Indesit / Hotpoint (Whirlpool) Washing Machine Recall UK/Ireland/EU generally

[iej]

It seems Whirlpool has inherited a lot of issues from their acquisition of Indesit (including the Hotpoint brand in Europe) with yet another fire risk recall; this time involving washing machines.

This in addition to previous recalls involving tumble dryers of the same brands.

It impacts up to 519,000 in machines in the UK and a further 11,000 washing machines sold in Ireland.

There is a fire risk involving the door lock mechanism:

“When the heating element in the washing machine is activated, in very rare cases a component in the door lock system can overheat, which, depending on product features, can pose a risk of fire,”

The Journal (Ireland) : https://www.thejournal.ie/whirlpool-recall-4937553-Dec2019/

Whirlpool Ireland : https://washingmachinerecall.whirlpool.ie
Call: 0818 903 218 (Calls charged as if calling a normal landline)

Whirlpool UK: https://washingmachinerecall.whirlpool.co.uk
Call: 0800 316 1442 (Free)

NB: their sites are currently not working properly due to huge demand (17 December)

Sky News Article:
https://news.sky.com/story/whirlpool-recall-is-your-washing-machine-affected-11889015

The models involved seem to be as follows - Please do not take this list to be exhaustive and if you own one of these brands check the model and serial number with Whirlpool's websites for the UK or Republic of Ireland.

The UK models listed are:

FML 742P UK Hotpoint
WMAOD 743G UK Hotpoint
WMAOD 743P UK Hotpoint
WMAQB 721P UK.M Hotpoint
WMAQC 641P UK.M Hotpoint
WMAQC 741G UK Hotpoint
WMAQC 741P UK Hotpoint
WMAQC 741P UK.M Hotpoint
WMAQF 621G UK Hotpoint
WMAQF 621P UK Hotpoint
WMAQF 641 P UK.M Hotpoint
WMAQF 721G UK Hotpoint
WMAQF 721P UK.M Hotpoint
WMAQL 621G UK Hotpoint
WMBF 742G UK Hotpoint
WMBF 742K UK Hotpoint
WMBF 742P UK Hotpoint
WMBF 742P UK.M Hotpoint
WMBF 763P UK Hotpoint
WMEF 722 BC UK Hotpoint
WMEF 742 P UK Hotpoint
WMEUF 722P UK Hotpoint
WMEUF 743G UK Hotpoint
WMEUF 743P UK Hotpoint
WMFG 741P UK Hotpoint
WMFG 741P UK.M Hotpoint
WMFUG 742 P UK.M Hotpoint
WMFUG 742G UK Hotpoint
WMFUG 742P UK Hotpoint
WMFUG 842P UK.M Hotpoint
WMJLF 842P UK Hotpoint
WMJLL 742P UK Hotpoint
WMSAQG 621P UK Hotpoint
WMXTF 742G UK Hotpoint
WMXTF 742K UK Hotpoint
WMXTF 742P UK Hotpoint
WMXTF 742P UK.M Hotpoint
WMXTF 842P UK.M Hotpoint
WMYL 7151PS UK Hotpoint
XWA 81252X K UK Indesit
XWA 81252X W UK Indesit
XWD 71452X K UK Indesit

 

[chestermikeuk]

Recall..

How to acquire a brand and trash into oblivion, that ones firmly at Indesits door, Whirlpool must rue the day that acquisition went ahead !!

But this looks like by date its firmly on Whirlpools watch ?? so its one of their 3rd party supplies with defective parts...

 

[iej]

I'd say it'll be a hugely wasted investment as I would guess they'll likely have to drop the brands due to justifiably negative press.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Hmm. The article I read a few days ago, suggested it was confined to UK and Ireland only.

It makes you wonder whether this is a batch manufacturing fault with the component (door lock assembly), or perhaps some fool has yet again, forgotten to take account of UK 'over voltage':

"Manufacturers usually allow a further margin of safety and, if the voltage does occasionally fall outside these limits, there should be no adverse effect on your appliances. In the UK, the declared voltage and tolerance for an electricity supply is 230 volts -6%, +10%. This gives an allowed voltage range of 216.2 volts to 253.0 volts."

(courtesy of Scottish Power Ltd)

 

[lotsosudz]

Another fine Whirlpool Product!

I realize Whirlpool did not make the product, However their name is on yet another dud product. with Whirlpool the quality goes out, before the name goes on! I myself, would not give you a plug nickel for any of their products made today. They have long since negated any quality of product, in the rush of buying up everyone, to monopolize the market with inferior products. Used to be quality, but alas, long gone.
Just my opinion.
Dugs and Happy Holidays to Each and Everyone of You!!!!
David

 

[iej]

It wouldn't be impacting the Ireland then, as the voltage is the same as Continental Europe. Our spec was always 220V (380V) 50Hz going right back to 1928. In contrast to the UK settling on 240/415. The 230V harmonisation formula here is exactly the same as France, Germany etc, not GB.

It looks like a quality control issue and in this market there would be fairly seriously litigious customers.

 

[iej]

Just checked an ESB Networks (public company that owns and operates the distribution system here) document and it's designed for 207-244V (nominally 230V -10% to +6%). [The UK is -6% to +10%, so the CENELEC and IEC band is 230V -10 to +10.].

ESB have contingency levels in a fault situation that will allow voltage as low as 195V without tripping out, but they seem to cap the peak voltage at 230V +6% in the design. Effectively it's still a 220 volt system.

In reality, in my experience of measuring it with a plug in meter, it hovers at about 225V in my house. I've never seen it go beyond 233V and it's low is about 215V.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Whirlpool

James if Whirlpool ditch the brand names, Indesit / Hotpoint over the dryers & Washers what will they have left ? their own name is long gone from quality and reliability as David has mentioned above...
I only wish Indesit could take the wrap for it....but once again this tech specced part is firmly on Whirlpools shoulders cos of the dates !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Whirlpool

Callum interesting thought, we will await the inquiry outcome and hope no more deaths occur !!

David (lej) good to know the numbers stack up at this point, any ideas how popular Hotpoint still is with you recent years ??

 

[chestermikeuk]

Whirlpool

David (loadsosudz) Yes am afraid you are very true here now as well, Whirlpool when merged with Philips had a great range of reliable front and v-axis laundry products here for many years but with all companys
the bean counters have stripped back so far you almost need a built in repair man with a vanload of parts 24/7 outside your house and a bank vault to pay for it !!

This is one to watch and hopefully enough consumer response that sweeping changes are made to quality reliability and pricing !!

 

[iej]

It's hard to know but in general in stores like Harvey Norman, DID and so on the most prominent brands seem to be Bosch, Samsung, AEG, Siemens etc.

Have a browse of www.harveynorman.ie or www.did.ie for a sense of it.

I've been noticing that since Haier took over Candy that Hoover and Candy seem to be pushing Indesit brands out. Beko is also pretty popular.

I think there's less brand loyalty here for Hotpoint and Hoover though than I see in England. Perhaps a lot of UK consumers still perceive them as British made brands? Whereas over here that wouldn't really be any more of a selling point that Made in Italy or something.

Whirlpool as a washing machine brand here seems to be a mixed bag. They produced and badged some absolute garbage machines over the years. I'd say everyone rented a flat with a cheap as chips Whirlpool badged Merloni made washer dryer. I certainly remember one that sort of moulded in bumps in the drum instead of proper paddles and wouldn't even turn the clothes over. The tended to bounce instead of tumbling.

Philips machines were great and up there with Bosch and Siemens but since it went from Philips Whirlpool to just Whirlpool it seems to have really slipped.

Whirlpool has always somewhat tried to position itself as premium with the 6th Sense branding and so on, but they just seem totally confused as a brand. I would much sooner trust Electrolux or BSH.

I also suspect the Whirlpool brand carries more historically good reputation the US than in Europe. Philips is a premium brand but Whirlpool was relatively unheard of and I don't think it's ever really developed any kind of brand loyalty as it's never really been very impressive.

 

[liberator1509]

Another nail in Hotpoint's coffin! Given the disastrous handling of the dryer recall (which included my now replaced Aqaurius dryer), I can't see them doing much better with this one.

Lej is correct - brands like Samsung and LG are displayed as mid-premium, with Beko following up the 'cheap and cheerful' place in many of the multiples. The longstanding Irish appreciation of brands perceived as German as go-to for quality means that Siemens/Bosch and Miele are the up-market choice.

Hotpoint appear to be on the decline here. Of course the population who saw Hotpoint as a high-quality, well-engineered marque in the 60s to 80s is naturally dying out too, though one could argue that the build quality died out long before them.