The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued an urgent safety warning over 85,000 tumble dryers that pose a serious fire risk – and owners are advised to stop using them immediately
An urgent safety alert has been issued due to a serious fire risk associated with integrated heat pump tumble dryers, a common household item.
- Haier has acknowledged that up to 85,000 machines currently in use may need immediate safety repairs.
- The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has advised households with the affected appliances to cease using them straight away. If the plug is reachable, it should be switched off and unplugged.
- Brands impacted include Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Lamona, Iberna, and Montpellier. Owners are encouraged to verify their model and serial number online and get in touch with the manufacturer to organise a repair. You can check here.
- Earlier this year, Haier initiated a corrective action programme covering 103,000 affected machines. However, OPSS instructed the company to suspend its initial repair programme due to concerns about the modification still being unsafe.
- Following an updated solution, Haier has recommenced contacting customers and scheduling repairs.
- The company is initially focusing on machines that were previously modified, before tackling the remaining 85,000 appliances that continue to pose a fire risk. OPSS warns that an internal short circuit can occur during normal operation, potentially causing the tumble dryer to catch fire.
- OPSS further confirmed that owners should not operate affected appliances under any circumstances until a repair has been carried out.
