Did you know that there were 14,997 fires attributed to domestic appliances in the UK in 2019/2020, with cooking appliances the most common cause, followed by washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers?
These are scary statistics, made even more so when you consider our extreme reliance on domestic appliances – imagine a home without a cooker or washing machine. Yet many of these items have been deemed unsafe and are subject to recall – something that not all consumers are aware of; if you didn’t register your appliance when you purchased it, you will not receive any notifications regarding recall status. These items are more likely to be the ones that cause a house fire.
So, what is the answer? How do we balance our requirements for these items with our need for a safe home?
Firstly, make sure you register your appliance when you purchase it. This often gives you an extended warranty, while also supplying the manufacturer with your contact details should the appliance be subject to a product recall. And before you consider this an unlikely scenario – Whirlpool recalled a further 5,000 washing machines this January alone, making the tally over half a million units.
Appliance testing is another avenue that is definitely worth considering; a trained electrician will visit your home to safety test some (or all) of your domestic appliances, with a focus on the wellbeing of you and your household. By hiring a professional to test your appliances you give yourself peace of mind that your home is as risk-free as it can possibly be. And although it isn’t a legal obligation to safety test appliances in your own home, it is certainly a task that should be carried out on a regular basis to ensure continued safety.
You can’t put a price on peace of mind – talk to us about our domestic electrical services!
