Whirlpool to immediately issue full product recall of 800,000 fire risk tumble dryers

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has announced that Whirlpool will issue a full product recall of all unmodified tumble dryers from consumers’ homes. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The intervention follows a review by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), where, on 4 June it notified Whirlpool of their intention to serve a Recall Notice of as many as 800,000 remaining unmodified tumble dryers still in use.  ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Consumer Affairs Minister, Kelly Tolhurst, said: “I want to reassure consumers that we are doing everything we can to ensure consumers with unmodified machines are made aware and have their tumble dryer replaced.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Whirlpool has committed to implement the recall plan as of 11 July, with the publicity campaign starting on 22 July. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The Recall Notice states that any consumer with an unmodified, affected Whirlpool tumble dryer will be entitled to a new replacement machine, which will be delivered, installed with the old one removed, at no cost. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

A refund based on product age or a modification will be available to consumers who do not want to take up the offer of a replacement dryer. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The move comes more than three-and-a-half years after an investigation by consumer champion Which? revealed that Whirlpool tumble dryers had caused 750 fires in the previous 11 years. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Which? research revealed the scale of the problem, which affects 127 Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline vented and condenser tumble dryers made between April 2004 and October 2015. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Chief Executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Leon Livermore, said: “This is great news for consumers and I welcome the work of the Office. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

We have campaigned for many years alongside other consumer groups to have these unsafe machines removed from the homes of consumers. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

It’s been a challenge but I want to reiterate to everybody the importance of registering your appliance so any safety notices can reach you quickly to keep your home, you and your loved ones safe.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Check your model here: https://safety.hotpoint.eu/controller?a=pr&country=UK&lang=en_GB ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​