Appliances Most Likely To Cause A Fire
It doesn't matter where you live, if your a home owner or tenant, white goods play an integral role in our day-to-day lives. Research has shown however that the appliances most likely to catch fire are cookers, washing machines, tumble dryers and fridge freezers.
Here are some tips for you and your landlord to keep you safe.
1) Buy from a reputable dealer/manufacturer
2) Always register a new appliance.
Registering your appliances allows you to be contacted if there is an issue with the appliance. This could be for something simple like improving your after sales service or informing you of any upgrades, or something very important like safety repairs or product recalls.
3) Check where the appliance is installed.
All modern appliances should never be installed in a place of either high humidity or, where the ambient room temperature will or is likely to drop below 10˚C.
The following places are not usually suitable to install an appliance.
Garages Conservatories or Outbuildings (dampness, cold temperatures in winter, too warm in summer)
Basements or Cold Room (dampness, high or low temperature)
Bathrooms (legislation, splash risks, humidity)
4) Check the appliances leads and plugs.
Over time, plugs and cables that are old, poorly wired or damaged can be dangerous. Here are some danger signs to keep a look out for. If you find something needs fixing or changing, do it immediately.
For plugs and sockets keep a look out for:
Evidence of overheating - hot plugs or sockets, look for overheating burn marks due to poor connection or what's being used.
Badly wired plugs – any coloured wires sticking out, damage to cable grip, earth wire detached.
Overloaded sockets – plugging too many electrical appliances into one socket can lead to overheating.
Damage to the cable - check for any cable insulation that's broken, showing inner cables.
5) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Follow the correct instructions on how to use and maintain the appliance. Ensure to allow adequate ventilation, cleaning out fluff filters, defrost fridge freezer.
6). Ensure you have working smoke alarms fitted on each floor of the property.