Fulcher Edwards Ltd: Why registering your appliance is so important

Now that another New Year has been and gone, those sparkling new gadgets that you received for Christmas will now be a part of your life! How do you know that they'll carry on providing you with a great service? Even the best quality products can develop faults and it is essential that you are made aware if this is the case.

Look out for that little card in the box!

You may well have overlooked a small card in the box which mentioned registering your appliance. Now you would be easily forgiven for ignoring the advice for fear of receiving relentless amounts of junk mail as a result of filling it in. However this card is not actually for this purpose. It is there for your own protection and peace of mind. In general the card serves two purposes:

To guarantee the product
To inform you of any product recalls

You may well have a guarantee in place from the retailer but manufacturers guarantees often last far longer and it is well worth your while registering for additional guarantee on offer. Perhaps what is far more important is that the manufacturer will be able to contact you in the event of a product recall.

Got it! But what about my older appliances I've forgotten to register?

Once a customer realises the importance of filling in that all important card, panic can quickly set in when considering the whole multitude of other appliances in the home that were never registered. Luckily there is help at hand. A brilliant website known as Register My Appliance allows you to register the details of all electrical products in your home. In turn you will be made aware of any product recalls, safety repairs and upgrades that are available for your individual items.

Why you should register your appliances on this website

If you've had some electrical items a number of years or even if you've recently moved, you probably hadn't thought of contacting the manufacturer to change your address (there’s enough of those already!) With Register My Appliance you are able to receive any notices directly via email wherever you are living.

Register My Appliance is supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and ROSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.)

Product recalls are easily fixed

One of the main problems faced with product recalls is the ease of which potential problems can be rectified if the customer gets in contact. However leaving an item currently under recall can cause all manner of problems including electrical shock, fire and even explosion.

Getting a product fixed under product recall is often very simple. Normally a technician will visit your home and carry out the repair at a time that suits you. It makes sense to register your products so that manufacturers can contact you if necessary.

Avoiding electrical appliance malfunction

As electricians in South East London, we often receive call outs after an electrical appliance has malfunctioned. In many cases it is misuse by the customer that has lead to the problem occurring. Make sure you follow these safety tips when using electrical appliances:

Ensure you have working smoke alarms in your home

Smoke alarms can alert you quickly to a problem. If an appliance has overheated and a fire has occurred you may not be aware until the fire is out of control without a smoke alarm.

Don't overload extension leads

Here at Fulcher Edwards, We have lost count of the amount of times we have seen overloaded extension leads. There may be four spaces on a lead, but together the products used on it should not exceed 3000 watts of energy. Overloaded extension leads can cause overheating and fire.

Keep electrical appliances indoors

A common mistake that is often made is having electrical appliances located in areas that are not 'household temperature'. We have seen freezers in outhouses, washing machines in garages and tumble dryers in conservatories. The problem is the temperature. When the temperature drops it can cause malfunctioning. The cold weather can affect sensitive electric components which are only designed to operate in ambient temperatures.

Use an RCD socket if necessary when using electrical products outside

If your home is not protected by an RCD then we highly recommend you use an RCD socket or plug when carrying out work outside. Electrical items designed for outdoor use are more susceptible to electrical dangers. Water that may have leaked onto the item, damp grass, accidentally chopping through the cable are all real dangers when using electrical equipment outside.

Take care with appliances with no on/off switch

Electrical appliances which do not switch on or off such as irons, need to be unplugged when not in use. Accidentally leaving these appliances on can lead to overheating, fire and damage to upholstery or carpets.

Keep instruction manuals

Instruction manuals can be a godsend should you need to refer to them at some point. If there is a power cut for example, it can be useful to find out how to reset the clock! Instruction manuals can also help if you sell the product or if you rent your home.