Whirlpool's faulty tumble dryers

So, Whirlpool has now changed its advice for its faulty tumble dryers at risk of causing a fire.

What it is now telling the millions of owners who have the potentially dangerous Hotpoint, Indesit or Creda appliances? Do not use them!

I have to say that I am pleased with this update as since the fault was reported last year, due to the risk of fire caused by fluff getting into contact with the heating element, we have helped highlight the need for people to stop using the faulty appliances for their own safety, despite Whirlpool saying the machines were safe to use.

And although it is great to see the manufacturers taking action in this way, this is something I feel should have been advised from the start.

Tumble dryers can be a potential fire risk as they are products which get very hot and are left on for a long period of time.

I hope that lessons from this have been learnt and taken on board so that these types of faults can be prevented in the future.

If you have one of the affected models then it is important that you register with Whirlpool for a modification.

The notice on Whirlpool’s website reads: “Trading Standards confirmed, following an internal review by independent experts, that the modification programme remains the most effective way of resolving this issue. As a result, we will continue with our efforts to provide consumers with a free of charge modification as quickly as possible. Trading Standards have also notified us that updated usage advice should be communicated to affected consumers. If your tumble dryer is affected by this issue then you should unplug it and do not use it until the modification has taken place.”

Sheila Merrill, RoSPA's public health adviser