First it was Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphones catching fire and exploding, now it is the company’s washing machines blowing up. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled 2.8m Samsung washing machines after the South Korean manufacturer received 733 reports of “excessive vibration or the top detaching from the washing machine chassis”. On Good Morning America, Elliot Kaye, the chairman of the CPSC, described “a very serious hazard of the top of these washing machines completely blowing off”.
Nine injuries have been reported, including a broken jaw, an injured shoulder, and other fall-related injuries. One woman reported a washer top flying off and hitting her in the back, causing her to “collide into a cabinet”. All of which conjures up a domestic nightmare of marauding washing machines blowing their lids and attacking their owners.
But how dangerous is the washing machine? A 2015 Which? investigation found that fridges, washing machines and dishwashers caused 12,000 fires in the UK between 2011 and 2014. The washing machine was found to be the deadliest home appliance of all. The apex predator of the home, if you like. Based on government data, washing machines were responsible for 14% of fires caused by faulty appliances in the period investigated, with tumble dryers and dishwashers close behind. (Irons were the least dangerous, accounting for 1% of household fires.) All three appliances combine electricity and water. They are also the ones we tend to leave on overnight or when we leave the house. It is enough to make you go and hide under your hazardous electric blanket (cause of 2% of the fires).
Are some brands safer than others? The Which? report states that in the UK “more Hoover washing machines and Hotpoint dishwashers caught fire than we would necessarily expect”. Earlier this year, it warned that hundreds of UK households could be at risk from exploding washing machines after an investigation found 280 appliances, 115 of which were manufactured by Beko, were left with shattered doors after exploding. Experts said the problem was caused by coins, keys and children’s toys hitting the glass at high speed and weakening it over time. Newer models with bigger doors and higher spin cycles were thought to be more prone to exploding. One of the biggest sins is probably one we all commit: overfilling the drum.
In the US, Samsung has already faced lawsuits over its washing machines. In the highest-profile case, three consumers filed a suit against the company, alleging their washing machines exploded while in use and that Samsung has known about the problem for years. One of the plaintiffs, Melissa Thaxton, described her machine coming apart in its final spin cycle: “Without warning, the washing machine just exploded. It sounded like a bomb went off in my ear.”
In 2013, Samsung ordered a recall of around 150,000 washing machines in Australia, after rescue services reported a succession of house fires believed to be caused by the company’s appliances. As for the latest spate in North America, Samsung is offering to fix machines at no cost and a one-year guarantee, an exchange rebate, or a full refund for eligible customers. Just don’t use a Galaxy Note 7 to call for a repair.
