It sits there, in your kitchen or laundry room, white and square and harmless looking. But behind the casing of your tumble dryer could be an accident waiting to happen! If you have a Hotpoint, Indesit or Creda appliance it could be at risk of bursting into flames. Find out whether your machine is a fire risk and what to do if it is.

What’s the Fault?

Back in November 2015 we first blogged about these potentially faulty tumble dryers. A design flaw had been identified where excess lint could come into contact with the heating element. The result? Your tumble dryer turning into a flaming, fiery inferno.

Later, in October 2016 several flats in Shepherd’s Bush were destroyed in a raging fire caused by one of these faulty tumble dryers that took 120 firefighters to extinguish. But there are still some tumble dryer owners unaware of the risks!

As we’re coming back into tumble drying season we wanted to send out a reminder to you all to check your tumble dryer model and book a free modification if necessary with Whirlpool Group (owner of the affected brands). If you prefer, Whirlpool is also offering reduced price replacements.

Is Your Tumble Dryer Affected?

You can check online whether your Hotpoint or Indesit machine is a fire risk; just follow the instructions to check your model.

If you prefer to call, you can ring 0800 151 0905.

What Should You Do?

If your dryer is affected Whirlpool advises you not to use the faulty appliance at all until a repair engineer has fixed the fire risk.

Instead, contact your dryer manufacturer via the aforementioned number or their website to book in the modification to your machine.

How to Minimise Tumble Dryer Fire Risks

• Clean the lint filter every time you run your dryer and vacuum the filter housing regularly.
• Make sure you have a working smoke detector in the same room as your dryer.
• If you notice your appliance becoming less efficient, take off the sides and vacuum away all lint build up.
• Vented dryers only: Check the vent hose and vents are clear of lint and debris.
• Follow the advice in the instruction manual.
• Always unplug the machine before carrying out any repairs.

Tumble dryer maintenance is always important, but it’s especially vital to get faulty machines fixed. Stay safe, book a repair as soon as possible and always use your household appliances carefully.

If your tumble dryer has a fault unrelated to the above product flaw we can help with that too! Check out our playlist of tumble dryer videos on YouTube to diagnose, repair and maintain your machine.

Tags: Fire Risk, Safety Notice, Tumble Dryer