http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33125685

 

Yes, when you make a million of something that plugs into the wall, you are bound to have problems. Fortunately, companies large enough to sell millions of units are aware of this and (in my experience) go to great lengths to obtain and retain relevant safety marks, and that goes a long way toward minimizing these sorts of problems.

It is the small companies that fly under the radar or the makers of one-off devices that i worry about.

 

Hello Dick,

Well I worry about at least one of the very large companies named in that report.

We have a considerable thread concerning the repair of just such a washing machine, that caught fire, by that company, and a les than complimentary report from a repair tech here who specialised in this brand and its stable.

 

Many years ago (40+ now) a friend of mines parents house burned down due to an electrical fire.

Ever since then his dad has absolutely refused to use any propane based heating systems of an sort even though it was proven that the fire they had had nothing to do with any of their propane fueled appliances of the day.

Yea I can't make the connection any better than anyone else but hey it makes him sleep better at night. Especially so when he has hsi 2000 watt electric block heaters for his payloaders and semi truck plugged into 100' 16 ga power cords in the winter.

 

Fortunately, companies large enough to sell millions of units are aware of this and (in my experience) go to great lengths to obtain and retain relevant safety marks, and that goes a long way toward minimizing these sorts of problems.

I think the salient point is that, "obtaining relevant safety marks" might not be very comforting because the criteria for certification might not be keeping up with the technology.