20-08-2026

Wembley cousins bust common appliance myths costing households money

A new appliance repair business has launched in Wembley, run by cousins Alrick Robinson and Iain Lawson - and the pair are using their first weeks on the job to bust some of the most common appliance myths they say lead people to bin appliances that could easily be fixed.

Pacifica Local Wembley combines Iain's technical training in appliance repairs with Alrick's years of hands-on business experience, bringing a trusted, family-run repair service to homes across the area.

Iain knows the area inside out, making the territory a natural fit. "Wembley is home for me, so it made complete sense to set up here. I wanted to be a familiar face people could rely on, right in the heart of the area I live in."

"It mattered to us that whoever covered Wembley actually knew it, rather than it just being another postcode on a map," said Alrick. "Customers get a personal touch that way - we're invested in doing right by the people we work for, not just completing a job and moving on to the next one."

Now that the business is up and running, the cousins are keen to tackle the myths they hear most often on the job - the assumptions that see decent appliances thrown out before their time, costing local homeowners money they don't need to spend.

"We've seen how much these myths can end up leaving a whole in people’s pockets," said Iain. "So, we wanted to share what we've learned and hopefully save our neighbours a few quid (and a lot of hassle) along the way."

Here are three myths Alrick and Iain want to bust for Wembley households:

• It's making a weird noise so it must be dying - a noisy washing machine or dishwasher is often just an unbalanced load, worn drum bearings, or something as simple as a coin stuck in the drain filter – all straightforward fixes, not a death sentence for the appliance
  
• The eco setting is always the safest option - eco cycles run longer and cooler, which can actually cause more limescale and residue build-up over time in hard-water areas, ironically leading to more repairs down the line, not fewer
  
• If it's tripping the electrics, it's not worth fixing - a tripped switch is one of the most common, and cheapest, faults engineers see, often down to a faulty heating element or a simple wiring issue, rather than a sign the whole appliance needs replacing.

It's this kind of quick thinking that the cousins enjoy putting into practice - meeting people, solving problems, and getting households back up and running with the appliances they rely on every day.

"There's real satisfaction in doing this for an area we care about," added Alrick. "It's not just a job to us."

Looking ahead, the pair's ambition is to grow Pacifica Local Wembley before expanding into South London, with a longer-term aim to recruit and train more engineers.

"Further down the line, we'd love to bring more people on board, especially those looking for a route into the trade," concluded Iain. "It would be great to help build the next generation of the industry, not just carry out repairs ourselves."

To find out more about the services Alrick and Iain provide at Pacifica Local Wembley

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