Check your tumble dryer (fire-risk)

4068ac1elhodqr · 25-11-2015 4:40pm #1

In the news today, numerous models affected, still usable (with precaution).
The Service Engineers will be busy for a good few months anyway. More info here.

Following Whirlpool's acquisition of the Hotpoint/Indesit brands, Indesit Company has closely reviewed the safety of its product portfolio.

As part of this review we have identified a potential concern with two types of tumble dryers manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015. In some rare cases, excess fluff can come into contact with the heating element and present a risk of fire.

We are activating an extensive consumer outreach and service action plan in order to provide our consumers with products that are updated to higher safety and quality standards. We will arrange a visit from an engineer, free of charge, to modify your appliance. The service call will take approximately one hour. The improvements we believe are necessary will further enhance the safety and quality of your dryer.

In the meantime consumers may continue to use their products, provided that appliances are not left unattended whilst operating. We also remind customers of the need for proper cleaning and maintenance, as outlined in the user manual.

Condenser and vented dryers affected:

Hotpoint
Indesit
Creda

Euro-wide Model checker (for all affected brands) http://safety.hotpoint.eu/match.jsp

The model number should be on the front, else on the inside door of the appliance.

L1011 · 25-11-2015 6:12pm

If you clean the fluff filter after every go this shouldn't be much of an issue. My partner, however, needs to be nearly shot to take the sodding fluff out and I had to do a severe extraction when I found out they hadn't done it much so will definitely be checking the model number at home; as it is an Indesit.

dubscottie · 27-11-2015 12:04am

The London Fire Brigade posted up a link on twitter that lets you check most product recalls.

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/product-recalls.asp

Lots of tumble driers going up recently..

4068ac1elhodqr · 27-11-2015 4:30am

The LFB site looks a bit dated, best to run dryer model number through the 'official dedicated site': http://safety.hotpoint.eu/

Affected dryer models were sold on both the Ire & UK marketplace, bought between April 2004 and October 2015.
The company said that the tumble dryers could still be used but should not if they were left unattended.
Probably involves 100's of thousands of models, someone called it the 'vw scandal equivalent' within the white-goods world.

Cheap replica iPhone chargers are of common knowledge as being fire-risks, but hoverboards were just added this month also as very hazardous during charging, Dublin port this week turned away hundreds of them. Seen a few bearded hipsters out on them last week, do look handy for whizzing around the place.

Jamakazi · 28-11-2015 4:25pm

I have one of the dodgy ones, typical!
Got the news when I checked the above Hotpoint site, having read about the problem on a news site. They advised by email that they will be in touch within 5 weeks and that it's safe to use the appliance once you continue to clean the filter after every use, which I do anyway, and never leave it unattended.

Annoying, though, it does make me feel like it's a bit of a liability.
I bought mine around this time last year in Currys/PC World in Blanchardstown, so obviously it's going to be a big issue in Ireland too

Cabaal · 28-11-2015 5:12pm

To be honest leaving a tumble dryer on while not in the house (or while asleep) and never cleaning a filter is a silly thing to do,

Jamakazi · 28-11-2015 5:43pm

There is still an issue with these though even if you do everything right so you can use them with caution but must register with the site for an engineers visit.
From what I read there's a problem with lint getting into the motor so it sounds like a design flaw.

4068ac1elhodqr · 28-11-2015 8:33pm

Mention in today's paper of problems with them even when switched off after use, whereby heated lint near the heating elements can ignite.

Responsible for x750 house fires over the last 11yrs in the UK. No soup / end of year bonus times for the QA team.

Stinicker · 29-11-2015 12:49am

I recently took apart my own dryer to fix a noisy bearing on the motor, they are built so cheaply and they are very shoddy. I gave it all a decent hoover out but after what I saw inside with the bad design and potential risk there is a new rule in our house that the dryer is not to be left on unless someone is at home at all times. I'll move the bloody thing out into the Garage after the new year alongside the washing machine which I threw out of the kitchen due to the noise it made spinning last year.

jimmycrackcorm · 02-12-2015 10:20pm

Cabaal wrote:

To be honest leaving a tumble dryer on while not in the house (or while asleep) and never cleaning a filter is a silly thing to do,

The filter in my dryer has gaps letting fluff through

4068ac1elhodqr · 03-12-2015 3:07pm

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

The filter in my dryer has gaps letting fluff through

Same here, the mesh barely lasted 1yr, before holes appeared. Hope the chap in the service van has plenty of spare parts when he 'eventually' calls round.

Have smoke, extinguishers and Co2 alarms around garage just in casey.

L1011 · 03-12-2015 3:19pm

If its a drum-out job I'm tempted to give him the new spindle/washers/etc I have left over from the bearing kit I had to fit and get the lot done...

Extremely cheaply built kit; but then again it was extremely cheap.

mickdw · 03-12-2015 3:24pm

We have a Phillips tumbler that was bought slightly used 35 years ago.
It go a new belt about 5 years ago.
No other issues.
They don't build them like that anymore.

_Whimsical_ · 02-02-2016 8:32pm

A few months ago details were released of a serious fault with some Indesit, Hotpoint and Creda driers that can lead to fire and are unsafe to leave alone while in operation. At the time they offered to fix that fault for people affected who register online. However now in the UK they've changed that offer and consumers who have one of these machines can avail of the chance to buy a new drier at 1/3rd of normal price. If your drier ison the older side this might be a good offer for you.
It takes upto 12 weeks after registering your drier to have your case dealt with. Might be worth regging now if you're affected.
If your drier is less than 12 months old they'll give you a new one.

You can check if your model is affected and reg on the website for the brand name you have.

4068ac1elhodqr · 08-02-2016 3:52pm

Anyone can haggle a good deal on a new dryer, 30% savings could probably be got on from a 'better manufacturer' during a typical sale.

I registered the fault with them in November, now they're saying I have to wait until May, for someone just to take a look at it, 7 months!
Now they want me to buy a new one from them, as if.

https://safety.hotpoint.eu/status

4068ac1elhodqr · 08-02-2016 3:53pm

Anyone can haggle a good deal on a new dryer, 30% savings could probably be got on from a 'better manufacturer' during a typical sale.

I registered the fault with them in November, now they're saying I have to wait until May, for someone just to take a look at it, 7 months!
Now they want me to buy a new one from them, as if.

https://safety.hotpoint.eu/status

4068ac1elhodqr · 08-02-2016 3:54pm

Waiting time is 7 months, seven months!
Before a technical is available to fix this fire hazard white box.

https://safety.hotpoint.eu/status

_Whimsical_ · 08-02-2016 4:10pm

It was featured again today on This Morning. They had a story of a family who registered their dryer in Nov and were still waiting for the engineer when their house burned to the ground on Saturday from fire in the dryer. The family were in the house when it happened but the fire took hold too quick and they could do nothing. The pictures showed their home entirely burned to the ground.

There is a Hotpoint drier recall facebook group and people have rang their home insurance companies to ask if they'd be covered in the event of a fire and the answer is NO. If there is a recall due to safety you are responsible if you use the defective drier. This is probably particularly true if you've registered as there is proof you were aware of the fault. The UK electricity networks are asking that people stop using the dryers immediately for this reason.

I've tried tweeting Hotpoint Ireland but got no reply. Anyone else had any better success?

4068ac1elhodqr · 08-02-2016 4:16pm

Looking at a 7 month wait from Nov15 - May16.

It's probably closer to x750 house fires in the uk started by these faulty goods.

You'd be quicker getting the new filters and upgraded replacement heating elements online from amazon/china and replacing yourself, but then the warranty/insurance would then become void.

Thargor · 08-02-2016 4:21pm

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

It was featured again today on This Morning. They had a story of a family who registered their dryer in Nov and were still waiting for the engineer when their house burned to the ground on Saturday from fire in the dryer. The family were in the house when it happened but the fire took hold too quick and they could do nothing. The pictures showed their home entirely burned to the ground.

There is a Hotpoint drier recall facebook group and people have rang their home insurance companies to ask if they'd be covered in the event of a fire and the answer is NO. If there is a recall due to safety you are responsible if you use the defective drier. This is probably particularly true if you've registered as there is proof you were aware of the fault. The UK electricity networks are asking that people stop using the dryers immediately for this reason.

I've tried tweeting Hotpoint Ireland but got no reply. Anyone else had any better success?

Wonder what they'll do? Sue the company I suppose, any more info on this family?

jno547 · 08-02-2016 4:34pm

Just checked mine and yep it's also on the hazard list,registered it online and am now off to where I bought it to let them know also.

_Whimsical_ · 08-02-2016 4:55pm

Thargor wrote: »

Wonder what they'll do? Sue the company I suppose, any more info on this family?

Someone on that group posted this to facebook which is a recording of the piece that was on TV this morning.People outside the UK can't see This Morning videos online it seems. You can hear it but can't see the full extent of the damage. The presenter of the piece explains the gravity of the situation well though. It's only 4 mins.

https://www.facebook.com/tgarnham1/videos/10153518589647517/

Seems now on the fb page some insurers are saying they'll cover it, some are saying no and others are saying if you have legal assist as an extra on your policy they'll "aid" you taking a case against Hotpoint but won't cover your damage themselves.

Someone else had a fire this weekend waiting for their repair and posted the photo too : CasGLaHW8AAd647.jpg:small

L1011 · 08-02-2016 5:04pm

Had to open mine to replace the spindle and bearing at the rear - another severe design fault as it eats through them.

Fluff had entered the heater element and had burnt; just not enough to set a full fire. Cleaned out fully and the OH has been shouted at for never cleaning the damn filter properly.

Cheap heap was being replaced this year with a better built and better featured unit even before I saw how hideously cheap it was inside; slightly accelerating that now!

jno547 · 08-02-2016 5:20pm

Email from Hotpoint saying I'll be contacted within 8 weeks to arrange a repair visit.

8 weeks for a potential fire hazard!!!!!
8 hours would seem too long for me if this was being taken seriously.

_Whimsical_ · 08-02-2016 5:21pm

L1011 wrote: »

Had to open mine to replace the spindle and bearing at the rear - another severe design fault as it eats through them.

Fluff had entered the heater element and had burnt; just not enough to set a full fire. Cleaned out fully and the OH has been shouted at for never cleaning the damn filter properly.

!

Might not be your OHs fault as some people who have cleaned and hoovered the filter and the gap it goes in everyday have had fires!Fluff in the element is the issue.

They think one may be linked to a fatal fire now. :mad:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/tumble-dryer-suspected-causing-fatal-10856139

4068ac1elhodqr · 08-02-2016 8:24pm

jno547 wrote: »

Email from Hotpoint saying I'll be contacted within 8 weeks to arrange a repair visit.

8 weeks for a potential fire hazard!!!!!
8 hours would seem too long for me if this was being taken seriously.

8 weeks to get a response or update perhaps, it may be more like '6 months' to actually get someone in a van to visit and spend 20mins replacing the faulty parts. They'll only do this when they're designated in a particular area so could be a bit of a postcode/area lottery really.

jno547 · 08-02-2016 8:47pm

Lucian Unkempt Mobster wrote:

8 weeks to get a response or update perhaps, it may be more like '6 months' to actually get someone in a van to visit and spend 20mins replacing the faulty parts. They'll only do this when they're designated in a particular area so could be a bit of a postcode/area lottery really.

Was afraid of that.

_Whimsical_ · 09-02-2016 4:01pm

Having had a look on the Irish hotpoint twitter account they seem to be offering just repair to us. In the UK repaired dryers have caught fire. Might be a good idea if we could all hassle them on twitter or facebook and make them feel some heat? (irony duely noted).

_Whimsical_ · 12-02-2016 1:35am

So after being a bit of a nuisance on twitter I got a call offering me the new dryer for 99 pounds. Anyone else ?

Lumi · 12-02-2016 2:46pm

Thanks _Whimsical_
Mine is on the hazard list too. I've just started to pester them on Twitter so hopefully I get a similar result.

_Whimsical_ · 14-02-2016 1:27am

Lumi wrote: »

Thanks _Whimsical_
Mine is on the hazard list too. I've just started to pester them on Twitter so hopefully I get a similar result.

Lumi I hope you do, however one caveat, make sure you find out what model machine they are offering you. It seems in some parts of the UK they're charging people 99 pounds to deliver an old machine that they have fixed in the same way they'd fix your machine for free if they came to your house. The old fault is still an issue however and these "new" machines are going on fire too. Also some people have had their home insurance confirm that they will not cover them in the event of a fire even if the machine is "fixed" to Hotpoint's satisfaction. The bad machines are marked with a green dot sticker so refuse to take any machine with a green dot sticker on it.
This is one is the one that's supposed to be safe that they're selling for 99 pounds : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hotpoint-TDWSF83BEP-Condenser-Dryer-White/dp/B01ABWX1PM

It's really a disgrace!

Check your tumble dryer (fire-risk)

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