FAQs

Answers to the questions most frequently asked by our customers:

What is your connection to Farnell / Advance Power?

We are all ex Farnell / Advance Power PSU design engineers with over 50 years combined experience. After the buy-out of Advance Power by American Power Conversion in 1999 and subsequent closure of the UK design and manufacturing division in 2002, we set out to create a fully independent company called Advance Product Services Ltd., with the sole intention of supporting and servicing the products manufactured by Farnell & Advance Power since 1952. We are a dedicated organisation that specialise in this area, no-one else has our level of expertise and understanding of Farnell / Advance products.

How do I send a power supply for repair (UK customers)?

The repair process for UK Customers:

Contact us in any way you like, to start the ball rolling.
We will quote a fixed price for your repair if possible, (or offer a free assessment if not). We will also talk to you about how you would like to pay.
Dispatch your unit to us at: Unit 30, Freemans Way, Harrogate, HG3 1DH, UK.
Our Engineers will repair and fully test your unit.
We return it to you.

Plug it back in where it came from and have a cup of tea!

How do I send a power supply for repair (International customers)?

The repair process (International Customers):

Contact us in any way you like, to start the ball rolling.
We will quote a fixed price for your repair if possible, (or offer a free assessment if not).
Dispatch your unit to us at: Unit 30, Freemans Way, Harrogate, HG3 1DH, UK.
Please read overseas shipping procedure to ensure that the correct paperwork is used and customs duties and taxes are minimised.
Our Engineers will repair and fully test your unit.
We send you a pro-forma invoice for payment
When received, we return your unit to you, typically by air express on CIF U.K. terms.

Plug it back in where it came from and have a cup of tea!

What about customs documentation and import/export charges (International customers)?

Please follow our overseas shipping procedure to ensure that the correct paperwork is used and customs duties and taxes are avoided.
Any duties that are charged by customs due not following the procedure will be added onto the repair charges.

How can I pay?

In order of preference we can accept payment by:

  1. Visa, Mastercard or American Express card payments (please telephone with your card details).
  2. Direct wire transfer to our bank account (bank details are shown on the invoice).
  3. Cheque in GBP (made out to Advance Product Services Ltd).

Are you the original manufacturers of Farnell / Advance power supplies?

No, but in many cases we were the original designers of these products having been employed by Farnell / Advance for many years. Advance Product Services Ltd is a fully independent company dedicated to supporting and servicing the products manufactured by Farnell / Advance Power since 1952. We are an organisation that specialise in the repair and replacement of these items. No-one else has our level of expertise and understanding of Farnell / Advance power supplies.

Do you sell new power supplies?

The vast majority of Farnell / Advance power supplies are now obsolete, however where an exact fit, form and function replacement is required including signals and fixing points, we have developed our own range of new PSU’s which make suitable replacements in terms of voltage, current and approximate physical size.

These PSU’s are custom designed to meet or exceed the original Farnell / Advance specification in all areas.

Please see Product Replacements for more details.

Do you charge a survey fee?

No. We adhere to a ‘no fix, no fee’ policy which means if we fail to repair a faulty unit, then we do not make any charges for fault diagnosis or surveys.
Should we receive a unit which is not faulty we reserve the right to charge a small fee to cover labour and testing costs.

What if my unit fails again after you have repaired it?

We pride ourselves on providing professional repairs by time-served Farnell / Advance Engineers.
Our rate of returns over a 1 year period post-repair is less than 0.2%. Should your unit fail again within it’s warranty period, simply send it back to us and we will investigate the failure.
If it is as a result of any work we have carried out, directly or indirectly then we will return the unit to a working state free of charge.
If the failure is a result of customer or environmental abuse (physically dropped, lightning strike etc) we reserve the right to make a further charge to return the unit to full working order.

What warranty do you give on your repairs?

We are so confident in the quality and effectiveness of our repairs we offer a full 12 month warranty from date of repair.
Typically, other repair houses offer only 3 month warranty periods.

What happens if you cannot repair a unit?

In rare cases, a unit may have suffered catastrophic damage which is irreparable. We adhere to a ‘no fix, no fee’ policy which means that if we cannot repair a faulty unit, we do not make any charges. In these instances we would either return the unit, or dispose of it according to our environmental procedure.

How long do the repairs normally take?

Our typical turnaround time is 10-15 working days, however we often turn items around in less.
If you need an item repaired very urgently, we offer an express service whereby, for a small premium, we will make every effort to turn your unit around in 24-48hrs.
Our target turn time for International repairs is 10 days but this is somewhat dependent on the logistics of the customer location.

How can you guarantee the unit is safe post repair?

We have full PAT and flash test facilities at our premises.
All units which come in for repair are subject to a pre-repair insulation, isolation & earth bond test to protect our engineers, and a comprehensive post-repair insulation, isolation & earth bond test to provide peace of mind for the customer.

Can you supply diagrams and technical information for my power supply?

Although we have full legal access to documentation & schematics relating to the Farnell / Advance power supplies, the intellectual property owners (American Power Conversion) forbid us to pass this information onto any third parties. As we cannot risk litigation in this matter, we are unfortunately unable to offer any documentation for sale or otherwise.

Exactly what is included in your ‘fixed price repair’?

We offer a standard repair price on all Farnell / Advance PSU’s and many others. The standard price includes all minor parts and labour and includes a full test to the original specification.
In the unlikely event that the unit should require major parts (e.g. windings, subassemblies) there may be an extra charge. In this case we would contact you prior to proceeding with any repairs.

Can you repair non-Farnell/Advance power supplies?

Yes, we have a great deal of experience of power supplies in general, both switch mode and linear and have successfully repaired many PSU’s from other manufacturers.
We are happy to discuss your requirements at any time, but may be unable to offer a fixed price repair on such items prior to an initial investigation.
In this situation, we are happy to undertake a free assessment and quote.

Can you supply spare parts for my power supply?

Yes, we hold a large inventory of Farnell / Advance PSU spares & components. Please contact us with your requirements.

Do you offer a calibration service?

Yes, we are fully equipped to calibrate your items and can offer this service where required at a very competitive cost.

Do you only repair power supplies?

We specialise in the PSU field, however, our knowledge extends to other associated equipment such as systems & shelves and a variety of other Farnell test equipment and instrumentation such as electronic loads, oscilloscopes and signal generators. We have comprehensive information on many of these items and are certain we can assist you with any queries you might have.

If you have any other questions that you would like answering, please Contact Us