OPSS publishes Safety Reports on heat pump tumble dryer fire risk

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published Safety Reports in May 2025 alerting consumers to the risk of fire in certain heat pump tumble dryer models, and recommended that affected consumers seek a modification from the company¹. The brands involved are Candy, Baumatic, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Lamona, Iberna and Montpellier¹.

The OPSS has since served Haier, the electrical manufacturer, with an immediate "Requirement to Warn" Notice, placing the company under a statutory obligation to contact owners who took part in its recent Corrective Action Programme¹. More than 17,000 owners whose appliances were modified by Haier must stop using them immediately because a fire risk still exists, the OPSS said¹. It told Haier that its modification programme was not satisfactory, so the company must inform those affected to switch off their appliance immediately¹.

The OPSS subsequently halted the initial repair programme over concerns that the modification was still unsafe². Following a review of Haier's updated modification, the company was informed it could resume its programme and begin contacting consumers once again². From early September, Haier will contact customers whose machines had previously been repaired to arrange a new safety modification².

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, in a page carrying a May 2025 warning, said people with a heat pump tumble dryer are being urged to check them following the OPSS warning affecting the eight brands, and advised that affected models should be stopped immediately³. It also set out general tumble dryer guidance: lint removed after every load, vents and openings not covered, areas around the dryer swept or vacuumed regularly to prevent fluff build up, and dryers not used while sleeping or away from home³. It advises checking the OPSS for alerts or recalls, registering appliances bought in the last 12 years with the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances so manufacturers can make contact if a safety repair is needed, and updating details if the owner or appliance moves³.

Why it matters for households

The warning covers heat pump tumble dryers sold under eight brands: Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Iberna, Lamona and Montpellier¹. The OPSS says consumers with one of these brands should use the links it provides to check whether their model is affected and contact the company¹. For the more than 17,000 owners whose machines were modified under Haier's Corrective Action Programme, the OPSS position is that the fire risk still exists and the appliance should be switched off immediately¹. The fire service's general guidance on dryer use and appliance registration applies to households with these machines³.

What happens next

From early September, Haier will contact customers whose machines had previously been repaired to arrange a new safety modification, after the OPSS reviewed the updated modification and allowed the programme to resume². The OPSS has not reported a completion date for that programme.

Households wanting to check whether an appliance is subject to a recall can do so through the OPSS alerts and recalls pages, as the fire service directs³. Our guide on leaving a tumble dryer or dishwasher on overnight covers the wider question of running appliances unattended, and the home emergencies hub sets out the household failures we cover.