Is an electrical item under product recall affecting your home electrics?

What type of action do you take if you become aware of an electrical appliance in your home that may be dangerous? According to research carried out by the electrical safety charity Electrical Safety First, only 10-20% of electrical goods that are placed under recall are ever actually returned.

What is a product recall?

A product recall is an item that has been found by the manufacturer to be dangerous. They need to try and get the product back from you and will normally exchange it for a safe version or refund your money.

It is important that you act on a product recall notice if you become aware of it. Electrical items under product recall have the potential to cause electrical injury or even death if you continue to use them, even if you are using them perfectly safely.

Despite this, 2 million adults in the research admitted to ignoring a product recall notice. This is quite alarming given the risks of using dangerous electrical products which include fire and electric shock. Here at Fulcher Edwards, we have had several of our clients in the past tell us about their recalled electrical product that is “still going strong”.

How often are electrical products recalled?

Another myth about product recalls is that they are rare. This is not quite right. Since 2011, 288 electrical products have been put on product recall. These products include seven types of fridges, four types of washing machine and seven types of hair dryers.

Electrical products of all sizes can be re called, and each product carries the same electrical risks regardless of it's size.

So why are people not responding to product re call notices? Electrical Safety First believe that this is down to the lack of awareness of the extent of the danger electrical products can cause. Respondents to the research carried out by the ESC suggested that product recall notices were regarded as nothing more than annoying faults.

Can products under electrical recall cause damage to electrics?

Yes they can. As electricians in London, we have on several occasions carried out repair work on home electrical installations that have been damaged as a result of an electrical item on product recall. Electrical items under product recall could be at high risk of catching fire – this may be the reason for the recall in the first place. If a fire was to occur then damage caused to the socket and internal wiring can be extensive and costly to repair. In worse cases a serious house fire could occur.

Here at Fulcher Edwards, we highly recommend that you act on a product recall notice should you receive one and never leave your electrical safety to chance. If you are concerned that an electrical item subject to product recall could have caused damage to your electrics, we recommend that you contact a qualified and registered electrician as soon as you can.

Damage can become more costly to repair the longer it is left, so ask an electrician to investigate sooner rather than later.