Is Your Tumble Dryer Safe?

Did you know that if you have a Creda, Indesit or Hotpoint tumble dryer then it may need repairing by a qualified engineer to ensure that it does not burst into flames?

Owners of Creda, Indesit and Hotpoint tumble dryers are asked to contact their manufacturer so that they can arrange for an engineer to inspect the machine and carry out a simple repair. The faulty machines were sold between April 2004 and September 2015.

A safety alert has been issued by the manufacturer of the faulty tumble dryers.

The safety alert was published over a year ago and many owners of the tumble dryers are still waiting for the engineer to arrive! Whirlpool, who now owns the brands which have been named above, runs a repair programme and offers a discounted replacement to anyone with an affected dryer.

You may have seen in the media that a high-rise flat in London caught fire recently and it is said that the fire may have started by one of these faulty tumble dryers.

The high-rise flat was in Shepherd’s Bush, West London and the fire caused many people to be homeless. The fire required 120 fire-fighters to attend the block of flats to bring the fire under control.

London Fire Brigade stated that they believed the cause of the fire to be one of the faulty tumble dryers mentioned above.

This incident has brought into question whether it was advisable to leave the tumble dryers in situ rather than demanding a full recall. Owners of the tumble dryers had been advised not to leave the machines unattended or go to sleep whilst they are functioning, however London Fire Brigade have now advised people not to use the faulty machines until the technical alterations have been carried out.

A consumer group is demanding more legal rights for owners of the tumble dryers in question.

The consumer group ‘Which’ has formally requested that the High Court look at whether the local Trading Standards office (Peterborough) is lawful.

"We have decided to step in and take legal action because we want Peterborough Trading Standards to properly protect Whirlpool customers and carry out its role as an enforcer of product safety laws."

Check on the Whirlpool free phone helplines: 0800 151 0905 for the UK, or 1800 804320 for the Irish Republic.

Customers can check through the telephone numbers above as to whether their machine's specific model number is affected and also by looking on Indesit and Hotpoint safety sites (Creda owners can check via the Hotpoint site). According to the safety warning, if your product has a green "dot" sticker on the door area or on the back plate, no action is required.

Always check the filter of your tumble dryer or washer dryer for fluff. This highlights the fact that the filters in any machines should be checked regularly for fluff and emptied out to lessen any possibility of any machines catching fire. If you think you may have one of these appliances in your possession, please do take the appropriate action.

Tumble dryer insurance is a specialized form of coverage that offers cover for your tumble dryer, an essential home appliance. This insurance is designed to help homeowners and renters in the event of unexpected breakdowns, or repairs related to their tumble dryer. 

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