Consumers who own particular models of heat pump tumble dryers sold in the UK have been urgently warned to no longer use them as they pose a fire risk. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a warning on several models stating: 'The products present a risk of fire as it is possible for an internal short circuit to occur within the tumble dryer during normal use. This can cause the tumble dryer to ignite, causing a fire. The products do not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016'.
It added: 'Owners are strongly advised to STOP USING THE PRODUCT IMMEDIATELY and contact the manufacturer to arrange for a modification to take place. The product should not be used until the modification has taken place. If the plug is accessible, switch off and unplug the appliance.'
The affected models are produced by Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Iberna, Lamona and Montpellier. Owners of the appliances are able to check whether they have an affected product by checking their model number and serial number and following the instructions on the manufacturers' websites.
An announcement on Haier's website said: 'We have recently identified a product safety issue that affects our built-in tumble dryers. The issue relates to 2 manufacturing variations which, when found together, can result in the product catching fire when it is in use. We take consumer safety very seriously and want to reduce any product safety risks to a minimum. Therefore, we would like to carry out an in-home modification to rectify the issue. This would require a service engineer to attend your home, free of charge.'
Caple's website stated: 'We have recently identified an issue in our production of built-in tumble dryers. Some batches may have been affected during production from December 2019 to May 2024. In certain circumstances and under rare conditions a short circuit may result in the machine igniting. Safety is our main priority. We would ask that all owners contact us to arrange a free of charge inspection.'
