Anyone With A WHIRLPOOL Electrical Applicance ? Recall Now By Government Decree ! 800,000 Said To Be Out There!

All about caring
1

Shades of Grenfell Tower ?

Better late … by 2 years … longer for others … than never ???


**Whirlpool told to recall dryers in " Unprecedented " government move.

The government is to issue an " Unprecedented " recall notice of up to 500,000 Whirlpool tumble dryers which pose a fire safety risk.**


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It comes four years after Whirlpool issued a warning after it found its Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit dryers had a fault which needed fixing.

The fault was blamed for at least 750 fires over an 11-year period, according to the government.

Whirlpool said safety was its “number one priority”.

It urged anyone still owning an affected to dryer to contact the company immediately on 0800 151 0905.

A spokeswoman added: “In the meantime, anyone with an affected dryer that has not been modified should unplug it and not use it until the modification has been completed.”
An estimated 5.3 million dryers were sold in the UK, but it is thought up to 500,000 could still be in use.

Last year, the BBC’s Watchdog Live consumer programme uncovered cases in which machines had caught fire even after being fixed.

And in April, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published a report, urging Whirlpool to improve its risk management, and “reach affected consumers in more creative ways” to minimise the risk of faulty machines still being in people’s homes.

Business minister Kelly Tolhurst told the Commons that the recall notice was “unprecedented action”.

She was responding to Conservative minister Andrew Griffiths, who told MPs that he was still concerned about whether people still had “unsafe products” in their homes.

Rachel Reeves, Labour chairwoman of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, said the move was “long overdue”.

“Finally, over a year since we called for a recall of defective machines and 18 months since the Beis Committee reported on Whirlpool’s inadequate response to safety flaws, the government is at last showing some teeth,” she said.

David Chaplin, a spokesman for consumer group Which? said there were still “serious questions” about the 500,000 unmodified machines that “Whirlpool has already struggled to locate”.

He said: "People’s lives have been put at risk for far too long, so it’s a hugely significant step that these machines are set to be recalled.

“The government must urgently explain what it is going to do about the millions of modified machines still in people’s homes, following serious concerns that have been raised by people who have experienced fires, smoke and burning despite the so-called fix.”

A Whirlpool Corporation spokeswoman said: "We remain committed to resolving any affected tumble dryers that have not yet been modified.

"To this end, we are in ongoing discussions with the Office for Product Safety and Standards to agree additional measures we have proposed to reach consumers who have not yet engaged with this safety programme.

“We have co-operated with OPSS throughout its recent review of the programme and welcome its findings that consumers whose tumble dryers have been modified can continue to use them safely.”

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Yes, I had one and it was repaired. Luckily it was outside my property. I certainly would not want one inside.
Since then I have moved and got ride of it.

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Your knowledge knows no boundaries!!! Glad you posted this. It’s the last thing carers need to worry about but can’t be neglected.

4

Saves an unexpected rise in room temperature during the night ?

In some cases , by a few hundred degrees or so ?

That is , of course , one is in the half of the carer army that can afford heat ?

Compared with , say , a decade ago , I wonder how many corporate liability lawyers are commissioned by Whirlpool.

And … the toxic fallout from the Grenfell Tower debacle has yet to settle.
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The fire was started by a malfunctioning fridge-freezer on the fourth floor.

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Grenfell Tower : Hotpoint owner claims '" Lit cigarette through open window " could have started fire
The claim has been dismissed as " Desperate " and " Pure speculation. "

A cigarette tossed through an open window … on the fourth floor ?

Sign him up for the next olympics in fag end flicking !

5

I agree with those concerned by the toxins left behind. In 2015 my house went up in one of the many Californian wildfires. Declared a Federal disaster, the cost to clean up just around where the house had been was appox. $175,000 - just for one home! Good business for some.

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Toxins … in this context , where the blame will fall.

And , possibly , jail sentences ?

Might get pretty overcrowded in some ?

As for toxins … toxins … tests have proved the presence of some very lethal stuff in the soil surrounding the area !
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It is news that no one wants to hear. Independent research from Prof Anna Stec at the University of Central Lancashire, released on Thursday, shows heightened levels of cancer-causing chemicals in the area around Grenfell Tower. Phosphorous flame retardants, toxic to the nervous system, were found in soil samples 50 metres from the tower. Dust and oily deposits were wiped from the blinds of homes close to the tower 17 months later. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were found at 160 times the level of reference samples 140m from Grenfell, along with chemicals that can cause asthma with a single exposure. These are not at naturally occurring levels in most urban environments.

This is truly shocking. From the beginning, residents have asked the local authority and Public Health England about contamination. The problem was obvious. For days after the fire black smoke hung in the air, and contaminated homes, clothing and furniture. For months, charred black ash rained down on people’s balconies, gardens, clothes lines and bins.

Seven days after the fire the law firm Bindmans, acting for those affected, wrote to the local authority, Kensington and Chelsea, asking for urgent clarification and guidance. Was the area contaminated? Had a sampling programme begun? There was no response. At public meetings, residents asked Public Health England about the dust settling in their homes. They were told that this “was not the kind of dust that gets into your lungs”. Air monitoring took place, but not immediately. It didn’t test for the toxins found by researchers at the University of Central Lancashire. It didn’t test the dust.

No need to look very far for their origin … it is now wrapped in a shroud.

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**Whirlpool says up to 800,000 faulty dryers exist in UK homes.

Number of dryers with increased fire risk is higher than previously thought.**

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**_Whirlpool has admitted that there could be up to 800,000 faulty tumble dryers in UK homes that have an increased fire risk, higher than previously thought.

Last month the government ordered a recall of 500,000 tumble dryers, four years after fire safety concerns were first raised by the US home appliance maker. The affected brands are Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline.

However, company executives appearing before MPs on the business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) committee on Tuesday admitted the number could be higher.

Jeff Noel, corporate vice president of communications and public affairs at Whirlpool, said estimates of faulty dryers in UK homes ranged from 250,000 to 800,000.
He said Whirlpool had already modified 1.7m dryers to fix a fault that could cause fire through the build-up of fluff. The company logged 54 fires related to this issue in recent years, including three in machines that had been modified, according to Michael Farrington, another executive.

Farrington said Whirlpool had moved from trying to fix the faulty dryers to replacing them with safe appliances free of charge. It is also offering customers discounted upgrades.

MPs also heard from a customer, Jemma Spurr, whose modified Hotpoint dryer caught fire last September while she was at home with her young children, causing significant damage to her house. She told MPs that the company was unresponsive when she tried to report the fire, and only managed to do so when she visited a Currys store, which sells the dryers.

She said she had never received an apology from Whirlpool nor a forensic report on the cause of the fire, and was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement, before receiving any compensation.

Noel apologised to her during the hearing. He said confidentiality agreements were required by insurers during settlements, but pledged to raise the issue with them when pressed by Rachel Reeves, chair of the BEIS committee.

The Whirlpool executives also promised to publish a full list of all faulty models on the company’s website by next week. When asked why the firm had not done this earlier, Noel said it had provided a model checker for customers and felt this was more useful than a long list.

Whirlpool has faced heavy criticism over its decision not to recall the machines despite the fire risk.

Commenting on the BEIS evidence session, Sue Davies, strategic policy adviser at the consumer group Which?, said Whirlpool had put corporate reputation ahead of public safety. She added: “If the safety of Whirlpool’s fire-risk tumble dryers cannot be assured, the secretary of state, Greg Clark, must step in and ensure that all potentially dangerous machines are immediately removed from people’s homes.”

Whirlpool said in a statement after the BEIS session: “The Office for Product Safety and Standards recently concluded a comprehensive year-long review of the dryer programme which confirmed that the modification is effective in resolving the issue.

“Safety is always our number one priority and we remain committed to resolving all unmodified dryers affected by this issue. As we updated the committee, we are expanding our recall campaign to include further options to encourage remaining consumers to come forward and remedy their unmodified appliances.”_**

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**Warning over Whirlpool danger dryers being sold online.

Fire-prone tumble dryers which are being recalled are being sold by third-party vendors on online marketplaces, a charity has warned.**

Relevant bit :
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**_Electrical Safety First said that eBay swiftly took down listings of these dangerous appliances, and conducted a broader search of the site, after the charity alerted it to cases of third-party sellers listing these products.

But it wants online marketplaces to ensure such items are not listed in the first place. To assist, the government must ensure there was a central recall database, it said.

This would help private sellers who might not realise that the product they were selling secondhand was actually unfit for sale.

“It is essential that mechanisms are put in place before an item is listed to ensure these items are safe,” said Martyn Allen, technical director at Electrical Safety First.

“Basic measures such as model numbers and serial numbers being made mandatory would allow marketplaces to block a listing going live and prevent a potentially dangerous product entering someone’s home.”

A Whirlpool spokeswoman said: "We wholly support initiatives to prevent products that are subject to safety notices being sold on the second hand market. This should never happen. We have been, and continue to, work with various online platforms to help achieve this._**

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**Danger tumble dryers : I’m sorry, says Whirlpool executive.

A senior Whirlpool executive has apologised to customers affected by the saga of dangerous tumble dryers > sold for 11 years > in the UK.** >


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Whirlpool is now launching a full recall of any remaining fire-prone dryers, nearly four years after first alerting people to the safety issue.

Speaking to the BBC, its vice-president Jeff Noel defended a decision not to recall dryers when the fault emerged.

Many cases had been dealt with “faster and sooner” by a safety fix, he said.

Engineers have been adding a fix to machines, but Mr Noel accepted that “expanded” efforts now needed to be made, adding that “we apologise for putting our customers through hardship”.

What should owners do now ?

More than five million affected machines were sold in the UK, under the Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline brands, between April 2004 and September 2015.

Anyone who thinks they bought one should call 0800 151 0905 or visit a dedicated website, being set up on Monday, to check if their dryer is affected. If it is on the recall list, they should stop using it and unplug it immediately.

They can then choose :

For the first time, a free replacement dryer with no extra charges for collection or disposal of the old machine.

A free, one-hour modification of the old machine.

A discounted upgrade to a higher specification model than the free replacement.

A partial refund of up to £150, with owners of older machines getting less than those with newer ones.

There are no plans for any extra measures for those machines which have already been modified, despite cases of some of them catching fire after they had been fixed.

‘Our home burnt down’

Graeme and Sue Garnham’s Guildford council home was gutted by fire while they were waiting for an engineer to modify their defective dryer.

“I was stood there in my bare feet, at the bottom of the alleyway, watching it all go up. The windows were popping out,” Mr Garnham said. “I just couldn’t talk.”

His wife said: “Thirty years of memories were gone. We don’t have any photos of our wedding anymore.”

Mrs Garnham, a healthcare assistant, and her husband, a cleaner, have been re-housed, but had to rely on the generosity of family and friends to replace damaged belongings.

“We had kept on saying we have got to get insurance, but we did not have the money,” Mrs Garnham said.

They have heard nothing from Whirlpool, but Mr Noel told the BBC: “My heart goes out to them. This is not the way I would have wanted to be treated.”

What was the issue ?

A fault in Whirlpool machines was blamed for at least 750 fires over an 11-year period, the government has said.

Whirlpool said it had logged 54 fires caused by fluff dropping from a collector by the drum onto the heating element in its tumble dryers in recent years.

Three of the fires were in machines that had been modified.

It argued that two official reviews, including one by the Office of Product Safety and Standards, had found the modification to be effective.

Although more than five million were sold, the company said the majority would have fallen out of use. It said it had resolved 1.7 million cases - a greater success rate than most recalls - and estimated that 500,000 affected dryers could still be in use. When pressed by MPs, it said some estimates had suggested as many as 800,000 remained in homes.

The recall, demanded by the government in an unprecedented move, came after nearly four years of the modification programme.

The official launch of the recall would be supported by a £1m advertising campaign aimed at raising awareness for remaining owners, the company said.

Was this an inherited problem ?

The safety concerns emerged after Whirlpool bought Italian white goods giant Indesit, which had manufactured the products, in 2014. Mr Noel said the company had conducted all the appropriate checks before buying Indesit, and had “done the right thing” by voluntarily alerting authorities to the safety problem which became clear after the acquisition.

“We bought the company [Indesit]. We own the company. The customers are ours and our responsibility,” he said.

He said that the company had to accept the resulting scrutiny, and had learned lessons along the way.

Consumer groups said that Whirlpool’s ability to deal with the problem had been found wanting.

“Whirlpool has failed to trace hundreds of thousands of fire-risk tumble dryers that could still be in people’s homes almost four years after this fault was first discovered, so we have serious doubts about the company’s ability to get these machines out of circulation now,” said Caroline Normand, from consumers’ association Which?.

It said the recall had only resulted from the threat of government action, and that ministers should keep the company and its campaign under scrutiny.

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The fire was started by a malfunctioning fridge-freezer on the fourth floor.

It spread rapidly up the building’s exterior, bringing fire and smoke to all the residential floors.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry > began on 14 September 2017 to investigate the causes of the fire, and other related issues.

Dodgy electrical appliances are one thing … 4,000 tower blocks are another ???

( There is NO law against housing disabled / vulnerable people above the ground floor … one on the 16th. floor at Grenfell Tower. Main HOUSING thread for all the revelations … so far ! )

Enough said ???

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The Guardian … Consumer Affairs … Question and answer :

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When the Whirlpool tumble dryer alert relating to machines at risk of bursting into flames was first announced about four years ago, I followed its advice to check the model and serial number on the company’s website. It was an Indesit, purchased in 2012, (model number IDCE 845 UK). The response was “no further action needed”. Since then I have used the dryer assuming it to be safe.

But following the recent official recall I decided to check again only to find that the model is, indeed, unsafe. The call handler at Whirlpool said the information would be passed to his supervisor. It was all rather nonchalant.

My concern is there may be many others who have had that false reassurance and won’t bother to check again. I was given no explanation about why the original check was misleading. However, given the large number of owners who have yet to come forward, could this be the reason ?

AK, Bingham, Nottinghamshire

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Earlier this month Whirlpool announced a national recall of about 500,000 potentially faulty machines which had not yet been modified – all sold under its Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline brands – after being ordered to do so by the government in June.

This was the latest twist in a story we have been following since November 2015 when the US-owned company issued a safety warning after some models under these brands had a fault that could make them catch fire. It then launched a programme to modify an estimated 3.8m machines, but the company faced criticism over its decision not to go ahead with a straightforward recall of models at risk of fire.

It initially told customers they could continue to use their tumble dryer while awaiting modification, provided it was not left unattended. But the Guardian revealed its change of advice in February 2017, when it told owners of the “at risk” machines to unplug the appliances and stop using them until they were repaired.

Whirlpool said it had logged 54 fires in its tumble dryers in recent years, and said three of the models involved had already been updated. Its latest figures revealed there have so far been 1.7m products modified.

Owners are now being given the choice of a free replacement, an upgrade to a superior model from £59, a repair or full refund dependent on the machine’s age.

We asked Whirlpool how someone like you could have fallen through the net.

It says: “We apologise for any distress caused by this situation. The safety of our customers is our top priority so we are deeply concerned by the point AK raises. We have investigated this as a matter of urgency and can confirm that the model AK owns is one of those subject to the recall. We have contacted her to ensure that her appliance is remedied. We have investigated the potential reasons for her appliance being initially identified as unaffected, but it is very difficult to determine the exact cause without evidence of the date inputted into the system.”

We asked Electrical Safety First (ESF) for its view. Chief executive Phil Buckle says: “While we’re yet to hear of any similar reports of dryers that have changed status in Whirlpool’s database from ‘safe’ to ‘affected’, the fact that one owner’s machine appears to have done so is concerning … ESF would urge any owners of Hotpoint, Indesit, Swan, Proline or Creda branded tumble dryers to double check their machines are safe with the model checker on the Whirlpool website, or over the phone on 0800 151 0905.”

If Whirlpool does find that its model checker at one point did not account for all affected models, it must communicate this clearly so that no consumers are left under the false presumption that their tumble dryer is safe.

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Whirlpool tumble dryer recall uncovers 65,000 dangerous machines.


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**_Some 65,000 fire-prone tumble dryers have been found during a recall campaign by Whirlpool, but hundreds of thousands still remain in UK homes.

The manufacturer extended its safety programme to offer free replacements in July after the regulator stepped in, four years after the issue emerged.

Dangerous dryers under the Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline brands were sold in the UK for 11 years.

Up to 800,000 were estimated to still be in use when the full recall began.

Machines were blamed for at least 750 fires over an 11-year period, the government has said. The fires have burnt out homes and destroyed possessions of victims - some of whom had no insurance.

Before the recall, Whirlpool primarily offered to modify affected dryers - a decision widely criticised by consumer and safety groups and which itself has led to concern over the safety of supposedly fixed machines.

What the full recall means for consumers

Anyone who thinks they bought a potentially dangerous dryer should call 0800 151 0905 or visit a dedicated website to check if their dryer is affected. If it is on the recall list, they should stop using it and unplug it immediately.

They can then choose :

A free replacement dryer with no extra charges for collection or disposal of the old machine.
A free, one-hour modification of the old machine.
A discounted upgrade to a higher specification model than the free replacement.
A partial refund of up to £150, with owners of older machines getting less than those with newer ones.

Since the start of the recall 65,000 affected dryers have been located, offers for a resolution have been made on 63,000 of them, with 42,000 of them having been repaired, replaced or refunded so far.

Whirlpool said it took a week, on average, for customers to receive a new dryer, modification, or refund from the point they make their choice. The majority (73%) had requested a replacement, the company said.

“Nothing matters more to us than people’s safety, so it is absolutely vital that we can identify where these affected dryers are and resolve the issue,” said Jeff Noel, Whirlpool vice-president.

" Our scary experience "

Engineer Mark Garner and his wife Deborah owned an affected dryer and were eventually given a replacement, marked with a green sticker to identify it as safe.

Then, one day, Deborah, who was in the kitchen near the dryer, smelt smoke and when she opened the dryer door she was met with a cloud of black smoke and could clearly see flames at the back of the dryer.

“The truly scary part is that, assuming this was a safe machine, it had been turned on the previous night as we went to bed,” said Mark.

They were offered a replacement machine for £99 but were so unhappy with the situation they chose a refund instead.

A letter arrived, with a cheque for £220 enclosed. The trouble was, the cheque was unsigned.

A signed cheque eventually arrived, two months after the incident, but only after calls to Whirlpool chasing them up for the money.

Initial response " Woeful "

Whirlpool said the number of owners with affected machines who had contacted the company since July amid a huge awareness campaign had risen sharply from fewer than 10,000 throughout the first half of the year.

It said its campaign over the past four years had resolved the issue for more than 1.7 million people, making it up to five times more successful than a typical product recall.

However, high-profile critics said that Whirlpool, as the owner of these brands, had a responsibility to deal with the situation adequately. Their initial response had been described as “woeful”.

Rachel Reeves, who chairs the influential Business Committee of MPs, told the BBC that - despite an improvement in Whirlpool’s handling of the case - concerns remained.

She said that the committee was worried about the number of potentially dangerous machines that remained in people’s homes, and that the modification process was “not as good as it should be”, with reports of supposedly safe dryers still catching fire - something with Whirlpool denies. It also wants policing of the second-hand market of white goods to be improved.

She added that the wider concerns were not helped by the lack of a fully independent product safety regulator._**

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Per BBC news you can phone Whirpool on Saturdays!

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Did you know that Whirlpool is recalling some of the tumble dryers sold under its Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline brands?

If you think you might have a tumble dryer from one of these brands, you can check whether it needs to be recalled by calling > 0800 151 0905 > or clicking on the button below. Please note that appliances under the Whirlpool brand are not affected.

https://dryerrecall.whirlpool.co.uk/

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**Whirlpool " Silenced customers " amid tumble dryer fire scare.

Whirlpool used " Chilling " non-disclosure agreements “to silence customers” while fire-prone tumble dryers remained in UK homes, MPs say.**


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The manufacturer deflected concerns and was too slow to fix the fire danger, which first emerged four years ago, the Commons business committee said.

A truly independent product safety agency needed to be created, it added.

Whirlpool said its campaign to fix or replace machines was five times more successful than usual product recalls.
The fire risk

Dangerous dryers under the Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline brands were sold in the UK for 11 years from 2004. They were blamed for a spate of fires after a build up of fluff fell onto the machine’s heating element.

Whirlpool initially offered to modify affected dryers - a decision widely criticised by consumer and safety groups, and which itself has led to concern over the safety of supposedly fixed machines.

It started a full recall, which includes offering a free replacement dryer, in July after the regulator stepped in.

Up to 800,000 machines were estimated to still be in use when the full recall began - a figure which the committee described as “astonishing”.

Rachel Reeves, who chairs the committee, said: "Whirlpool’s response to fixing safety flaws in its tumble dryers has too often owed more to PR management than to taking the practical steps to make its machines safe for customers.

“The Whirlpool tumble dryer saga has dragged on for far too long, leaving customers, now four years on, still fearing they may have potentially unsafe tumble dryers in their homes. Whirlpool has failed to live up to the duties it owes to its customers.”

Whirlpool said 102,600 consumers had registered their affected machine since the recall launched in July. The company said these machines had been fixed or replaced within an average of 10 days.

Jeff Noel, vice-president of Whirlpool, said: “Through our ongoing campaign, we have resolved this potential safety issue - which concerns tumble dryers produced by the previous owner of the company - for more than 1.75 million people. This is up to five times the average success rate for a product recall in the UK.”

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" It is an absolute sham "

Andy Gibb used to swear by the Hotpoint brand, which had made all the white goods in his home when he was growing up.

As a result, when he bought a tumble dryer in 2005, it was a Hotpoint. He looked after it, regularly cleaning the filter, and it is still in his home. The trouble is, it is on the list as a potential fire hazard.

The 47-year-old from Liverpool contacted Whirlpool four years ago after it came up on the list of affected models. When he chased them up, the company said their records showed it had replaced the machine in 2016, but he says they have never been to his home.

“It is an absolute sham. At no time has it been replaced or repaired under the safety recall,” he said.

He told Whirlpool: “Your records are inaccurate, and I would dread to see how many other customers have been treated exactly the same.”

After being questioned about the case by the BBC, a Whirlpool spokesman said: "We sincerely apologise to Mr Gibb for any inconvenience caused and we will resolve the situation for him immediately.

“It appears that due to a data entry error, our records incorrectly showed that his affected dryer had previously been replaced. We have put steps in place to prevent a situation like this happening again.”

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The committee said that Whirlpool had used non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) on 24 occasions, asking those affected to sign them.

They included Jemma Spurr who told the committee in July that she had never received the report on the cause of her fire, or an apology from the company.

The committee said: “It is disgraceful that Whirlpool made customers who had been victims of fires involving its products sign NDAs in order to receive compensation to which they were entitled. Its treatment of Jemma Spurr was lamentable, though we welcome their subsequent apology.”

Its report also calls for the establishment of an independent arms-length body, like the Food Standards Agency, equipped with a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions to oversee product safety.

The current, relatively new, Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) was in danger of being a toothless regulator, it said.

Caroline Normand, from consumer group Which?, welcomed the call, saying: “We need to see swift changes to stop corporations getting away with putting their reputations ahead of public safety.”

Other recommendations from the committee included:

A regulator to tackle dangerous second-hand and illegal electrical goods being sold online.

A national injury database and a comprehensive registration and recall hub.

Indelible marking for electrical goods, to identify them after a fire, in a similar system to cars.

“A centralised recall database would form part of the solution in ensuring people are not left in the dark as to whether a dangerous product is in their home,” said Martyn Allen, technical director of charity Electrical Safety First.

“Our own research has found that consumers believe registering appliances is an inconvenient process, and the recommendation of registering at the point of purchase could help tackle the relatively low number of registered electrical items in the UK.”

A spokesman for the Department for Business, which oversees the OPSS, said: “Without the intervention by the government’s OPSS, the recall of Whirlpool tumble dryers simply would not have happened.”

He added that Whirlpool’s response to the situation would be kept under review.

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What the full recall means for consumers>
Anyone who thinks they bought a potentially dangerous dryer should call 0800 151 0905 or visit a dedicated website to check if their dryer is affected. If it is on the recall list, they should stop using it and unplug it immediately.

They can then choose:

A free replacement dryer with no extra charges for collection or disposal of the old machine.

A free, one-hour modification of the old machine.

A discounted upgrade to a higher specification model than the free replacement.

A partial refund of up to £150, with owners of older machines getting less than those with newer ones.

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Whirlpool washing machine danger revealed as recall launched.

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Half a million washing machines in UK homes are to be recalled, plunging manufacturer Whirlpool into a fresh saga over dangerous appliances.

The machines, branded as Hotpoint or Indesit, were sold for more than five years, but their door locking system can overheat creating the risk of fire.

Owners face the prospect of doing without hot washes for months until products are fixed or replaced.

Whirlpool was already reeling after problems with fire-prone dryers.

It was heavily criticised for its initial response when more than five million tumble dryers, sold over 11 years, were found to be a fire danger. It only launched a full recall for that issue after four years, following an intervention by the regulator. This time it has gone straight to a recall.

What is the new problem?

Some, about 20%, of the Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines sold since 2014 are affected by the fault. Up to 519,000 washing machines sold in the UK are involved.

Seventy-nine fires are thought to have been caused by the fault which develops over time, according to Whirlpool, which owns the brands.

“When the heating element in the washing machine is activated, in very rare cases a component in the door lock system can overheat, which, depending on product features, can pose a risk of fire,” Whirlpool said.

The extra current that runs through the machine when the heating element is on can cause the door locking system to overheat.

The company said the issue had been identified by its safety team, but had led to fires, although none had been significant enough to cause more than minor damage or cause any serious injuries.

What should I do if I think I own one?

Whirlpool has set up a model checker online. Owners of Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines bought since October 2014 will need to enter the model and serial number of their appliance - found inside the door or on the back - to see if it is one of those affected.

There is also a free helpline, open every day, available on > 0800 316 1442.

If affected, to eliminate any risk, the appliance should be unplugged and not used until it repaired in their home by a trained engineer, Whirlpool said. As an alternative, those affected will also be offered a replacement with a safe model.

Owners can check and register for a repair or replacement now. Vulnerable customers will be prioritised, but for others it may be organised on a first come, first served basis.

When will affected machines be fixed or replaced?

The process will not begin until early January, at the earliest, and the company would not be drawn on when everyone’s case will be dealt with.

As a result, it could be months, not just during Christmas, that owners will have to cope without their washing machine. The company is refusing to offer refunds for affected machines to allow people to buy another appliance straight away, leaving it open to further criticism.

Instead, Whirlpool suggested owners could still use the machine but with a vastly reduced risk, by only using the cold wash cycle at 20C or less. This means the heating element would not be activated, avoiding the problem that had been identified.

Jeff Noel, vice president of Whirlpool, said: “We know this will cause some concern. We especially understand that the washing machine is so important to family life, and in Christmas holiday season it will be even more of an important matter and, for that, we apologise.”

He added that the firm’s customer service department was being built up, engineers hired, and delivery and collection capability stepped up for the January start.

The recall only affects UK and Ireland homes at the moment. The products were manufactured in Turkey and Poland.
Is this connected to the recall of Hotpoint and Indesit tumble dryers?

Whirlpool has been embroiled in a four-year scandal over tumble dryer safety. Dangerous appliances under the Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline brands were sold in the UK for 11 years from 2004.

They were blamed for a spate of fires after a build up of fluff fell onto the machine’s heating element. Whirlpool initially offered to modify affected dryers, only recently turning the offer into a full recall, with partial refund or replacement dryer.

The fire at Grenfell Tower started “in or around” a Hotpoint fridge-freezer in flat 16 on the fourth floor, the public inquiry into the tragedy has heard.

None of these three issues are connected, and Whirlpool said it was conducting the recall of up to 519,000 washing machines because safety was a priority.

Whirlpool has told the regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), about the problem and its recall plans. >

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**Furious customers brand Whirlpool UK ‘the biggest disgrace ever’ as website is STILL down a day after firm recalls half a million washing machines and tells owners to unplug over Christmas.

_Half a million families were yesterday warned not to use their washing machines.

Whirlpool offering free repairs and replacements – but not until after Christmas.

Today customers raged as the American company’s website remained crashed._**

Furious customers brand Whirlpool UK 'the biggest disgrace ever' | Daily Mail Online

Any reader still with one of these ?

A fire extinguisher for Christmas might be a good investment ?

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It’s getting worse !

Whirlpool UK customer tweets video of SMOKE pouring from machine and warns her model is > NOT > on recall list - as thousands of furious owners battle for answers on phone after firm’s website crashes

Furious customers brand Whirlpool UK 'the biggest disgrace ever' | Daily Mail Online

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A Whirlpool UK customer today tweeted footage of smoke pouring from her washing machine as she warned the model was not on the recall list - as thousands battled for answers on the phone after the firm’s website crashed.

The video, posted by Vicci Marshall on Sunday, showed an Indesit machine full of washing with smoke coming out of the open door after it had been turned off. She tweeted today: ‘Luckily I was stood next to it. Check your machines!’

Whirlpool released a list yesterday of dozens of recalled Hotpoint and Indesit appliances that have been found responsible for 79 household fires and ten injuries - but will not be given free repairs and replacements until January. Customers will also not be entitled to refunds.

The US company was today branded ‘the biggest disgrace ever’ as its website remains down a day after the firm recalled half a million washing machines and told owners to unplug them over Christmas.

It comes just months after Whirlpool was forced to recall thousands of tumble dryers after they were also linked to dozens of fires. >

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Whirlpool: MPs call on washing machine firm to offer swift refunds.

Whirlpool: MPs call on washing machine firm to offer swift refunds - BBC News

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MPs have called on Whirlpool to offer refunds or “swift compensation” as it recalls 519,000 washing machines.

A cross-party group on consumer protection said customers had been “severely let down” owing to the delay until machines are fixed or replaced.

The former head of the Commons Business Committee has also demanded the company give refunds to those who want them.

But the company said its priority was to ensure potentially dangerous appliances were removed from homes.

About 20% of the Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines sold since 2014 are affected by a safety fault. Up to 519,000 washing machines sold in the UK need to be recalled, a process that will start in early January.

Seventy-nine fires are thought to have been caused by an overheating door locking system, a fault which develops over time, according to Whirlpool, which owns the brands


_Advice for owners

Whirlpool has set up a model checker online. Owners of Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines bought since October 2014 will need to enter the model and serial number of their appliance - found inside the door or on the back - to see if it is one of those affected.

There is also a free helpline, open every day, available on 0800 316 1442._