PCB Fire!!!

[frontshop]

Hi Everybody

Can anyone help, for nearly a year now I have been trying to find out why my dishwasher set on fire! I have narrowed it down to the relay HF3FD fitted on the Flextronics PCB that I feel is underrated for the potential failures during the dishwasher operation. If anyone out there can shed further light on this matter please help me, you can view my findings and pictures here:

dishwasherfire.blogspot.co.uk

Advanced thanks for any help

 

[trev]

Why have you spent so much time on this? Are you having difficulty getting your insurers to pay out?

 

[frontshop]

No i want to save lives

 

[trev]

How have you narrowed it down to this one relay and do you have any particular expertise in this area. I not asking this to have a go at you mate it's just that if you're going to go up against a big company you're going to need them to take you seriously

 

[frontshop]

I understand where your coming from Trev. Yes I have a little knowledge in this field. And I also forced Hotpoint to go public with a recall after nearly a year of persistently telling them of the potential death trap they have on their hands. I would like to be able to pinpoint the exact problem. I have several ideas from professionals but need to confirm 100% One of the other problems is that I know of several other models that have not been recalled that have set on fire with the exact same component and know that people may be going to bed tonight putting their dishwashers on unaware what may happen...

 

[Marvo]

Didn't we have a thread somewhere about a national recall of dishwashers because of a fire hazard??

Sit tight, I'll see if I can find it.

*Edit* Okay Ive tracked it down. It was made a sticky in the General Electrical forum but I think it's only Bosch, Neff and Siemens products that were affected.

 

[frontshop]

Thanks for the reply Marvo. There have been a few manufacturers that have issued recalls, that's not the issue I know that different manufacturers have the same relay that seems to be the problem! Once the actual cause is identified I know more products will be recalled. Also the UK recall system is a shambles. Out of 2 million product recalls that are current only 1 million have been traced...

 

[Marvo]

I'm sympathetic to your cause regarding the ineffectiveness of the recall system in general. I'm a bit uncomfortable with the specific focus on the specific Hotpoint product in the opening post, it's a fine line between it being a possible design flaw where highlighting it could save lives and it being a legal issue if it's not a design flaw and your tirade is detrimental to their brand.

Can you give specific information on the other professional opinions you say you have already received.

 

[richy3333]

Was it made by Electrium?

 

[frontshop]

Ok Marvo I purchased a dishwasher with hard earned money from Hotpoint. The said machine that with faith I placed in my family home nearly killed us. That I would say is a tirade. But the very last thing I would like to enter into is any kind of conflict. If you are uncomfortable with anything I have said I apologise but my 5 year old son is far more important than any company and like I stated it is not only Hotpoint that has this problem. Lets pray that all affected dishwashers are located before any life is lost. Again to clarify I have no qualm with anyone %0 dishwasher fires so far this year that the Amazing Fire Service has attended, I want everyone to know the truth.

 

[trev]

Knowing Marvo, he isn't uncomfortable with anything you're saying Frontshop. As a moderator he has to take a kind of devil's advocate approach to some threads and this is one of those occassions.

 

[Hundleton1]

Rated at 10A

 

[Marvo]

Ok Marvo I purchased a dishwasher with hard earned money from Hotpoint. The said machine that with faith I placed in my family home nearly killed us. That I would say is a tirade. But the very last thing I would like to enter into is any kind of conflict. If you are uncomfortable with anything I have said I apologise but my 5 year old son is far more important than any company and like I stated it is not only Hotpoint that has this problem. Lets pray that all affected dishwashers are located before any life is lost. Again to clarify I have no qualm with anyone %0 dishwasher fires so far this year that the Amazing Fire Service has attended, I want everyone to know the truth.

I don't doubt you story or your resolve to escalate action to the level of a recall and maybe 'tirade' wasn't the English word I was looking for.
I'd still like more info though, I'm not understanding what your hoping to achieve. You had a Hotpoint dishwasher that caught fire because of a faulty or 'underrated' relay. Have Hotpoint subsequently initiated a national recall on that particular model?

 

[frontshop]

It's ok Trev you don't have to justify Marvo. I only posted on here for help. Thankfully over the last 12 months I have received plenty of that. Sometimes in life we take the wrong path, today has been one of those. I think this will be my last comment

 

[frontshop]

I don't doubt you story or your resolve to escalate action to the level of a recall and maybe 'tirade' wasn't the English word I was looking for.
I'd still like more info though, I'm not understanding what your hoping to achieve. You had a Hotpoint dishwasher that caught fire because of a faulty or 'underrated' relay. Have Hotpoint subsequently initiated a national recall on that particular model?

You may wish to actually read what I have wrote Marvo then you will know if Hotpoint has issued a recall