Owners of large air-vented dryers and condensing dryers under the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands may need to have them fixed. It affects nearly all dryers bought between April 2004 and October 2015. Saw this on the local new yesterday, a local family have lost their house. So went and checked our machine and it is affected. The manufacturer is saying it's OK to continue using it, just don't leave it unattended! Hmmm - we think it's best to get a new machine this weekend, but not one of the Whirlpool brands: Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35483330
I've never liked tumble dryers for this resson, i've never owned one a never will How many people but them on then go to work
If checking your local fire services website/twitter feed showing all their call outs, you'll realise just how many fires are caused by tumble driers, fridge/freezers and wheelie bins. Tumble driers also cost extra money to buy, install, repair and run, washing lines are much cheaper but occasionally need replacing, throwing clothes on bushes to dry cheapest of all.
We also have one. We are waiting for them to replace it with a new like for like. The problem only exists if you don't clean the fluff from the filter regularly as the fire risk is close to this area. We still use ours when needed ,but I certainly wouldn't leave it running when out of the house.
I have a tumble dryer, but not one of the above and I would never turn it on before leaving home. How many people read the safety instructions that come with their appliances.....not many! Owners have been warned time and time again not to leave tumble dryers on when away from the house. But washing lines are no good when you have continuous rain for months on end Scrungee.
My Creda tumble dryer is now 33 years old and still works fine It is probably very inefficient compared to a new one , but the filter can never get blocked as it fell too pieces years ago
Yep, I never leave home with any appliances switched on or working. That includes the TV, computer, washing machine and tumble dryer.
Hubby as you know was in the fire service & I've had the lecture about leaving stuff on & going out! I don't leave the washing machine, tumble, dishwasher etc on when I leave the house, but I do put stuff on before I go to bed sometimes ,
I don't agree with the advice about not leaving them on while you go out. It implies everything will be alright as long as you're in. Let's say your tumble drier malfunctions and starts producing large quantities of smoke while you're in the living room watching telly. Probably it's in the kitchen, or in a utility room next to the kitchen, away from the nearest smoke alarm. By the time the smoke reaches the smoke alarm, the drier and the immediate vicinity is engulfed in smoke, possibly on fire by now. But it's all ok, because it's not unattended. But what will you do? Will you attempt to find your way through the thick black smoke to switch it off? Ten seconds of smoke inhalation is enough to make you pass out. Perhaps you will have the presence of mind to run to the consumer unit, cut all power, equipment yourself with the conveniently located fire extinguisher and equally handy torch, return to the fire, and fight it safely?
I agree clueless1, we decided to ignore their illogical advice about not leaving it unattended and have unplugged it never to be used again.
I don't think there is any implication of everything will be alright if you left the house with all the appliances switched off, Clueless. The point of the advice is so that you have minimised the risk of an appliance catching fire while you're away. The fact that some other cause could start a fire is not the point there are always some things beyond your control. No, you would know where the outside mains switch is and switch it off along with the Gas. Then, after calling the Fire Brigade, you might then decide to try and put out the fire safely. Most fires get out of control because they started when nobody was present when an appliance was switched on and working, while when somebody is present there is more of a chance of detecting and putting the fire out.
I can only ever recall one house that we owned which was fairly new had a box outside with the meters and maybe a switch - but of the other houses we've lived in, including our current one, the mains isolator is indoors. In fact our switch is right next to the Tumble dryer so if that was alight it would very risky trying to access it. I'd rather we all just got outside safely rather than tried to fight a fire, I'd try to rescue my valuables (seed box and tomato seedlings )
On a housing project I was involved with, some houses had their gas meters beside the wheelie bin location, after about 3 wheelie bin fires (it appeared to be popular pastime of the yoofs on that estate) the gas meters were re-located.
In our only house that had an external meter box, I always used to think it was daft, anyone could open it up and switch off our electric and gas - it wasn't even a proper key just of those stupid triangular things you can twist open with a screwdriver. Then if there was a fire and had to open the box to switch off, stopping to find a screwdriver to open the lock wouldn't be top off my list of things to do in a panic!
