Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is encouraging local residents to take a few minutes to register their household appliances.


With less than a third of these large white goods registered when they were purchased, it can be difficult for manufacturers to contact customers if a safety repair is ever needed.


Two thirds of people have never registered an older appliance that they may have bought a couple of years ago, found in their homes when they moved in, were given by family or friends, or bought second-hand.


Mark Thomas, Group Manager for Prevention at MFRS, said: “We attend around 900 accidental dwelling fires each year in Merseyside, with around 500 of these involving cooking appliances. In 2018, our crews attended 97 fires involving other domestic appliances, around 30 of which were caused by tumble dryers and 20 by washing machines. A small number were caused by other domestic appliances including fridge freezers and dishwashers.


“It is extremely important that householders check to see if their products are subject to a safety repair. When you buy a new product, make sure you fill in the paperwork that comes with it – not just for the warranty, but also to ensure manufacturers can contact you in relation to a product recall."


In a small number of cases, manufacturers may identify problems with a model once the product has been in use for some time. They then need to contact owners to get the fault corrected as quickly as possible. Normally a quick in-home fix by a qualified technician will remove any risk, but it can be very difficult to trace customers, particularly if they purchased some time ago.


GM Thomas added: “We would urge people to ensure they have at least one working smoke alarm on every floor of the house and that they test this each week. Don’t leave domestic appliances switched on overnight or when you are out of the property.


“If you are unsure if your appliance is subject to a product recall, unplug it and contact the manufacturer or distributor for further advice.”


For further information, visit https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/