The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has served appliance manufacturer Haier with an immediate ‘requirement to warn’ notice, saying thousands of heat pump tumble dryer owners could be impacted by a potential fire-risk defect.
According to the OPSS, the notice applies to all heat pump tumble dryers that were modified as part of Haier’s original corrective action programme, after the organisation warned about the defect earlier this year.
Back in May, the OPSS published a safety report warning consumers of the fire risk in 27 specific tumble dryer models. At the time, it was recommended that at-risk consumers should seek a modification from the company.
The appliances potentially impacted include products by brands such as Candy, Baumatic, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Lamona, Iberna and Montpellier.
However, now, the OPSS has served Haier with the notice after concluding that its modofocation programme was “not satisfactory”. The company has now been instructed to inform affected consumers that they should switch off the appliances immediately.
In a statement addressing the issue, Haier has said it is committed to consumer safety and also regrets any inconvenience this may cause. The company also said it is arranging for approved and qualified engineers to visit consumers homes to verify their appliance, and they will also complete a free safety modification to ensure the appliances are safe to use.
The statement continues: “Haier UK is working closely with the Office for Product Safety and Standards and is contacting consumers who purchased specific built-in heat pump tumble dryers between 2019 and 2025 with an urgent safety notice following the identification of a potential fire safety risk.
“Consumers are being asked to check if their appliance is affected by visiting the website and entering the 16-digit serial number that can be located inside the door panel. If their appliance is confirmed as affected, they will be asked to enter further information, and the team will be in touch to co-ordinate a convenient time to visit to carry out the modification to the appliance.
“Haier is asking customers who own an affected appliance to stop using it immediately and unplug it from the mains. “
Consumers can check if their appliance is affected by visiting this link. Alternatively, they can contact [email protected] for more information.