Whirpool’s recalling fire-risk washing machines.
Such is the potential numbers affected by the risk, its website has crashed following the news.
It affects Hotpoint and Indesit brands sold between October 2014 and February last year.
A flaw with the door-locking system may lead them to overheat and potentially catch fire.
“When the heating element in the washing machine is activated, in very rare cases a component in the door lock system can overheat, which, depending on product features, can pose a risk of fire,” Whirlpool said in a statement.
Whirlpool said the issue was identified by the company’s safety team and that “no serious injuries have been reported”.
Whirpool launched a major recall of potentially dangerous dryers earlier this year. It does not concern Whirlpool branded washing machines.
The company says affected customers will be offered either a free like-for-like replacement washing machine, or a free-of-charge in-home repair of their existing appliance.
Under the replacement option, Whirlpool says it will collect and dispose of customers’ affected washing machines and deliver the new products free-of-charge.
We are experiencing technical problems with our website and customer service hotline, and are working to fix the issues as soon as possible. We will let you know as soon as they are live again. Please find affected model numbers below. Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/tdqIH3yhHn
— Whirlpool Ireland (@Whirlpool_Ire) December 17, 2019
