Had tumble drier fire, now Hotpoint want to take drier away? (1 Viewer)

ambulancekidd

Funster
Sep 23, 2014
10,303
28,339
Ayrshire Scotland
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Swift Kon-Tiki 640
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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
We've just had the rather unfortunate experience of our tumble drier going up in flames. Fortunately it lived in the garage, but it still took over four hours worth of dousing to get the fire totally out. Lots of smoke damage but with the exception of losing clothing & some of my tools swimming in water, no serious harm has been done.
I've been following the story of these driers for a while & kept checking our drier number against the recall numbers, ours looked identical to the ones on the telly but it was never there, however after the mishap our drier just happens to be on the list of machines which needed "an upgrade to the filter". Oh joy, so Hazel calls their service number today, gets put onto India with the inevitable lack of understanding the nature of the problem. They eventually advise that "an engineer will be sent out to do the upgrade" errr no, there's no point. So to cut a long story short they eventually tell her that they will send an engineer out to pick the machine up for analysis & to ascertain "the cause of the fire?". We recently replaced the filter with a genuine part as the old one had a small hole, we immediately stopped using the machine until we'd fitted the new filter. The filter is cleaned everytime we use the drier.
My view on this is that once they have the machine they could make up any cock & bull story & we've lost the evidence in the process.
Have any of our forum members had this trouble & what are the general thoughts or opinion's, are we being over cautious? If its an "engineer" that's coming to see the machine, why can't they work it out where it sits?
All thoughts will be gratefully received.
The aftermath below.
 
Feb 24, 2013
12,991
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Bolsover, Derbyshire
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Hymer S800
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not long enough
very lucky escape, we have recently moved our laundry room upstairs, followed a friend of ours who pointed out that 95% or probably more in our case of dirty laundry is upstairs already, why bring it down to wash and dry??

The results for us would have been so much more serious

We are also nowhere near as good as you at cleaning our filters, on my way to do it now before bed (y)

I hope it all works out for you, but TBH I would be buying another make of drier if I were you, even if a replacement was for free o_O
 
May 8, 2016
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Boatie for 20 years
Ouch. I would contact your household insurance company, let them deal with Hotpoint and cover the cost of any smoke damage

Remember that your insurers may want to see the machine that caused the damage

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ambulancekidd

ambulancekidd

Funster
Sep 23, 2014
10,303
28,339
Ayrshire Scotland
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33,478
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Swift Kon-Tiki 640
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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
very lucky escape, we have recently moved our laundry room upstairs, followed a friend of ours who pointed out that 95% or probably more in our case of dirty laundry is upstairs already, why bring it down to wash and dry??

The results for us would have been so much more serious

We are also nowhere near as good as you at cleaning our filters, on my way to do it now before bed (y)

I hope it all works out for you, but TBH I would be buying another make of drier if I were you, even if a replacement was for free o_O

The trouble with choosing another is that there are about half a dozen manufacturers caught up in this nonsense. The official advice is that these driers are safe to use so long as you don't leave them unattended!!!
 

GWAYGWAY

Free Member
Sep 6, 2014
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Hymer ML I 580
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Why do THEY NEVER SAY clean the bloody filter out , remove the lint that collects and allows the overheating to happen. The faulty bit is the overheat switch not working. My wife didn't clean ours out and it cut out and she said it was faulty and wanted another. I let it cool down and cleaned out the blocked lint filter, that she never knew about, neither does anybody else that does not read the instructions
 
Nov 18, 2011
11,856
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A van
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:rofl:
We've just had the rather unfortunate experience of our tumble drier going up in flames. Fortunately it lived in the garage, but it still took over four hours worth of dousing to get the fire totally out. Lots of smoke damage but with the exception of losing clothing & some of my tools swimming in water, no serious harm has been done.
I've been following the story of these driers for a while & kept checking our drier number against the recall numbers, ours looked identical to the ones on the telly but it was never there, however after the mishap our drier just happens to be on the list of machines which needed "an upgrade to the filter". Oh joy, so Hazel calls their service number today, gets put onto India with the inevitable lack of understanding the nature of the problem. They eventually advise that "an engineer will be sent out to do the upgrade" errr no, there's no point. So to cut a long story short they eventually tell her that they will send an engineer out to pick the machine up for analysis & to ascertain "the cause of the fire?". We recently replaced the filter with a genuine part as the old one had a small hole, we immediately stopped using the machine until we'd fitted the new filter. The filter is cleaned everytime we use the drier.
My view on this is that once they have the machine they could make up any cock & bull story & we've lost the evidence in the process.
Have any of our forum members had this trouble & what are the general thoughts or opinion's, are we being over cautious? If its an "engineer" that's coming to see the machine, why can't they work it out where it sits?
All thoughts will be gratefully received.
The aftermath below.
I see the problem right away its obvious to me it was the weeman that notest it first
To much chase on the peza ended up sticking to the drum build a peza oven:rofl:
Bill

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karl c

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Mar 25, 2014
231
247
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since 2010
Our dryer has to filters. One for the lint and the second one gets any bits that slips past the first one. .
When you pull out the first filter small bits of lint sites in the gap,but this get picked up by the second one. Both filters are easy to clean and there is three fliters so you all only just swop it, all very easy to do.
 
Nov 6, 2013
3,201
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East Sussex
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28,906
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Since 2011 (tugger for 20 before that)
@ambulancekidd im glad nobody was hurt and you got away with relativity little damage. As others have said, I would leave it to your household insurance to deal with. They should pay any claim and recoup from Hotpoint. I would not be happy letting them take the machine for "assessment"
Why do THEY NEVER SAY clean the bloody filter out , remove the lint that collects and allows the overheating to happen. The faulty bit is the overheat switch not working. My wife didn't clean ours out and it cut out and she said it was faulty and wanted another. I let it cool down and cleaned out the blocked lint filter, that she never knew about, neither does anybody else that does not read the instructions
I'm fairly certain that most, if not all instructions will stress the importance of cleaning the filter before each use.
 
Mar 23, 2012
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As above I would def. check with the insurance first and be reluxctant to let them take it away. I would also keep all the details of the filter etc written down its so easy to forget if there are queations later. There may be questions about why the upgeaded filter was not done but it seems unrealistic to expect every consumer to look out for recalls of everything they buy.

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DuxDeluxe

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Jul 10, 2008
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I don't have this problem, I have a clothes line, drying in the fresh air gives much better and fresher results. (y)
.......and towels stiffer and coarser than those in a student hostel. (y)

Most of our stuff is dried outside but towels are always at least finished in the drier

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irnbru

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Jun 27, 2013
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Looks like you had a lucky escape. I don't think I would accept a replacement. You would be better off getting g the cash and buying a gas tumble dryer. Much cheaper to run too.
 
Aug 27, 2009
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.......and towels stiffer and coarser than those in a student hostel. (y)

Most of our stuff is dried outside but towels are always at least finished in the drier
A son of a farmer worrying about coarse towels. You are going soft in your old age DD.;)
 
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ambulancekidd

ambulancekidd

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Sep 23, 2014
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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
I don't have this problem, I have a clothes line, drying in the fresh air gives much better and fresher results. (y)

Try living on the west coast of Scotland & a drier becomes essential, its bliss on the two days a year when you can wash your bedding & line dry it, ohhh bliss.

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ambulancekidd

ambulancekidd

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Sep 23, 2014
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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
Looks like you had a lucky escape. I don't think I would accept a replacement. You would be better off getting g the cash and buying a gas tumble dryer. Much cheaper to run too.

Can't say that I've ever heard of a gas tumble drier. We'll certainly look into that, thank you.
 

irnbru

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Jun 27, 2013
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Can't say that I've ever heard of a gas tumble drier. We'll certainly look into that, thank you.
Mums kn her 2nd but her 1st lasted for many YRS. She claims it's much cheaper to run and mum being the canny scot then I bet she's right. Know they are more expensive to buy though.
 

crabman

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plenty of Gas tumble dryers on the market my wife had one in her commercial business. she also had an electric dryer the Gas one was the best, reading your OP don't part with the dryer the insurers will need to check it out if you make a claim, anyway you should make a claim right off to the insurance company,

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Jaws

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Sep 26, 2008
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Our gas tumble drier lasted us for 28 years before it finally gave up the ghost.. It was replaced with an electric one that is no where near as good, costs more to run and I simply do not trust the bloody thing !
 

DuxDeluxe

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A son of a farmer worrying about coarse towels. You are going soft in your old age DD.;)
The coarse ones ruffle the feathers.....

P.S. Our last tumble drier was not on the recall list but still nearly caught fire. Luckily we only ever use it when we are around at home and the strong smell of burning gave a clue. Unplugged PDQ and straight out of the back door into the driveway. New one ordered the same day

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Aug 27, 2009
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The coarse ones ruffle the feathers.....

P.S. Our last tumble drier was not on the recall list but still nearly caught fire. Luckily we only ever use it when we are around at home and the strong smell of burning gave a clue. Unplugged PDQ and straight out of the back door into the driveway. New one ordered the same day
I do have one but can't remember the last time we used it. There is something therapeutic about pegging washing on the line...;)
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Are you making a house insurance claim ?

Yes....don't let it go until your insurers have seen it.

No....let them take it.
If you don't you most probably won't get it replaced anyway regardless of what conclusion they may have come to.
 
Jul 10, 2016
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we had ours fitted with the modification 4 months ago , we are still a bit wary of it though

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Sep 4, 2011
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Most Residential/Care homes have a laundry extract ventilation system, thankfully I've never heard of or witnessed a laundry fire but we do carry out an extract system clean to thousands of these types of premises on a six months basis.

Rob
 
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ambulancekidd

ambulancekidd

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Sep 23, 2014
10,303
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Ayrshire Scotland
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Swift Kon-Tiki 640
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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
Are you making a house insurance claim ?

Yes....don't let it go until your insurers have seen it.

No....let them take it.
If you don't you most probably won't get it replaced anyway regardless of what conclusion they may have come to.

We're of the opinion that we won't claim on our own insurance. Why should we. I wonder what would have been involved in their "modification", perhaps it was as simple as the overheat switch which clearly didn't click in. The machine was in flames & still running when we got to it.
 

Steve

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May 8, 2013
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A close call I think!

Just came in doors past the utility room where both the washing m/c and tumble dry were in use and thought that smells hot, so had a look the dryer was humming but not going around and was very hot. So turned it off and emptied it. Bedding was almost too hot to hold. The replacement is coming tomorrow, we had the choice old one modified or new one for £99 so went for the new.

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Oct 1, 2007
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Can't say that I've ever heard of a gas tumble drier. We'll certainly look into that, thank you.
sorry to read of your problem
insurance will probably want to check it
if they want to claim against manufacter


i used to fit them but they needed ventilation
andrules concernig the hose connection positioning re routing the hose out harmsway at the rear

we didnt have room for one when it came my way as a freeby so turned it down

not sure if they are available new now
think they were badged as white night



just found this for you
 
Last edited:
Oct 30, 2010
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In a previous life, before I retired 16 yrs ago, I sold tumble dryers among many other products.
Dryers were then and always have been a fire risk.
Lint & fluff build up can easily catch light if not cleared regularly.
I doubt the current range of machines are any more dangerous than they were then. It's just that everyone is more cautious about H & S now.

Richard.
 
Sep 5, 2012
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We've had ours modified. I never leave on unless we're home and always take filter out after use to clean but one day dug deeper and was amazed at the compacted gubbins underneath filter.

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