4 fires that took place at same condominium in Hougang linked to Electrolux fridges: ESG
SINGAPORE – Four separate fires in March and April at a condominium development in Hougang have been linked to the built-in refrigerators in the homes of residents there.
Some 1,377 units of these Electrolux refrigerators were installed in Riversails Condominium, where the fires occurred.
The fridges will be removed from the other residents’ homes as a precautionary measure, said Enterprise Singapore (ESG), which oversees the safety of household products.
As of Tuesday (April 20), close to 80 per cent of the condominium’s residents have contacted Electrolux and the majority have had the refrigerators removed, ESG said in a statement on Friday.
Based on preliminary investigations, the fires were caused by the failure of the refrigerator’s motor capacitor, which is a device that holds charges of electricity in refrigerators.
The fires took place on March 7, 14 and 26, as well as on April 13.
While Electrolux acknowledged that the fires are “associated” with its fridges, it said in a separate statement on Friday that investigations were still ongoing to establish the root cause of the fires.
“We continue to advise and request that investigations of external factors take place at Riversails, including stability of power supply and electrical infrastructure of the affected buildings and sites,” it said.
The manufacturer will also be removing another 398 units of the fridge installed in four other condominiums. The affected properties are Katong Regency, Skygreen, Winsland Serviced Suites by Lanson Place, and Wisteria.
ESG added that Electrolux will also contact the owners of another 32 units supplied to other property developers and businesses, including Pan Pacific Serviced Apartments and DBS Trustee.
The affected fridge model is ENN2754AOW, with serial numbers starting with 512 and below.
From 2013 to 2018, 1,807 units of this fridge were supplied to condominium developers, ESG said. This was after they had been tested and certified to prevailing international standards and registered with ESG.
The refrigerators were not sold in retail stores in Singapore and were no longer supplied to developers after 2018.
ESG has advised consumers to stop using these refrigerators.
Owners may call the Electrolux hotline on 6727-3699 or e-mail the company at [email protected] for assistance.
“For compensation and redress issues, owners could seek their own independent legal advice or consider mediation through the Singapore Mediation Centre,” said ESG.
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