This is the biggest appliance fire risk safety notice ever issued in the UK (in my experience). The brands affected are Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit tumble dryers but some other related but lesser-known brands are affected too (see below). They are all part of the same manufacturing group (Whirlpool).
Remarkably it covers potentially millions of condenser and vented dryers sold over the last 11 years. It’s probably safe to say that most Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit dryers made before 2015 are affected unless made before 2004. The manufacturer has published the following statement –
A potential concern with two types of tumble dryers manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015. In some rare cases, excess fluff can come into contact with the heating element and present a risk of fire”. Basically it’s been found that a build up of fluff can in some cases come into contact with the heating elements and ignite. As an engineer I can confirm that tumble dryers can accumulate quite remarkable amounts of fluff inside – due to either poor design, damaged filters or if the filters aren’t carefully looked after and cleaned after every use.”
Which tumble dryers are affected?
Affected brands are: Hotpoint | Indesit | Creda | Proline | Swan tumble dryers, manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015
Over 100 different models are affected. It’s important to note that if you bought one of these tumble dryers after September 2015 it does not guarantee your model is not affected. This is because one could be in stock for some time after being manufactured before being sold. The affected tumble dryers were manufactured between the dates quoted above. You should check to see if your model is affected using the links below if you have any of these brands of dryer.
How to check if your dryer is subject to this safety notice
It’s very easy. Get your model and serial number from behind the door and enter the numbers into the manufacturer’s web sites below and then follow any instructions –
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Green spot sticker?
Check to see if your tumble dryer has a small green spot sticker. Look behind the door, or near to the door seal, or anywhere on the machine including the back. A green spot sticker indicates that the fault has been fixed in the past. This is likely if you have had any engineer to repair it previously. It seems to show that prior to the announcement their engineers were already quietly making modifications. It’s up to you to decide if you trust it’s been done or not.
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Is it safe to keep using an affected tumble dryer?
This safety notice specifically says, “consumers may continue to use their products, provided that appliances are not left unattended whilst operating”. However, clearly the notice has been issued because one could suddenly catch fire. So use your common sense. Personally I would say get it checked asap. If it’s an affected model have it modified before using again. If you must use it you need to not leave it running without anyone close by and accept that it could catch fire. If you are not going to be in a position to deal with any fire and have no suitable fire extinguisher etc then just do not take the risk.
Update: Whirlpool finally change their advice
Whirlpool eventually changed their advice inline with my above paragraph. They were now advising people with affected dryers not to use them until they have been fixed. This is the only common sense and safe attitude to adopt unless someone is stood watching one with fire extinguisher to hand.
However, after unrelenting campaigning by Which? The government have finally acted – Whirlpool told to recall dryers in ‘unprecedented’ government move
More advice on fire risks in appliances
I’ve always advised never to leave any washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher running whilst no one is around and these safety notices only confirm the wisdom of such advice. Tumble dryers – particularly condenser dryers – need to be properly looked after. If you have any brand of dryer you should make sure you are aware of all the filters inside and ensure they are always clean. Condenser dryers in particular can have several filters with some of them hidden behind panels or doors. Blocked filters can cause overheating!
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Peter Birch says
My Creda tumble drier Model T601CW serial number 87104946 cannot be entered on the site. Apparently because the Serial Number has only 8 digits rather than the 9 shown in the example. How can I proceed?
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Peter. Sadly the manufacturer’s page for checking is not very good, there’s no contact details for anyone with a problem. This is most likely deliberate as there are millions of affected dryers. It could be that all dryers affected have 9 numbers and if yours definitely only has 8 numbers in the serial number it might be unaffected. Can you send me a photo of your model and serial number label (use my contact page to get in touch). Also how old is it? (Affected dryers were manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015).
Tim says
Hi my creda dryer t622cw serial 25102941 I cannot check either what can I do please
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hi Tim, You have the same issue as Peter so the same answer I gave applies for you. Also, when did you buy the dryer? Affected dryers were all supposed to have been manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015. Could your dryer be older or newer? It seems strange that you both have 1 number short in your serial numbers.
Peter says
My Hotpoint Aquarius also has an 8 digit serial number. It is a TDL52S. Is it affected?
Peter says
PS. TDL52S are not on the recall l;ist though it does caveat to say I should still check.
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Peter, you are the 3rd person with a serial number that can’t be checked because it’s a digit short. I keep asking questions like how old is it and requested photos of the label but no one comes back. I can only assume people can’t check their serial number because they have different models that aren’t affected but that’s why I asked when they were bought to try and get an idea.
Only Indesit will know for sure.
Derek says
HELLO – I have a Creda Model number T622CW Serial Number 24102882. Similar to other correspondents. The website will not accept these details. The problem is clearly not due to the 8digit serial number. As the website reports a problem before the complete serial number is entered. The format of Model Number it is looking for is apparently different. But T622CW is the whole number on my machine. I believe the machine was purchased in 2004… but I have no idea when. Happy to email photos if this can help.
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Derek. I can only assume that people who are getting an error on the check if affected form aren’t entering the proper details. I have an article about finding model numbers which describes how the model number on the front of the control panel is often not the full model number (How to find the proper model number (and serial numbers) on a washing machine)
If you look at the example they show when the error comes up the model number they require is much longer than T622CW. The example they give is ABC 12343 ECO (UK).
Look at the serial number label carefully. See if you can see something more like ABC T622CW ECO (UK)
Derek says
Thanks for your response. There are two labels on the machine. – front and back. I read the advice, the only serial number information is T622CW nothing else anywhere. Perhaps one day I’ll get through on the phone line… but the wait is hours at the moment. I suspect this machine predates the series’ with problems and their website hasn’t been set up to recognise this number.