The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) added information on a modification programme covering various heat pump tumble dryers to its Product Recalls and Alerts guidance, in an update dated 27 May 20251. The entry states that the appliances present a risk of fire because an internal short circuit is possible during normal use1.
The brands named in the entry are Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Iberna, Lamona and Montpellier1. Owners of these brands are directed to a link to check whether their specific product is affected and to register it for modification if necessary1. The entry links to a Haier Heat Pump Tumble Dryer Corrective Action Programme page1.
"Various heat pump tumble dryers present a risk of fire as it is possible for an internal short circuit to occur within them during normal use. Owners are strongly advised to stop using them immediately and contact the manufacturer to arrange for a modification to take place."
The OPSS distinguishes between three types of entry on the list. Product recalls cover specific products sold in the UK and may require action to obtain a free replacement, repair or refund from the manufacturer or a retailer. Product safety reports cover specific products found in the UK where corrective measures other than a recall have been ordered by an authority or are being undertaken by a business. Product safety alerts highlight product categories or sectors with risks of serious injury or fatality1. The tumble dryer entry sits within the modification programme section of the page1.
Products presenting a serious or high risk, and those recalled or subject to a modification programme, are published on the list1. The list does not cover food and drink, vehicles, or medicines and medical devices1. Product safety regulation in the UK is the responsibility of market surveillance authorities, including OPSS and local trading standards authorities, and unsafe products identified through investigation, or notified by a business, must be notified on the Product Safety Database1. The guidance also refers to PAS 7100:2022 on Product Recall and Other Corrective Actions: Code of Practice1.
Why it matters for households
A heat pump tumble dryer is a high-draw appliance that runs for long periods, often unattended or overnight, so a fire risk inside the unit is a household safety matter rather than a performance one. The OPSS wording is that owners are strongly advised to stop using the affected machines immediately and contact the manufacturer to arrange a modification1. The programme is a corrective action rather than a recall, which means the remedy described is a modification carried out through the manufacturer, not a replacement or refund under the recall route1.
For a home's energy arrangements, the practical effect is a gap in laundry drying capacity until the modification is arranged. Heat pump dryers are typically chosen for lower running costs than condenser or vented models, and a household that stops using one may fall back on other drying methods while the work is pending. Nothing in the entry sets out how long a modification takes, what it involves, or whether any interim alternative is offered; those details have not been reported in the guidance1.
Checking whether a specific machine is affected depends on the brand list and the linked product safety reports, which the OPSS says should be used to confirm whether an individual product is covered and to register it1. The general framework for how such products are marked and regulated in the UK is set out in the site's guide to product markings and standards, with the wider framework covered in the regulation and policy hub.
What happens next
The guidance page carries a rolling log of updates, with the most recent listed as 25 August 20261. No completion date, modification schedule or closing date for the programme is given in the entry1.