# Reason for Custom Parts in Appliances etc. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274 "2017-05-23T13:35:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274/21 "2017-05-25T14:30:03Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Two possibilities are 1) the manufacturer deliberately makes these of non-standard size so they can profit from selling replacements at outrageous markups, or 2) they are based on genuine engineering considerations. #1. Companies have always done that sort of thing when there’s no regulatory organization forcing them to do otherwise. They make everything from components to recording standards incompatible in an attempt to force the customer to buy from them. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274/22 "2017-05-26T07:02:41Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I have this issue with my hydrosurge bathing system. It has little brass fittings that cannot be found anywhere, so if there is any maintenance required, I have to send it in to their authorized repair center. But are there standard little brass fittings that they could have used instead? Another reason is that the more specialised something is, the more they had to pay to design it, and the less turnover there is to pay for the design. Which means that there is less money to pay for fxing the design errors that made it impossible to use a normal part, and forced them to find a part that worked anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274/23 "2017-05-26T13:17:50Z")
I would try a used appliance place, they take all sorts of things apart. I have found strange parts for my rental unit’s appliances there. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274/24 "2017-05-26T13:19:19Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Another reason is that the more specialised something is, the more they had to pay to design it, and the less turnover there is to pay for the design. Which means that there is less money to pay for fxing the design errors that made it impossible to use a normal part, and forced them to find a part that worked anyway. In addition to that they may be using the odd parts only because they have a large stock of them leftover from some other product that was poorly designed and required them. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274/25 "2017-05-26T20:17:03Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > I would try a used appliance place, they take all sorts of things apart. I have found strange parts for my rental unit’s appliances there. There used to be a branch store near me. It was really handy. The company closed all of its branches and if I need something now I gotta drive to the main office which is not at all close. Can’t imagine why they closed all their brances. Anyway, back to do some stuff on the Internet! ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274/26 "2017-05-26T20:29:58Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Not at all. > I buy production-quatities of fasteners from them regularly, and their prices are very competitive. Need a tri wing driver?? [https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb\_sb\_noss\_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tri+wing+screw](https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tri+wing+screw) not that difficult to find… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-custom-parts-in-appliances-etc/787274.md?page=1)