend to mark up parts by 30%-50% plus labour and VAT. So the price quoted is about what I'd expect.

Cobweb, November 2005