East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service are reminding the public to maintain and register their appliances after a family found their tumble dryer filter melted.
On Tuesday, the residents of a property on Bevendean Crescent, Brighton contacted the service after they found the filter cover of their dryer had melted during use.
It is believed that the incident happened the night before, so a crew from Preston Circus were sent to ensure that the fire was all out and the scene was safe.
Fortunately the house was fitted with working smoke alarms.
Maintaining your tumble dryer and ensuring your appliances have been registered is an important part of staying safe in your home.
Some fire safety tips for the safe use of tumble dryers
- Always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before using your dryer
- Clean the filter in your dryer after every use
- Keep your dryer well ventilated ensuring the vent pipe is kink free, not blocked or crushed in any way
- Do not put rags or materials into your tumble dryer if they have been used to soak up flammable liquids
- Never overload your washing machine or tumble dryer
- Never leave your appliance unattended or running overnight.
- A working smoke alarm, in the event something does go wrong, can be a lifesaver. We recommend that you test your smoke alarm once a week to provide early warning in the unfortunate event of a fire.
- Register your appliance
Thousands of consumers are missing out on product safety warnings as they fail to register their fridges, freezers, washing machines and tumble dryers.
According to the most recent research there are over 100 million large appliances in use in our homes but less than half (47%) of consumers registered the last product they bought.
This shocking figure means that the vast majority of appliances are untraceable if safety action becomes necessary, it’s really important to register your appliance so that you can be the first to know of any safety repairs or recalls.
Register your appliance at www.registermyappliance.org.uk/
Find out details of electrical appliances that may already have been recalled www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/
