Is this Whirlpool washer likely to start a fire? Whirlpool says no, but consumers say otherwise.
An important step in remodeling or restoring your home is to make sure that your appliances are maintained and working safely. Otherwise it would be a shame to have all the time and effort put into your home go to waste when your dishwasher lights up in flames like a Roman candle on the Fourth of July.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 150,000 residential fires have caused $547 million in property damage and 150 deaths in just a two-year period from 2006 to 2008. These fires were found to have been all ignited by home appliances. In a closer study, Consumer Reports found that 50% of the appliance fires from 2002 to 2009 were caused by human mistakes, animals or storms while the other half was due to faulty product. [Read more…]