Samsung have had to organise a “home-visit & repair programme” to deal with a potential fire risk in their RS21 and RS60 range fridge freezers. Their own announcement on their web site ( SAMSUNG RS21 and RS60 range fridge freezers safety notice ) says that “in very rare cases, there is the potential for internal sparking to occur and in consequence, damage to the appliance.” However, some press articles use more dramatic phrases,
Fridge explosion like an ‘earthquake’ (Express & Star) | Fire Alert Over Samsung fridge-freezer (The Sun)
These are the models either affected directly, or as Samsung say, use a similar defrost system so should also be checked -
RS21
RS60
RSE8
RSH1
RSJ1
SN62
Affected fridge freezers look similar to this although to be sure if your model is affected you should check the model number (where is the model or serial number on a fridge or freezer?)-
If you have a Samsung fridge freezer
Check if your appliance is affected by this issue
Related:
There is a worrying trend forming regarding exploding fridges
Samsung aren’t the only fridge manufacturer with this concern. Reports in the past have shown other fridges exploding which is a new problem. In the past, the gas used in fridges and freezers was safe, but apparently harmful to the ozone. In response to environmental concerns regarding the ozone a new gas is now used which is reputed to be none harmful to the environment. Unfortunately this gas is explosive!
Exploding fridges: ozone friendly gas theory for mystery blasts (The Telegraph)
I purchased a RS21 it has done nothing but break down about 7 times each time losing all the frozen food. Samsung say the problem is fixed after every visit. You only have to look on their website to see the problems they have had with this model. Now they have sent letter saying it could catch on fire. The RS21 was not fit for purpose they should replace them or refund the £800 paid. They offer no apology nothing I will never buy another Samsung item.
We have one of the above fridges, and contacted Samsung agents, whom have made two appointments, and failed to turn up, so the fridges surel7y cannot be that dangerous.
Toni: You may be able to claim compensation from the seller. The manufacturer has no obligation at all, only the seller. Have a good read of this article EU 2 year guarantee. Sale of Goods Act gives us 6 years to claim for faulty appliances
Brian: That’s poor service, but there’s no way a manufacturer would recall a product under such circumstances unless it was a serious issue.
Thank you Brian
I have contacted Comet who said I had to contact Samsung. I contacted Samsung (0800 9880123 line only for items at risk) and have refused their repair. They will let me know within 7 days if they will replace the item.
Tony: If you want it repairing under guarantee you contact the manufacturer. If you want to claim compensation because you believe the fridge has been unfit for purpose or hasn’t been of good enough quality you have to deal with Comet. Most if not all retailers are likely to tell you there’s nothing they can do so you may well have to take them to the small claims court and or get advice from the Consumer Advice centres.
If Samsung want to compensate you or swap the appliance out of consideration of retaining customer good will they can do but they have no obligation to under the sale of Goods Act.
If you went down to the retailer and started shouting in the shop im sure they would come round to your way of thinking.
Possibly, but they might also just call security and have you thrown out, and then become increasingly intransigent making you have to fight even harder. I suppose it depends on personalities involved but being polite but firm will yield better results in most cases I’m sure.
I know a lot of people in customer services and if a customer becomes aggressive they will just have nothing to do with them and become deliberately obstinate and unhelpful. Most companies have established policies in place that give their employees the right to just hang up the phone or walk away from a customer and refuse to speak to them again if they are sworn at or otherwise abused and they will not get into trouble for it.
Having said that if people were kicking off all the time they probably would think a bit more about just fobbing people off when the law says they have a legitimate claim.
hi, any one know if these fridge freezers are repaired or replaced thx jan waiting on call for repair
MINE RS21 decided to go on fire while we were on holidays, lucky the house didnt burn down, they are offering me a new fridge, needless to say my confidence is shattered and I would prefer a cash settlement and go buy a proper fridge like a bosch.
Rob: If you’ve had it less than 6 years (or 5 in Scotland) I think the sale of goods act entitles you to a full refund from the retailer if that’s what you prefer because it was sold with an inerrant fault.
They may be able to knock something off to account for the usage you’ve had from it before the fault, although you may be able to threaten to sue for compensation for the stress and hassle caused by having it catch fire if they did and you thought it unreasonable under the circumstances.
Have a good read of this downloadable PDF file (especially page 4) A TRADER’S GUIDE: The Law Relating to the Supply of Goods and Services
please if you purchased your ff off comet call them or samsung and book a repair i have been doing this mod on behalf of comet for 4 months (approx 9-11 calls per day) but have now been laid off due to people not bothering to get in contact, this mod takes approx. 10 mins to fit (20 mins for paperwork), hope this helps
fridge was around 5 years old, have agreed to accept a new fridge, H series side by side. The only other option given was the drepiacted value and they needed proof of purchase
I contacted Samsung via the online form with my model/serial numbers and they called me back a couple of days later to tell me that it had been passed to a local agency who would contact me. A very helpful and friendly local company contacted me and the engineer visited this morning. All affected parts replaced free of charge. Thank you to the local company and Samsung for resolving this issue. There you go – a positive story for a change.
I bought my RS21 in 2003 and it lasted until mid 2008 when the well documented fault occurred. I called Samsung, their engineering dept called me back and arranged for a local company to repair – all within a couple of days and free of charge. All very good, left me feeling that Samsung is the brand to buy.
The repaired unit has now failed (June 2010) with the same fault, Samsung sent the engineer who said the charge would be £190 or £300 if the fan motor had failed. Recontacted Samsung since it is a similar failure in their replacement unit – they’re not interested.
I will repair myself, replacement unit c. £80. Annoyed that they seem content the replacement unit should last less than two years, but appreciate their position that the fridge is now approaching seven years old. Mind you ‘in the old days’ they lasted a fair bit longer than that!
I suspect that I’ve been lucky it’s lasted this long, so if I have to replace it, I probably won’t buy another Samsung.
Comet visited to complete modification, when they had finished and gone I went to wash the top and found it broken, Comet called out again, they could not gain part and taped it, called out again as the fridge now not getting cold and wanted the rehousing changed. Comet now say that they can do nothing as they can not get a replacement, I will have to phone Samsung and guess what they say not their problem phone comet, any ideas.
Of course it isn’t Samsung’s problem Pam, you shouldn’t have to ring anyone. Regarding the damage, if it can’t be put right obviously whoever caused it is responsible for compensation. Regarding any fault on the appliance it’s only Comet who are responsible under the sale of goods act. Even if it is a design fault the manufacture isn’t responsible it’s the people you bought it from. It sounds unfair and it is to a point but that’s how it is. It’s up to them to counter claim from who they bought it from.
I too have the above problem with my Samsung RS21nCSV fridge freezer and have never been informed by Samsung about this very real danger of a possible fire hazard. I only found out about it because my fridge developed the problem mentioned above. I phoned samsung and they are in the process of fixing the problem. As the fix may only last two years would it be better to try and get a replacement?
I have a Samsung RSE8DZAS purchased about 2.5 yrs ago. I’ve just found out about this recall which applies to my model (though just as a precautionary as it’s not an RS21/RS60), and I wondered if this is likely to be the cause of the problem that the FF has developed over the last few days.
About a week ago, despite the fridge showing 3 degrees, lots of the food in the fridge had frozen. After a couple of days, it seemed to sort itself out but then yesterday I noticed that the fridge was now 10 degrees. After a couple of hours it had returned to normal, but this morning it’s back at 10 degrees. I’ve not noticed anything abnormal about the FF; there’s not been any notable increase in fan noise that I’ve noticed.
Should I just wait for Samsung to get back in touch with my to arrange their visit (which I will obviously still do anyway), or is this likely to be an unrelated problem that I need to go ahead and get repaired myself? If it’s not related to the RS21 fault has anyone any suggestions what the problem is likely to be?
i too have this fridge and the fuse keeps blowing every month any one know where i can get it fixed
emily: There are some repairers on my repairs page here – Appliance Repairs
Emily, I’d suggest you give Samsung Customer Service a call if you’ve never had the FF looked at before – our fridge died over Christmas (see 2 posts above). Samsung sent out an engineer who ordered a whole new heater for it and as it was covered by the recall, it didn’t cost anything (though we did have to wait a week or so for the heater to be ordered in). If your FF has never been modded to correct the fault, it could be the cause of the constantly blowing fuses so it’s at least worth while making a note of the serial number and ringing Samsung before you pay for an independent repair.
There is a web page for the recall that I used originally which says someone will get in touch with you and tells you not to phone, but I don’t think this is monitored anymore because after a few days of hearing nothing I rang and they didn’t have any record of my contact via the web, so I’d advise you phone them rather than anything else.
emily: As Neil said, if you haven’t had the modification done already (and assuming your particular model is affected) it may be better to get the manufacturer in. Check your serial number using the link to Samsung I provided in my article above.
My Samsung RS21 has broken down twice. Apparently there’s a problem with the cooling system and they sent a local engineer out to replace it free of charge and he said it would be fine……it’s gone again!! I’m hoping they’ll either replace it once more or replace my fridge freezer, i shall got to Watchdog if i get no joy!
I also have a Samsung RS21 fridge/freezer with ice maker – I have had this item over 6 years now but because I had a 5 year warranty on this item had (I think) the thermal fuse replaces every 6 months – I too complained to Samsung about this obvious manufacturing fault (at time unware that others were having same problems)., they refused to replace the machine and it kept breaking down – I finally found replacement items on ebay for £10 with full instructions and replaced it myself worked fine but now I seem to have a different fault and wondered if anyone can identify what it is – blew fuses in the house and then I found that both the freezer & fridge were not keeping cool both temperature gauges read 19 degrees very warm (replaced both the defrost sensor & thermal fuse no effect. Dawn
Hello Dawn: Your fault may be related to this recall as the fault can cause “sparking” which can of course trip the electrics.
If you want to pursue the inherent manufacturing fault complaint you need to take it up with who you bought it from if whirlpool have not helped. Only the person you bought it from is responsible under the sale of goods act. You have a time limit of 6 years (5 in Scotland) to bring such a claim and would probably need to go to a consumer group or the small claims court if the retailer fobs you off, which most do, most of the time.
fridge fan made a noise like it was scraping against something.this stopped when the door was opened only to restart aftere the door was closed.then after a couple of hours the noise stopped altogether.today,overnight the fridge display started to flash at the 4 degree setting despite the door being closed.pressing the power cool button has had no effect.any suggestions?
We have the exact same problem as David More.
We have phoned samsung and they are sending out an engineer. Though they said they were being sent out free of charge due to the fact that we didn’t get the orignal free call out due to the fire hazard?
Also don’t bother filing out their web form any more as no one seems to get the messages using that route, we had to phone them.
Samsung really are letting themselves down over this. I’ll never buy one of their fridges again.
Utterly useless just like the 2 samsung laptops and the portable – and chelsea
Rang Samusng re the noise and a burning smell, – due ot the semll i decided to remove the backpanel as I was concerned for my parents safety. i have fixed enough washers freezer never mind multi funciton pneumatic and hydrolic machiner in my time to have an idea of inspecting an electromechanical item.
The fault is the main heater element I rang Sammsung re the issue they said all they could do was replace a fuse – a fuse and what does that mean – response I dont know thats not my job – ok can you pass me onto some one who does now – no – what about the engineers who do the work – reluctantly agreed -he said it was out of extened warenty – to which i replied products are covered for 6 years under SOGA ( whic i know is with the the place of manufacturer – ala comet) and how the issue with theis fridge and the fixes are all over the internet to which he repleided I can find out about green aliens on earth through the internet but doesnt make them real – WTF are thier staff smoking – complete idiots -ill buy a kit for 90 and fix it myself – erather then deal with a stupid grunt llike that again – these are the d^ck who give the decent peopl ein call centres a bad name- be ashamed Geodie Keith of Samsung
My rs21 has broken down 4 times now same problem. Noisy fan, fridge says its at temp but feels too warm and checking with a manual thermometer shows its a dangerous 10 degrees. Had 1 repair under waranty, 2nd I had to pay for despite complaints to them as same issue though got this refunded after watchdog highlighted issue. Another repair under ‘watchdog’ waranty which I was told would cure it once and for all. Now its gone again despite this and me defrosting it completely every 3 months as suggested by engineer. Its always in the autumn not that the summer was hot this year. Don’t know whether to ask for repair again or give up and buy new non samsung ff !
helen: If your appliance was sold to you as a self defrosting fridge I would argue with the retailer you bought it from that as the manufacturer’s engineer has advised you need to manually defrost it every 3 months (at great inconvenience) then the appliance is not working as described when it was sold. Therefore it’s not fit for purpose and you are entitled to a refund under the Sale of Goods Act.
Hi,
I have just bought a Samsung rs21ncs fridge freezer second hand from ebay. Whilst looking for a user manual, I have found this site. I’m now concerned it is going to set on fire! Is there anyway of checking if it has had the dodgy part replaced?
Any help/ advice appreciated.
Thanks,
kathy
Kathy: You should check the appliance using the advice and link to Samsung in my article. It may not even be affected. If it is you should contact them as you don’t know if it’s been modified or not. I would expect if they have already modified it (assuming it’s an affected model) they should have a record of its serial number.
Thanks,
when you refer to your article, do you mean your post above with a link to the samsung website to check? When I clicked it, the page isn’t found on the samsung website. I’ll try and give them a ring.
Thanks,
kathy
Yes Kathy: All the links on the article at the top of this page work for me including the one you need – Check if your appliance is affected at Samsung
Thanks for your help. When I click the link, I get this message:-
The page you requested is not available
Sorry, we are having a problem executing your request.
It is possible your bookmark is old one or you just meet broken link.
Please refer to link about information.
Not to worry tho. I rang samsung and they have agreed to send an engineer to replace the parts free of charge, even tho it’s out of warranty. Pretty impressive if it comes off.
Thanks guys for all your help.
Much appreciated,
kathy
(1/10/2011 18:25:15. Samsung Fridge freezer on fire in kitchen of semi detached house. One hose reel, four BA. Thermal Image Camera, PPV fan and small gear in use. Hefat and fire damage to kitchen and conservatory. Smoke detector activated.17026)
Fire report form Humberside Fire Service over £14000 worth of damage plus structural damage. F/F Just over 4 years old no extended warrantee,,
Who is to blame??
Can we sue??
Please can you advise what we should do,,
Thanks
Hi there, my concerned mum sent me this link as she gave me her 2nd RS21 about 4yrs ago – ive had no problems with it apart from the ice-maker breaking down – but that didnt bother me so i never got it fixed. Ive noticed it does make some funny noises when its opened and even at night – i can hear weird scraping noises. Ive not had a problem with the temp of the fridge or the freezer and have always left it on when ive been on holiday. Should i get it checked anyway??? Dont where i stand in terms of the warranty etc as my mum bought it ages ago and probably wont have the p/w for it anymore?? any advice would be much appreciated, thanks.
FridgeFire: Normally you would claim on your insurance and the insurance company will pursue whoever it believes is responsible to recover their costs. Other than that you would have to take legal advice if you wanted to claim compensation, which would presumably be from the people who sold it to you under the Sale of Goods Act though I couldn’t say for certain in this type of case. I would ask Trading Standards.
Louisa, modern fridges and freezers can make a lot of strange noises, hissing, gushing noises and the occasional loud crack. If noises are new though you may need to get them investigated. If your model number is affected according to Beko’s site it should of course be reported asap but if not then according to Beko there’s nothing to worry about. As far as this safety warning is concerned if yours is one of the models (and serial numbers) affected I can’t see where you got the fridge from and whether you bought it new or second hand being relevant. They can’t leave it with a fire risk simply because you had it second hand.
I bought my RS21 in feb 2005 from appliancecity, the fan was replaced oct 06 and i sent off the card requesting a safety inspection as requested by Samsung and have heard nothing. Now xmas 2011 the water dispenser doesn’t work and the top of the fridge is very warm and i believe the fan cant be working at all. I face xmas with my food spoiling and engineers finished until the new year. What options do I have as the appliance is now over 6 years old? it is still a potential hazard and I wouldn’t want to trust it to be left on whilst I was away for any length of time.
nico: Have you checked that your model and serial number are affected using the link in my article? If it is you should contact them asap and get them to advise you or call out. If you believe it’s a fire risk you should stop using it.
i have the affected model and contacted samsung through the web but heard nothing yet 3 weeks ago!
Hi,
Phone them, don’t wait.
See my previous post from April – I know the web page tells you *not* to phone them, but I don’t think anybody at Samsung actually monitors the page anymore. I originally booked a callout through the web page last year, but when I didn’t hear anything after a few days I rang them. They didn’t have any record of my contact, but sorted a call-out with me over the phone and engineer was round within a couple of days.
Neil
Oh my god i have found my way to this site after looking for a way to put a new motor (that i recently bought from ebay) in my Samsung fridge freezer i can’t believe what i have been reading and am now scared to death that my fridge freezer is a potential sure risk, i have also discovered that the motor can’t be replaced due to toxic cfc gases is this true?? Please please can someone help me or give me as i don’t have a clue if my kids and my home is safe
Sarah, you can’t replace the motor (I presume you mean compressor?) on a fridge without specialist equipment. You need to send it back for a refund under the 7 day cooling off period if you bought it on line new.
You also need to check the serial number and model number on the fridge as described in this article to see if it’s affected or not and contact Samsung if it is.
I’ve a RSH1DBRS which according to the Samsung web site is not affected however its recently started showing the same issues as described on here, i.e. fan scraping something noise, not cooling properly etc, etc. Think I’m going to insist on them repairing it FOC even if it has only just turned 3 years old.
have all the same problems as those above, has anyone fitted a repair kit brought from ebay?
if so who was the seller and was there any problems or did it cure the symtoms
how easy is it to fit ?
jo mann: If you have an affected appliance you need to get Samsung to fix it free of charge. I wouldn’t recommend diy on a specific safety issue with a potential fire risk.