Appliance safety information

Appliances combine mains electricity, water, heat and weight. These rules apply to every page on FaultAid. If our page and your manual differ, follow the more cautious one.

What you can safely do

• Check settings, the child lock, the door and the power at the socket.
• Check that taps are fully open and visible hoses aren’t kinked or damaged.
• Clean the parts manufacturers design for users to clean: the drain pump filter behind the front flap, inlet hose filters, the detergent drawer, dishwasher filters and spray arms, and tumble dryer fluff filters and condensers.
• Level the appliance and adjust how you load it.
• Switch off at the wall and restart once. If a code returns, that’s a sign to stop, not to keep resetting.

Always unplug first, with dry hands, before you touch hoses, filters or the back of an appliance.

What we never tell you to do

• Remove covers, panels, kick plates or the back of an appliance.
• Test or work on anything while it is plugged in.
• Bypass or force door locks, thermal cut-outs, leak protection or any other safety device.
• Tilt or tip an appliance to clear a fault.
• Use a damaged hose, plug or cable “for now”.
• Any work on gas appliances.

Tumble dryers and fire safety

Electrical Safety First says tumble dryers are involved in many UK household fires and are often recalled. Clean the fluff filter after every load, never plug a dryer into an extension lead, don’t run it overnight or while you’re out, let the cool-down phase finish, and never dry clothes contaminated with oil, grease or solvents.

Extension leads and electrics

Plug washing machines, dishwashers and dryers directly into a wall socket. Don’t ignore burn marks, crackling, blown fuses or tripping circuit breakers: unplug and contact the manufacturer, the retailer or a qualified repair technician, or a registered electrician for the wiring. An RCD in your consumer unit protects against electric shock.

Check for recalls

Find your appliance’s model and serial number on its rating label and search the GOV.UK product safety alerts, reports and recalls register and the manufacturer’s website. Registering your appliance with the manufacturer means they can contact you about recalls.

Gas appliances

FaultAid doesn’t cover gas appliances. Any gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you smell gas, don’t smoke or use matches, don’t touch electrical switches, open doors and windows, turn the gas off at the meter if it’s safe to reach, and call the gas emergency number 0800 111 999 (free, 24 hours). National Gas emergency contacts.

Our responsibility, and yours

FaultAid gives general information from manufacturer guidance. It isn’t a substitute for your manual or for a qualified engineer looking at your appliance. If you are unsure at any point, stop and get professional help. See also how we check and our terms.