appliance fires

[don]

Re: appliance fires

BBC news article

“Its investigation of 500 refrigeration appliances found backing material on almost half was made of unsafe plastic.

Which? has labelled 250 models “don’t buys” and is recommending consumers do not purchase plastic-backed models.

It says a number of plastic-backed models sold as “flame-retardant” could also speed up the spread of a fire.

All plastic-backed fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers on the market pass current safety standards but Which? says the tests are “inadequate, not fit for purpose and do not come close to replicating the source of a real house fire”.

If flame retardant is no good then a full metal jacket it has to be then!!

Don

[SAMURI]

Re: appliance fires

Having fitted hundreds of compressors to fridge freezers and the heat involved in brazing them on it takes a lot of heat for the insulation to catch fire.

There is no more risk with a open back fridge freezer than any three piece suite or any home furnishing.

Let’s see if they can develope a full metal jacket for home furnishings.

Probably more risk of fires with people falling asleep on home furnishing than fridge freezers catching fire.

Bob

[Martin]

Re: appliance fires

SAMURI wrote:Having fitted hundreds of compressors to fridge freezers and the heat involved in brazing them on it takes a lot of heat for the insulation to catch fire.

There is no more risk with a open back fridge freezer than any three piece suite or any home furnishing.

At the risk of going over the same old ground on this, fridges catching fire in this way involves an electrical component failure and that’s something home furnishings generally lack. Beko defrost heaters going up in flames though rare was and yet still is one example. And as the LFB adequately demonstrates with their video, a prolonged open flame turns into a raging fire in seconds.
Rare though this might be it still happens and it is very likely to prove to be the most dramatic instance yet once the official Grenfell Tower enquiry publishes its in depth report.

Yes Bob your blow torch is very unlikely to ignite the plastic insulation, it’s the wrong kind of heat source. Just your nice steady flame directly below is enough. Just put a lit candle in position and have an extinguisher at the ready for the full effect. Home furnishings and mattress regulations in contrast have to pass that steady ‘open flame’ test using a ‘crib’, but I digress.

So, to be serious for a moment, it’s all about prevention. Prevention made easy in this case simply by encasing that flamable insulation in sheet metal. The proof is in the video.

https://youtu.be/Pvko16hqJ7g

[SAMURI]

Re: appliance fires

More & More electric recliners now on sale 😀

Not many people put candles under the fridge unless they do it to cure low ambient 😀

Most Electrcal faults should cause the trip to operate but the use of R600a in fridges does not help.

Hence Mercedes refusing the EU telling them to use R600a in the car aircon.

I think a lot of fires would be prevented if consumers followed the manufacturers guidelines and also registered there products so any recalls on faults could be put right.

More risk of being stabbed in London at the moment.

Or we could always blame the Russians.

Bob

[kwatt]

Re: appliance fires

Exactly Bob, I wonder how many of us have charred the bejesus out the back of a fridge etc with a turbo torch and on some of those damn built ins, a lot and they’ve been fine.

Which kinda makes a complete mockery of the level of danger being presented as in my mind, it’s gotta be a really serious problem to do as demonstrated.

Or, deliberately set on fire I guess as most anything will burn given the right conditions.

K.

[SAMURI]

Re: appliance fires

Last man working on appliance can be held responsible if an appliance catches fire so if fridge freezers were that amount of risk I would have retired from the trade a lot earlier than I did.

As Ken said anything will burn even the twin towers with all the safety systems installed cannot prevent the idiots.

Bob

[Martin]

Re: appliance fires

It’s such good news to learn that by the end of this month Electrolux fridges and freezers will be fitted with metal backs. This follows a decision by Whirlpool to follow suit ”…..in anticipation of revised EU rules”

Influenced no doubt by recent events, media highlighting and to both the LFB and Which? :tup:

[stratfordgirl]

Re: appliance fires

I see the fridge freezer model that allegedly started the blaze in Grenfell Tower (Hotpoint FF175B) has been declared “low risk” by product safety investigators.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44125844

I’m assuming it has a plastic back?

[kwatt]

Re: appliance fires

Yes and yes, so far as I know. No need for a recall or more investigation, I’m sure a number of people will be disappointed by this news.

They’re all inert lumps till you set them on fire somehow. 😉

K.

[electrofix]

Re: appliance fires

there has been another news item on the bbc ( cant fint at mo) says the modded fryers are still catching fire

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44136939

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-4 … -fire-risk

also found this
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44149281

Dave

[Martin]

Re: appliance fires

electrofix wrote:there has been another news item on the bbc ( cant fint at mo) says the modded fryers are still catching fire

Sure they are. They should be withdrawn from the market in my opinion. Good to know they have recognised a weakness in fridges at last. They just need to get real with dryers.

[stratfordgirl]

Re: appliance fires

My wife came home to this sight on Wednesday:
[attachment=6:110zf8h9]IMG_1027[1].jpg[/attachment:110zf8h9]
and round the corner:
[attachment=0:110zf8h9]IMG_1030[1].jpg[/attachment:110zf8h9]
I went round later to identify the culprit (2004 Bosch dishwasher):

There was no-one at home but luckily a neighbour was in, heard the smoke alarm and smelt smoke. The house is structurally sound but uninhabitable. The owner was unaware of the recall – she had bought it with the house 7 years ago. Is there any chance BSH could be held liable?

[electrofix]

Re: appliance fires

i doubt it. without compulsory registration all Bosch can do it put adverts out and they cant be expected to do that forever.
same applies to the Hotpoint TD fires there has been publicity everywhere but I still found 2 missed ones in the last month

Dave

[whiskey_six]

Re: appliance fires

Be interesting to see how difficult a foamed in sensor change will be or an internal joint repair with a metal backed fridge freezer 🙁

[Martin]

Re: appliance fires

whiskey_six wrote:Be interesting to see how difficult a foamed in sensor change will be or an internal joint repair with a metal backed fridge freezer 🙁

Through a ‘service access panel’ perhaps? 💡

[Author]

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