Just as car manufacturers often have to recall certain models because of faulty parts that pose a danger to drivers and need to be replaced, have you ever wondered if the same could apply to the household appliances that we all purchase from time to time for our homes? In the UK recently, appliance brand Beko, which isn’t available locally, announced that several of its 6 and 7 kg condenser tumble dryers may be affected by a faulty third-party capacitor that could fail, overheat and pose a potential fire risk.
According to the manufacturer, the warning applies to around 51 000 appliances, of which 30 000 are in consumers’ homes. This type of occurrence highlights the need for testing electrical equipment thoroughly to prevent injuries, save lives and avoid fires in the workplace or home, the results of which can be catastrophic for households and businesses.
Portable appliance test instrumentation specialist, Seaward, represented in South Africa by Instrotech Test & Measurement, manufactures a comprehensive range of portable appliance testers and accessories, which are used widely in electrical equipment preventative maintenance programmes and enable users to verify the electrical safety of all types of appliances quickly and effectively.
Beko has put a voluntary corrective action programme into place, including national and regional press advertising, to make consumers aware of the problem and to get them to check their tumble dryers to see if they own any of the models affected. Are South African manufacturers and/or users doing enough to ensure that the same problem doesn’t occur here?
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