Whirlpool urgently appeals to owners with fire-risk tumble dryers to come forward
13 September 2019, 12:17
Whirlpool has issued an urgent appeal for owners of fire-risk tumble dryers that have not yet been replaced or modified to come forward "as a matter of urgency".
Whirlpool launched a full recall involving 500,000 dryers in July and said 65,000 owners have come forward since then.
The firm said it is crucial that owners make contact "as a matter of urgency" so their units can be replaced or modified.
The recall relates to certain models of Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline dryers built between 2004 and 2015 which could potentially be a fire risk.
Whirlpool admitted to MPs earlier this year that the number of faulty tumble dryers in homes across the country could be far higher than first thought.
Executives from the company said the true number could be 800,000 and it was working hard to modify those affected.
Whirlpool also revealed that, in recent years, it had logged 54 fires in its tumble dryers and admitted that three of those were models which had already been updated.
MPs were taking evidence over the scandal that has seen 1.7 million products modified during a safety campaign which ran ahead of the recall.
This summer, 65,000 owners with affected appliances have come forward in the UK. But if you haven’t yet been in touch and think you may have an affected product, please check by visiting https://t.co/qFm3wSX96J or calling 0800 151 0905.
— Whirlpool UK (@WhirlpoolUK) September 13, 2019
Whirlpool vice president Jeff Noel said: "We're hugely grateful to everyone who has come forward so far, but, if there are people still out there with affected dryers, please contact us immediately.
"Nothing matters more to us than people's safety, so it's absolutely vital that we can identify where these affected dryers are and resolve the issue.
"We can assure consumers that we are doing everything we can, and that we can quickly provide a remedy as soon as they get in touch."
Under the recall, all consumers with a machine on the list that has not already been modified or replaced are entitled to a free replacement dryer, including collection and disposal of the old appliance, a free in-home modification, a discounted upgrade - £59 for a vented model or £99 for a condenser dryer - or a refund up to £150 depending on the age of the original.
Whirlpool is also urging those who have registered with the campaign but not yet chosen their remedy option to make contact so the company can complete the recall process.
Anyone with an affected dryer must unplug it immediately and stop using it.
Consumers should call 0800 151 0905 to check if their dryer is affected.
