Product safety - Do you know which tumble dryer is in your property
There have been front page headlines warning people of fire risks posed by potentially “killer” tumble dryers to millions of families. As a landlord are you aware of what tumble dryer you have in your let property?
Damage to a flat in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, caused by a fire allegedly started by an Indesit tumble dryer. Photograph: London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade (LFB) are currently investigating one of the most serious fires to date believed to have been caused by a faulty tumble dryer.
Wider calls are being asked for ministers to order Whirlpool – the company which has admitted having faulty appliances – to change its advice and agree to recall and replace faulty machines.
Whirlpool admitted last November that the fire fault exists and is caused when excess fluff touches the heating element. However, it has not issued a product recall, continuing to tell customers that “you may continue to use your tumble dryer while waiting for the modification; however, we require that you do not leave your dryer unattended during operation”.
The Fire Brigade has already advised consumers to stop using tumble dryers that are subject to product recall or safety notices. Its Total Recalls campaign, consumer group Which?, and the “Expect it’s safe” campaign set up by solicitors Leigh Day, who represent hundreds of the victims of white goods fires, offer similar advice.
Whirlpool is in the process of replacing or repairing more than 5m potentially faulty machines across the UK – under the brand names Indesit, Hotpoint, Creda and Proline – after identifying a safety defect in November. More than 810,000 machines have repaired or replaced, leaving millions still at risk.
The LFB estimates there is one fire caused by white goods every day in the capital. The Local Government Association, which represents all fire authorities, says there are three a day caused by tumble dryers in England and Wales.
We urge everyone who owns an Indesit, Hotpoint or Creda dryer manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015 to check if their dryer is affected and then register for a free modification if it is.
You can do this using the model checker on two websites, Safety.hotpoint and Safety.indesit, or via the freephone helpline on 0800 151 0905 for the UK or 1800 804320 for Ireland.
