Whirlpool Recalling Tumble Dryers For Safety Issues

Why is there a recall?

In 2015, Whirpool revealed that millions of tumble dryers were potentially dangerous.  The company’s managers found something worrying with some models of dryers.

What is causing the problem?

Excess fluff or lint could travel from the filter over time to the back of the machine and end up touching the heating element and causing a fire. This design problem seemed to have existed for years. Then In November 2015, Whirlpool issued a notice revealing there were risks with 5.3 million dryers sold across the UK between April 2004 and September 2015.The dryers had been made by Indesit and sold under the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands. Subsequently, models under the Swan and Proline brands were added to the list. They were also found in Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. When Whirlpool revealed the problem, it did not immediately tell owners to stop using their dryers nor did it quickly offer refunds or new models. Instead of a full recall, the company announced a repair programme, in agreement with trading standards officers. Whirlpool would send a trained engineer to visit homes and modify machines by adding a widget so the fluff and the heating element never came into contact – a one-hour job. The company sent nine million letters to four million owners, followed up with calls and messages to those who did not respond. It placed adverts and worked with landlords and consumer groups.

What are Whirlpool saying?

Last week Whirlpool Vice President Jeff Noel released a statement saying ” Safety is our top priority and tackling the issue with our tumble dryers has been one of the biggest challenges we have ever faced. We value our customers more than anything and we recognise that we let many of you down. You deserved better from us and for this we apologise to you all” he announced that To help them achieve safety they are redoubling the efforts of this campaign by issuing a full recall of all unmodified dryers. That means anyone with an unmodified dryer is entitled to a free replacement, a free modification, a refund based on the age of their appliance, or the opportunity to upgrade to a superior model for a fraction of the retail price.For anyone who still has an unmodified dryer, please call us immediately on 0800 151 0905 or visit safety.hotpoint.eu/dryercheck.

What can I do if i think im at risk?

On the Hotpoint website it will ask you a some questions regarding your appliance in particular information about the year of purchase which allows the system see if your machine has the modifications or not on it to check if your machine is safe.

MCL Feel This is important to highlight and would encourage anyway to check their tumble dryer and call hotpoint if they are unsure about their appliance!