Whirlpool recall 519,000 washing machines due to fault that’s caused 79 fires – how to check if yours is affected

WHIRLPOOL has recalled 519,000 washing machines that were sold up until last year - just months after finally admitting it needed to recall thousands of potentially dangerous tumble dryers.

The manufacturer said 42 different Hotpoint and Indesit models could be affected by a flaw that could possibly lead to them overheating and catching fire.

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The potential design defect is with the door-locking system on washing machines that were sold in the UK between October 2014 and February 2018.

According to the , 79 fires are thought to have been caused by the fault.

Customers have been urged by Whirlpool to contact the company immediately to check if their washing machine is one of the models affected.

In the meantime, the manufacturer has told customers to unplug the machines and not to use them.

Those who chose to continue using their machines should only use cold water cycles of 20C or lower as this significantly reduces the risk, Whirlpool said.

The company claims the potential risk could only occur when the heating element during a washing cycle goes above 20C.

Customers will have the choice of either a replacement washing machine, or a free in-home repair of their existing appliance.

But the recall won't start until January, so customers have to wait until next month to get a new machine or get their existing appliance repaired.

'My Whirlpool tumble dryer caught fire after it had been fixed'

A MUM of four was forced to flee her home when her Hotpoint tumble dryer caught fire after it had been modified by Whirlpool to fix a fault.

Jemma Spurr, 33, from Hampshire was at home with three of her children - Amelia, 5, Freddie, 2, and Amber, 1, when her dryer caught fire.

The blaze even damaged her fridge, freezer and washing machine beyond repair and as they were low on cash and had no home insurance they were left without vital appliances for five weeks.

The dryer was one of 3.5million machines recalled by Whirlpool, which owns Hotpoint and other white goods manufacturers, in October 2015.

Over 1.7million appliances have been modified by the firm to fix a fault, and the company has long claimed that there had been no reports of modifications being uneffective.

But for Jemma, the blaze on her machine, which had been modified two years previously, had a devastating impact.

"The fireman said if it had been five minutes longer it would have been different story.

"Our gas pipe and boiler was really near the tumble dryer, so if that had exploded it could have been so much worse - my neighbour is a childminder and she had kids in the room next to our garage.

"It’s not worth thinking about, what could have happened.

"It’s impacted my anxiety more than anything.

"If I smell burning I'm constantly checking to see where the kids are."

Jeff Noel, vice president of Whirlpool, said: “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and concern this may cause to our customers, particularly over the Christmas period, but we hope people will understand that we are taking action because people’s safety is our top priority.

“Preparing for a recall of this scale is a complex operation and we are working tirelessly to ensure we are ready to start offering replacements or repairs to our customers from early January.”

Sue Davies, Which? strategic policy adviser, added: “This safety alert will cause huge disruption for millions of people who will have no washing machine over Christmas.

“Following the tumble dryer scandal, it leaves Whirlpool’s reputation as a company that can be trusted on product safety in tatters.”

Whirpool said it's received no reports of injuries.

It comes after Whirpool originally pulled 800,000 fire-risk tumble dryers from shelves back in July this year after buckling from pressure from consumer groups.

The issue relates to more than 600 models of vented and condenser tumble dryers made by Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline - all part of the Whirlpool brand - between 2004 and 2015.

The fault is apparently caused by excess fluff coming into contact with the heating element.

At the time, it had modified 1.7million machines out of the 5.3million units manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015.

How to check if your machine is affected

Customers can see if their washing machine is affected by visiting this .

To check your appliance, you'll need to know the model number and serial number.

For Hotpoint washing machines, the model number should be found on the inside of the door.

Enter these details into the website's search engine and it will tell you if your machine is a potential risk.

At the time of writing, the website is down with customers unable to get online to check their appliance.

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This has prompted Whirlpool to tweet out a list of affected appliances, which The Sun has listed above.

The Sun also hasn't been able to access the recall page.

Concerned customers can call Whirlpool's freephone hotline on 0800 316 1442.