When do you get rid of your packaging?

[plympton]

So, I have these boxes for my batteries, AIO inverters, etc. If something goes wrong, there's bold wording to SAVE THIS PACKAGING!!!

How long do folks hold onto their packaging before recycling it? Wait a month, stress test things, and see if you get infant mortality? Length of the warranty?? Seriously, these boxes are HUGE!!

 

[hwy17]

Immediately unless it's a product I'm thinking about returning. In a warranty process I do not expect to be expected to still have the packaging.

And to poke a little fun at the other side of the market, I don't believe my Schneider equipment ever tells me I need to save the packaging

 

[Hedges]

I saw a tube of caulk with 50 year warranty.
If it ever fails, and causes the wood of your house to rot out, just send in the original receipt and empty tube for a free replacement.


I put empty boxes aside, stack them on top of the Ferrari in my garage or some other convenient place, and keep until more packaging pushes them out.

Boxes could be knocked flat, and random cut chunks of styrofoam plus peanuts should do a decent job of padding.

 

[wildbillpdx]

I bought six EG4 LifePower4 batteries...I kept one box. I still have my EG4 6000ex box in case it fails and I need a 6000xp for a replacement.

 

[timselectric]

As soon as it comes out of the box, the box goes in the trash.
If I kept all of the boxes, I would have to build a separate building for them.

 

[wiseacre]

I wait until the cat says it's OK to get rid of it.

 

[kommando]

1 month, long enough for duff soldering and near to failing components to give up the ghost.

 

[Mattb4]

I only get rid of the boxes for those devices that sometime in the future I would really like or need the factory box to put it back into. The rest get saved based on if they are a handy size and the storage building has enough room for another handy size box.

I don't recycle I just burn them in the fire pit.

 

[newbostonconst]

Yesterday.....

 

[SparkyJJO]

Immediately unless it's a product I'm thinking about returning. In a warranty process I do not expect to be expected to still have the packaging.

That's the case most times, but I've run into a couple exceptions.
1) Crucial used to require the original packaging for their 2.5" SSDs because they put some information on the package and not on the SSD itself. If you didn't have the box, no warranty for you, because you don't have that information. Stupid, I know... I don't know if they're still doing that.
2) I forget the brand but it was another computer component, they said I had to ship the defective one back to them - on my dime - in the original box. Thankfully, I still had it. Not sure what would happen if I did not...

This was a few years ago though so hopefully that's no longer the case.

I did save my original box for my computer monitor as it makes it easier to pack and move safely if we find a homestead property cheap enough (ha, good luck on that these days right...)

 

[Danke]

Every Full Moon. I celebrate Prometheus.

 

[hwy17]

That's the case most times, but I've run into a couple exceptions.
1) Crucial used to require the original packaging for their 2.5" SSDs because they put some information on the package and not on the SSD itself. If you didn't have the box, no warranty for you, because you don't have that information. Stupid, I know... I don't know if they're still doing that.
2) I forget the brand but it was another computer component, they said I had to ship the defective one back to them - on my dime - in the original box. Thankfully, I still had it. Not sure what would happen if I did not...

This was a few years ago though so hopefully that's no longer the case.

I did save my original box for my computer monitor as it makes it easier to pack and move safely if we find a homestead property cheap enough (ha, good luck on that these days right...)

Yeah I will admit to having plenty of small computer components boxes despite that being against my policy!

But large boxes get the policy applied more strictly.

 

[SeaGal]

I put empty boxes aside, stack them on top of the Ferrari in my garage or some other convenient place

I keep the boxes as long as practically possible - sometimes have repurposed them... they are stronger than most flat-pack furniture is these days

Obviously, if I had a Ferrari then I could have just put them on top of it... ... but I don't

 

[SparkyJJO]

'bout all that Ferrari is good for anyway.

 

[underdog5004]

I've seen people have issues with signature solar warranty replacements. Signature solar required that the boxes that the batteries were delivered in be used to ship them back. This has to do with shipping regulations in relation to lithium. I went through a whole certification on this the boxes the foam Etc are all tested to a certain standard to ensure safety during shipping. Of course nothing's really going to stop a forklift Fork from going through a battery if the operator is inattentive enough. I have all the boxes for my batteries with the foam inserts just in case. That being said I did have to exchange some 24 volt batteries for 48 volt batteries, long story, and I didn't have enough boxes for all the batteries at that time. So I put a couple batteries in the original boxes and then packed the other two batteries in another box with lots of padding foam. I made sure that I personally strapped these boxes down to the pallets and I sent pictures to Signature solar before shipping to make sure that it would be acceptable to them. I sent pictures of the inside and the outside of the boxes.

 

[G00SE]

I thought those were work benches not boxes.

try to dispose of most packaging asap. Between Amazon deliveries and ups I fear I would become consumed by boxes if I don’t. I typically keep large boxes for TVs or other delicate electronics if I perceive I may need to move them at some point

I’ve also considered listing them as 1 bedroom rentals on the local marketplace too.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

When one or both of the following are met:

1) When I've forgotten about the packaging, re-discovered it, AND I no longer have that equipment.
2) My wife makes me.

 

[SignatureSolarJess]

I've seen people have issues with signature solar warranty replacements. Signature solar required that the boxes that the batteries were delivered in be used to ship them back. This has to do with shipping regulations in relation to lithium. I went through a whole certification on this the boxes the foam Etc are all tested to a certain standard to ensure safety during shipping. Of course nothing's really going to stop a forklift Fork from going through a battery if the operator is inattentive enough. I have all the boxes for my batteries with the foam inserts just in case. That being said I did have to exchange some 24 volt batteries for 48 volt batteries, long story, and I didn't have enough boxes for all the batteries at that time. So I put a couple batteries in the original boxes and then packed the other two batteries in another box with lots of padding foam. I made sure that I personally strapped these boxes down to the pallets and I sent pictures to Signature solar before shipping to make sure that it would be acceptable to them. I sent pictures of the inside and the outside of the boxes.

You can return it in any appropriate box. It doesn't have to be the one it came in.

 

[dfw_dude]

I have a (neat) pile in my garage from the massive haul FedEx freight dropped off at my house Wednesday. Two empty crates from EG4 Indoor batteries, quite a few boxes of various electrical things, and need to break down the pallet holding the 20 aptos panels on it.

I like a nice clean garage, but even I'm holding off on super cleaning until I get the system online and test/verify everything is working. I figure another week or two since the weather has been crap and I'm busy with work.

 

[seneysolar]

When the kitchen drawer of used plastic grocery bags is full...