As rising costs prompts more people to consider buying second-hand large domestic appliances, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) is urging householders to register all appliances, whether brand new or pre-loved.
More than 40 million large appliances in use in UK homes are unlikely to be registered with the manufacturers, rendering them extremely hard to trace if a safety repair is ever needed.
HFRS is supporting the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliance’s (AMDEA) campaign this week to remind appliance users to register appliances with the manufacturer, be they small or large, and bought, ‘adopted’ or ‘inherited’.
Sarah Wilkinson, Head of Prevention says: “Many may have snapped up a bargain in the New Year sales or are considering buying second hand to help save money, as well as for environmental reasons.
“Some will also be installing products pre-used by another member of their family or maybe adopting an appliance already connected when they moved into a new place.
"Registering means the manufacturer knows where to find it in case of a safety repair or recall. It’s also good for anybody in rented or housing association accommodation, where appliances may already be connected within the property.
“Everybody should take this opportunity to register their domestic appliances to reduce the risk of home fires and for their own peace of mind. Love your appliance, safeguard your home."
While recalls on home appliances are rare, issues with the equipment can develop over time and a simple, free in-home adjustment by a qualified engineer can ensure a longer and safer life for machines. Registermyappliance.org.uk provides free and easy access to 70 leading brands sold in the UK. Many accept registration of products at least 12 years old and no proof of purchase is needed. As well as advice on correct maintenance, safe usage and installation.
Checking electrical items plugs, cables and chargers is as important as registering large domestic appliances, and there are danger signs to look out for on all electrical items you have around your home. If you think something needs fixing or changing, do it immediately.
Top safety tips
Keep an eye out for the following:
- Hot plugs or sockets, scorch marks, fuses that often blow, or flickering lights – they are all are signs of loose wiring or other electrical problems
- Badly wired plugs – any wires sticking out could come loose and debris could also get into the plug
- Overloaded sockets – plugging too many electrical appliances into one socket can lead to overheating
- Getting frayed and damaged – make sure the outer covering of all power leads is in good condition and replace if necessary
- Being badly positioned – they shouldn’t be anywhere that they could be tripped over, or near water, cookers or other sources of heat
- Running them under rugs or carpets where they can wear through without anyone noticing – position them elsewhere
- Use sockets safely – it’s better to use a bar adaptor (multi board) on a lead than a block adaptor
- only use one adaptor per socket – don’t plug one adaptor into another and try to keep to one plug per socket
- Avoid running appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers overnight, only leave those that are designed to be left on, such as fridge freezers
- Make sure that you have a working smoke alarm on each floor of your property – if a fire does start, this will give you a chance to get out safely and call 999 for help.