Fridge freezers with metal backs

SuzieSue

Does anyone know which !!!!!! have metal backs? The Watchdog programme

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05511x8/watchdog-test-house-series-2-episode-1
mentioned that two manufacturers do make !!!!!! with metal backs but didn't say which ones.

More info on the dangers of !!!!!! with plastic backs here:

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/LatestNewsReleases_Fridgefreezerdelayputtinglivesatrisk.asp

onomatopoeia99

Oh! This explains the telephone call I had from my parents yesterday evening talking about fridge freezers catching on fire! They've only had one for six months (larder fridge in the kitchen and chest freezer in the garage before) .

It's all very well talking about the plastic burning, but it doesn't spontaneously combust, so there must be another fault first. I'm more interested in what starts the fire.

SuzieSue

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

It's all very well talking about the plastic burning, but it doesn't spontaneously combust, so there must be another fault first. I'm more interested in what starts the fire.

Yes, there will be another fault which starts the fire which is the case with all electrical equipment and there is nothing much you can do about it.

The point the program was making was that once a fire has started, the !!!!!! with plastic backs cause enough smoke to kill someone within 3 minutes but the one with a metal back extinguished itself.

I remember reading a while ago that most of the !!!!!! sold in the UK would be illegal in the US as they are much more aware of the fire risk than we are. How many more people have to die before our safety authorities do something?

lstar337

SuzieSue wrote: »

How many more people have to die before our safety authorities do something?

How many people have died from that specific cause?

chrisw

Yes, I bought an LG fridge freezer from Currys just before Christmas which has a metal back and grill over the motor like they show in the film. More by luck than judgement though.

SuzieSue

lstar337 wrote: »

How many people have died from that specific cause?

According to the London Fire Brigade:

Despite seven deaths and 71 serious injuries in London since 2010, we believe most manufacturers are still dragging their heels on making fire safety improvements.

Hintza

Get a decent smoke alarm fitted and that will warn you.

SuzieSue

Hintza wrote: »

Get a decent smoke alarm fitted and that will warn you.

But that is the problem, the ones with plastic backs cause a serious fire within 3 minutes. As the fireman said on the program yesterday, it takes a few minutes for people to wake up if they are asleep and that is if the smoke hasn't already killed you.

peachyprice

My Samsung has a metal back.

SuzieSue

Hintza wrote: »

Get a decent smoke alarm fitted and that will warn you.

Although I think smoke alarms are essential (I have several around the house), I think that they also give people a false sense of security and they think they will save their lives if there is a fire and that they don't need to take other precautions. The programme showed yesterday that this isn't true.

mini_cooper2

Please let us know the model number of the LG fridge-freezer you bought with the metal back