Despite manufacturers’ best intentions, appliances sometimes have faults. Some are minor. Unfortunately, some are not. If you’ve seen the damage that an appliance fire can cause, you’ll already know full well that the consequences can be devastating.
The issue of appliance faults has been in the media far more in the last year because of high-profile recalls and tragedies. Investigators discovered that the Grenfell Tower disaster was caused by a faulty Hotpoint fridge freezer. Since 2015, the company has been wrestling with a massive tumble dryer recall after it discovered that lint in the machines can ignite.
Faulty appliances
According to Which?, faulty appliances cause 60 fires per week in the UK alone. Some will be minor; some will destroy homes and lives. It’s frightening to think that your white goods could cause devastation and damage, even while you sleep. But thankfully, the UK has come a long way in the last two years, and the government is putting measures in place to make fires less likely.
Progress on Appliance Recalls
The figures that Which? quotes do sound scary, but it’s important to keep them in perspective. Manufacturers have a responsibility to deal with safety problems, and most do so efficiently. Catastrophic fires are, thankfully, rare.
But sometimes recalls taking place slowly, most notably in the high-profile Hotpoint dryer recall case. That’s why the UK government has also set up a new department, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, to deal with these situations more rapidly in the future.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards will ensure that product recalls are properly resourced and managed, reducing the risk that faulty units are used by families unaware of the risk. It will also link up with Trading Standards and local councils, without diminishing in any way the responsibilities that manufacturers have to quickly and efficiently recall risky products.
How to Avoid Damage from Faulty Appliances
There are things that you can do to minimise the damage that appliances can do. In theory, any item within the home is a fire risk, so this advice is not limited to tumble dryers and fridge freezers:
- Buy goods made to the correct standards. Many online stores sell imported goods, from tablet PCs to basic power adapters. Don’t be lured in by low prices; check that these goods have a genuine CE mark; you can see an example of a fake mark here.
- Register your device with the manufacturer. You may get an extended warranty if you do this. But crucially, it means that the manufacturer can contact you if a fault is discovered with the design.
- Be vigilant. Regularly check appliances and plug sockets for damage and tell-tale scorch marks. If you do find anything suspicious, take photos and unplug the equipment, then contact the manufacturer for advice.
- Maintain appliances properly. Carry out all maintenance tasks that are recommended in the manual, such as removing lint from dryers and removing food debris from your oven.
- Unplug devices. When you aren’t using a device, unplug it when practical to do so. This is particularly important when you’re not at home.
- Organise repairs quickly. If your appliance develops a fault, don’t use it. Get a repair quote right away if it’s outside its warranty period. We recommend that you insure all the electrical goods that you buy so that repair costs are covered if anything goes wrong.
Manufacturers bear the ultimate responsibility in ensuring that our appliances are safe. But by registering products and carrying out basic safety checks, owners can also proactively protect themselves against faults, as well as the cost of keeping their goods in working order.