Is your Whirlpool tumble dryer a fire-risk?

Hi Malcom, I think that one reason, not probably the main one though, is that manufacturers use it as a means of gathering personal data and ask too many questions these days. They should be resricted to a set list of relevant questions.

I registered a kettle with Russell Hobbs about three years ago and decided to give a different email address to the one I would normally use. I was not prepared to provide personal and lifestyle information, so could not register the product online. I phoned and declined to give more information than necessary. I made it very clear that my contact details must only be used to contact me if a recall was necessary and not for marketing or other purposes. About two years after registering I received the first email (marketing + a competition) and have received others since.

I’m not suggesting that all companies misuse contact details or other information but it’s difficult to know which ones behave responsibly. I agree, Ken, that only relevant information should be collected.

The point I was making was that by not registering their appliance they could not be informed about a recall. The “full recall” Which? keep demanding is simply not possible. I believe that AMDEA who register on behalf of many manufacturers do not require more details than are necesary for a safety communication.

I consider that compulsory registration at the point of sale is an essential part of enabling full safety information being distributed and, if necessary, a full recall. This is not just for your own protection but for those of the occupants of your house and of neighbouring properties

I had a look at registering a couple of products via Amdea and the first one asked me for my birthday. 🙁 Amdea covers a restricted range of products and is not done at the point of sale, so many products go unregistered. Registering with Amdea would not have helped me with any of the recalled products I’ve owned, which include an e.on smart energy display unit, a Nokia phone battery and a Martindale socket tester.

I don’t know if Amdea shares information with the companies it represents, but others have alleged that it happens. When I register products I go to the manufacturer and make it very, very clear that my contact details must not be passed on or used for marketing. That usually works.

I am supportive of a full recall system based on the DVSA system for cars. It works well, even if a car changes hands after purchase.

For those who don’t know about AMDEA it seems to me that it offers a way to get people to register in the absence of any other initiative. Until such an initiative happens then registering appliances through them (and I believe that you do not need to receive marketing guff) is surely worthwhile to protect yourselves and your neighbours.

https://www.amdea.org.uk/our-purpose/campaigns/register-appliance/

“Register my appliance
This consumer safety initiative aims to encourage more people to register their appliances, to improve ownership data in case a safety repair is needed.

Representing over 85% of all small and large domestic appliances sold in the UK…….. “

You can design a dryer with a conventional heater to run at a lower temperature. It will, similarly, take longer to dry. More than one way to skin a…… 🙂

You’ve brought this up before, Malcolm, but I’m not aware of any dryers designed in this way. On the other hand there are currently 73 heat pump dryers including 18 Best Buys listed on the Which? website. A conventional heater operating at similar temperatures to those in heat pump dryers would not set light to lint or to dry clothing. It would be cheaper to manufacture and there would be less to go wrong, but it would consume considerably more energy than a heat pump dryer.

You’ve also mentioned this before. But that is par for the course with Convos as so much information is lost in the past. A heat pump dryer will probably save around £50 a year on energy. if used regularly. This needs to be offset against the cost difference between a heat pump dryer and a condenser one. Our dryer gets used quite infrequently, particularly when we have weather like today, so energy saving would not figure too highly.

I often pay a bit more for products that I consider better in some way and if I was in the market for a tumble dryer would choose a heat pump model because I believe the fire risk would be lower. I don’t own a tumble dryer at present because in poor weather I can use the airing cupboard and spare bathroom for drying.

It seems a considered report. Risk is presumably regarded as sufficiently low; little can be made risk free. It is reassuring, perhaps, that whirlpool will be monitored for action and improvement, but I wonder just how effectively this will be done?

I thought it disappointing that compulsory registration was not mentioned to ensure, in future, all customers can be advise of a product problem. Probably outside the reports brief, but surely must be a priority.

From the OPSS review: “As part of the review, OPSS purchased 28 used tumble dryers from online sales sites. It was not possible to verify the history of the machines but 20 of them appeared to have been modified at some point, presumably in consumers’ homes. Examination of these machines revealed some discrepancies between Whirlpool’s specifications for the modifications and the condition of the machines as found. This included two units that did not have a pin designed to prevent lint accumulation. Because the origin and usage of the dryers is unknown, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions on the reasons why a modification may be outside its specification.”

In view of the uncertainties about the history of the dryers and whether they had been modified, surely it would have been better to examine dryers where this information is available – such as ones in use in homes.