Hotpoint have issued a safety warning urging customers to ‘unplug’ their tumble dryers.
The makers of Hotpoint and Indesit have warned customers not to use their tumble dryers if they are subject to a recall.
Indesit said the advice comes following a safety review of their products, which “identified a potential concern with two types of tumble dryers manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015.”
The affected brands are:
Hotpoint
Indesit
Creda
In some cases, excess fluff can come into contact with the heating element and present a fire risk.
The company, which has acquired Hotpoint and Indesit brands, advised customers to “unplug” affected tumble dryers and “do not use it” until they are modified by an engineer.
Whirlpool tumble driers are not affected by the safety announcement.
Hotpoint said, “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.
Trading Standards confirmed, following an internal review by independent experts, that the modification programme remains the most effective way of resolving this issue. As a result, we will continue with our efforts to provide consumers with a free of charge modification as quickly as possible.”
Hotpoint have also said they are activating a “service action plan in order to provide our consumers with products that are updated to higher safety and quality standards.”
Responding to new safety advice issued by Whirlpool on faulty tumble dryers awaiting repair, the Local Government Association said:
“While this change in advice is sensible, it should have been issued far sooner, as this would have lowered the risk of affected tumble dryers catching fire and ultimately, putting people’s lives in serious danger.
For needless months, consumers have been playing ‘Russian roulette’ with at-risk tumble dryers prone to bursting into flames and destroying homes.
It is a shame that it has taken enforcement notices from Trading Standards, pressure from a consumer group and lobbying from the LGA to change the advice which now advises owners of potentially dangerous machines to unplug and stop using them until they are repaired.”
To find out if your tumble dryer is affected click here.
