I think my tumble dryer might burst into flames overnight.

[ThanksForAllTheFish]

Posting here for traffic as it’s lateat night and I know this is the most popular topic.

I’m not sure if there is something smouldering away inside it and I’m afraid it will go on fire overnight.

I washed some things earlier and stuck them in the dryer so they would be ready for the morning. I don’t trust my dryer to run overnight unattended. I noticed it was making the noise it makes when the water is draining but it wasn’t turning so I remived the clothes and unplugged it from the wall there is a faint burning plasticity smell coming from it, similar to the smell an adaper plug gets when it’s really warm or the smell that you get from a laptop charger when it’s been plugged in for ages (I hope you know the smell I’m talking about as it’s hard to explain).

It is one of the indesit models that was listed as. Fire risk but we have had the free modification done already and had no issues up to now.

I’m now sitting here, afraid to go to bed as I’m worried the house might burn down overnight if the bloody thing catches fire. I’m considering waking up DH and getting him to help me move the thing outside, I know he will be grumpy as hell if I wake him as he will think I’m being paranoid. I would take it out myself but we are on the first floor and I couldn’t manage it down the three flights of stairs myself,

I’m checking on it periodically and it doesn’t appear to be getting any warmer but it’s not really cooling down either.

What would you do in this situation?

Can you not switch it off at the mains?

I’ve already pulled the plug out of the wall. The machine is cooler to the touch now but I can still smell the warm plastic smell.

These tumble dryers have been catching fire for years, fluff builds up inside the machine whatever it gets into on the internal parts of the machine causes it to catch fire. The modification apparently fixes the issue but several machines have caught fire after the modification.

www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/2017/02/hotpoint,-indesit,-creda,-swan-and-proline-tumble-dryers/

I’m honestly so tired and just want to go to bed now.

Have you left the tumble dryer door open?

I think you've done all you reasonably can. Surely if it's cooling down, unplugged and door open then the risk is reduced?

As long as it is switched off at the mains then nothing will happen.
I have had this problem before and it’s like a burning rubber smell which will stay for a few hours, it’s the rubber seal needs replacing.
Don’t use it again until you get it checked out.

All is well. The thing did eventually cool down, I will take it apart tonight and have a look. I don’t think it’s the rubber seals as the drum has stopped spinning. To be honest the thing is 9 years old now anyway so I was expecting it to need replaced soon. At least the weather is nice so I can still put things outside to dry.

I was worried last night as I’d read stories previously of these faulty dryers catching fire hours after they had been used.

I've ranted on here before about how appalling I think the entire whirlpool/hotpoint response to these faulty dryers is.
BBC Watchdog and Which? have both raised concerns that these modifications aren't actually safe or successful.

I would contact them and demand someone comes out to check it for free.

Actually because I didn't want one of their machines in my house I made them come and collect it. Took quite a few emails to do so, but I found copying in the CEO [email protected]