Chip pans up in smoke
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Watchdog has received complaints about some Tefal Actifry units blowing out smoke, sparks and even catching fire.
If you like chips with everything - and a lot of us do - then the Actifry ought to be just what you're looking for. Tefal says its shallow fryer cooks food that's low fat, is easy to clean, and they say, 'safe'. That last claim you may want to take with a pinch of salt.
The Tefal Actifry costs about a £130 and in the 18 months it has been on sale, more than 50,000 have been sold in the UK.
Paul Price bought four of them, one for himself, one for his parents Dave and Sandra and two for other members of his family.
To start with, they were all very happy with their Actifrys. Dave and Sandra were particularly happy because not only did it cook perfect chips, safety was key for them because they'd suffered a devastating chip pan fire in 1981.
"Sparks came out"
The fact the Actifry used so little oil meant he and his wife Sandra could enjoy their chips, without the risk of a fire. Or so they thought.
"We were there cooking some chips, and suddenly sparks all came out from the back of it, and smoke from underneath it.
"I just couldn't believe it to be honest, you know, it was working OK, and then suddenly bang, it had gone." Dave explained.
They thought perhaps it was a freak accident, but it wasn't. Before long, their son's Actifry went the same way and this time it wasn't just a few sparks and a bit of smoke. It actually caught fire - in the middle of his kitchen.
Paul said: "I tried to switch it on and nothing happened, so I lifted the lid, and I noticed that the heating element at the back of the unit was going from red to white hot. And the second it went to white hot there was a flame that came out of the heating element, which then caused the plastic around it to start to catch fire. And it was just giving off a very thick black smoke. You'd expect better from a product manufactured by Tefal."
Jeremy Patrick, another Watchdog viewer, also told us how his kitchen filled with smoke when his fryer bit the dust. "I bought it because I felt it was safer than frying chips in a pan on a stove, and yet I left it for just five or ten minutes, and it caught fire," he says.
Product safety testing
Watchdog took a brand new Actifry to a product safety testing laboratory to find out what went wrong. With our new Actifry, the lab replicated six month's use, in just three days and everything seemed to work fine. However, when the scientists simulated a fan failure - which they say is one of the most common faults in products like this - the Actifry should have been able to cope just fine, but within seconds it was on fire.
TÃœV Product Service compliance services manager Richard Poate, who tested the Actifry for Watchdog, said: "Anything that emits that degree of smoke and fire could have potential catastrophic effects. This is a fundamental design issue that should have been detected very, very easily. All the safety standards require you to simulate failures like motor failure, fan failure, and how this got past the safety testing is really quite beyond me. In my opinion, there should be a recall."
Tefal's response
Tefal says the Actifry is revolutionary, healthy and safe. But there's nothing revolutionary about a chip pan that can go up in smoke. It isn't very healthy, and it certainly isn't safe.
When Watchdog contacted Tefal it told the programme:
"Of the 55,000 Tefal Actifrys sold in the UK, the vast majority of products have had no problems whatsoever and customer satisfaction is very high. However, we are aware of 0.4 per cent (221 units) suffering from a faulty fan motor overheating. Most of these customers have reported their products producing smoke or sparks or seeing small flames inside the unit."
"We accept that it may be possible for a short-lived flame to appear inside the unit should any oil residue be on the heating element casing. We reiterate that even if this did occur the product is still safe. The product will not catch fire as it is made from 20 per cent fibreglass reinforced polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) which is flame retardant."
Tefal adds that its own product tests show that the Actifry does meet European Safety Standards.
Tefal has set up a freephone number for any consumers who would like further information: 0800 055 3678
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Can't thank you enough for this report, was literally just about to purchase one.... not going to bother now!! Just saved £130.
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I bought a Tefal Actifry in April 2008 and used it about 3/4 times a week until July.
The chips it cooked were lovely. Then I put it on there was a loud noise and then an awful smell of burning.I paid cash from my local costco but could not find the reciept so I contacted Tefal they were helpful. They replaced the Actifry free of charge all they wanted was the plug cut off and returned to them. When the new machine arrived I was pleased but there was a covering letter
stating that the guarantee was only valid from intial purchase date not from the date of replacement. I now wonder if they were aware of a problem? I thought I was just unluckly but will make sure in future that I do not leave the machine unattended. I thought you may like to know of another faulty machine.DianneRuth
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thanks.We should have all the facts before we choose to buy or not buy. Sorry tefal... its not buy for me.
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I bought one of these around 2 weeks ago.
When I started to use it, it sounded like a hair dryier. After 2 week and 4 meals it sounded like a washing machine on a long slow spin cycle. I decided to take it back and it back as I thought the fan was about to go wrong.
This was before watchdog report was shown. Because the cooking time is around 30-40 minutes for chips there is no way I would be watching it. Mine also had a problem with the paddle going backwards. I had to keep turning it off and on at the wall.
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I had one of these for my birthday in July, I had wanted one and was really pleased when I got it.
Made some lovely things with it, and then I decided to make plain chips and this was the 5th time I had used it.
I found a stray chip and opened the lid to pop it in which is when I saw the flames shooting out of the grill at the back!
I unplugged it and closed it and was going to ring the fire brigade but my husband carried it outside, there was a lot of black smoke in the kitchen before that.
I think if I hadn't opened the lid and noticed it was on fire the kitchen and maybe the house could have burned down.
My husband returned it to the store and got a replacement that I have used about 3 times and I am very nervous about using it now.
I did think it wasn't making the right noise just before it caught on fire which would be the fan failure you described on the programme I guess.
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Thanks Watchdog, now i can watch mine as i have had it for over 6 months and its still going fine and they are a great fryer, so do not be put off buying one, i would by it again. We use ours up to 4 times per week.
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i have brought a tefal actifry and am now very concerned about the safety of this product. how do i stand on returning it to the seller and getting a refund?
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Well, I''ve had one of these for four months and I haven't had any problems at all. Obviously I'll be watching closely now but I'll still want to use it as, without doubt, it makes THE best chips I've ever tasted (without any mess whatsoever).
That said, Tefal should take this survey to heart and ensure that all future machines are set up so that if the fan doesn't work, neither does the heating element. Better still, ensure that the fan always works!!
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I was watching the show on Monday 3rd of November and couldn't believe when you started talking about the Tefal Actifry.I purchased one from a shopping channel and after a few weeks my one caught fire as well. It was very frightening, exactly what you showed happened to mine. I am dissaponted that Tefal dont feel it is necessary to recall the prouct back. I was refunded by the shopping channel because the product was unfixable. I was going to purchase a new one but after your show I dont think its wise.
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Thank you for the fire risk warning.
Have just made arrangements to return the Actifry tomorrow (05 November 2008) to Amazon. Hopefully, they will accept this without any problems as only received on 24 October 2008.
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Bought one of these in August, have to say its brilliant,does exactly what it says it will,however I am now worried,is it still safe to use?I bought it on reccomendation of a friend who has had hers over a year.
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I have had mine since august and so far have had no problems,although i have only used it 3 or 4 times.
I have contacted Tefal and was fobed of with the same reply they gave to Watchdog.I am now left with a machine that cost over £100.00 pounds and i'm too afraid to use it ,what can we do.I have also contacted the seller and asked to return it for refund,as i believe the item is not fit for purpose and therefore should be refunded.
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I bought one of these a few months ago but after watching the report I will not be using it again. They should recall the product and we should get a refund. It's not excatly cheap is it?
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I purchased a Tefal Actifry and within 5 weeks of using it, it had exploded. I was cooking chips and first the room filled with smoke followed by a loud bang. I got in touch with Tefal who replaced the product but told me that my guarantee only ran from the date of purchase of my original Actifry. Considering that this is a design fault, they should really have guaranteed the replacement from the date I received that. I now use mine with caution and never leave it unattended.
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After your programme I contacted Tefal on the 0800 number. I have been told that they are looking into a modification to improve the machine, BUT they do not intend to recall the existing machines. I have contacted my supplier (John Lewis) and they have agreed to take back my machine as I have only had it for 19 days. I will then consider buying the new improved machine when it arrives as as far as cooking is concerned I believe it to be a step in the right direction.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
On watchin programme about the Tefal Actifry, I also have had the same problems as those people on your programme. I bought my actify from Ideal World. Ideal World will not refund my money but said they would send me a replacement out as you can imagine I do not want a replacement I would like my money back. I have sent them 3 email with photographs of the fryer and have had numerous telephone calls but nothing yet has been done. I also contacted tefal and they said because it was bought from Ideal World I would have to deal with them regarding a refund.
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Our Actifry is just over a month old & we've used it maybe 8 times with perfect results...until today when it went bang! and emited a smell of burnt plastic. Amazon is sending a replacement but afer finding this report I wonder how long it will last!
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Having watched the programme and having previously purchased this Actifry product in May 2008 for £157.99 - I consider the risks Having watched the programme and having previously purchased this Actifry product in May 2008 for £157.99 - I consider the risks highlighted indicate that it is an unsafe product and I will not be using it again for the following reasons:
1: I have a newly fitted kitchen and do not want it damaged by fire or smoke.
2: ½ % of these items are KNOWN to have burnt out - How many others are not regularly used (like mine) and the fault will develop at a time when the warranty is out of date.
3: Having a friend who died in a house fire in August 2008 leaves me with no confidence in the product.
4: How acrid is the smoke & fumes given off when it catches fire?
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I have had my Actifryer for 3 weeks and it is working perfectly, but now we are reluctant to use it.
Today, Tefal told me it has 2 cut off devices that would switch the unit off in the event of a fault. They also said they have never had an Actifryer returned to them that had set on fire. Is this accurate information? It appears to be contrary to what we saw on the programme.
If the fan should fail outside the guarantee period would the Actifryer be a complete write off? If it set on fire then I suspect that it would.
I do not feel that Tefal are behaving responsibly. I would be reluctant to buy further products from them.
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With reference to number 10 above:
I am very pleased to say that Amazon has refunded me the money with no problems at all.
Well done to Amazon. Due to this, I will continue to be loyal to this company.
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I purchased one last January from a well known national kitchenware company and in view of the rather non commital reponse from Tefal, this company has offered me a full refund because I no longer have faith in the fryer. How much longer can Tefal deny there is concern out there? Knowing now that this problem could erupt at any time, will home insurance companies pay for any damage caused by one which suddenly ignites? They are not the easiest of appliances to clean so in time will the build up of fat residue become another reason for the fryer to ignite. There are a lot of unanswered questions still to be answered before there is a real disaster form one.
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I bought an Actifry on 18/11/08,it went on fire after a bang and is now useless. On visiting Tefal's web site and hearing of Watchdog's report, I watched the programme and rang the freephone number to be told that all operators were busy and they would return my call within 24/48 hrs.
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I left a comment (no.l4) last week. My replacement Actify direct from Tefal caught on fire last week and nearly set my kitchen alight. My husband had to carry it out (still in flames) into the garden. The smoke was thick and smelt acrid. A few days before the fire the motor sounded like it was slowing down. As a mother of 5, it worries me that if we had left it alone the consequences could have been disastrous. I contacted Trading Standards this time and they have taken it away for testing, so perhaps, at last, there will be an answer as to why this keeps happening - yet the product is still being sold!
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Our fourth Actifry since January has gone 'bang' this evening. In the past, Tefal have always been very helpful and sent replacements without question. Wonder how long they will keep them in production!
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i Purchased one of these actifryers and now will not use it at all after seeing watchdog for fear of it catching fire, can i get a refund from tefal at all.
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My mum brought me the actifry originaly about 6 months ago. It made some lovely chips and we were very pleased with the results.. until the plastic clasps on the lid snapped off causing the fryer not to close. Took it back to local currys store where it was purchased and they replaced it. After using the new Actifty for a little over a month the same thing happened.. took it back again, currys reluctantly replaced it.. told me it might be better to have a refund but I said lets try another so we did... this time the fan was extremely noisy more noticable than the other 2 and after watching watchdog reports on this Fryer I noticed that mine infact was glowing red too.. so i have since returned it and got a full refund.. upon returning it I noticed the clasps on lid to be have hair line cracks again so infact would have broke again. Cant wait for Tefal or someone else to bring out a safer fryer that uses same amount of Oil that is infact safe!
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Like no 1 I was desperate to but an Actifry, but for some reason kept putting it off. Now I know why..after watching Watchdog I'll be keeping to oven chips I think!!!
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Re: #25. Tefal have collected the machine and offered a FULL refund which we have accepted. Their cheque has not arrived yet - still waiting.
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We bought a tefal actifry ay the beginning of september 2008 and have only used it 5 times when it ent up in smoke on Christmas eve without any warning whatsoever.We did not see the program in question until after we had told someone of our problem.After seeing this program I am now going to see if I can get a refund - I dont want a replacement of a product that has proved itself to be faulty over 220 times.
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I've had my Actifry since the beginning of August - loved it; Makes beautiful chips. But yesterday it blew up! A big bang and a large blue flash from the back and then the kitchen started filling with acrid smoke that was getting thicker and thicker and making it it hard to breathe. I didn't know what to do and after previously watching the report on Watchdog about them going up in flames I filled the sink with water and put the whole unit in (after unplugging it of course). I wouldn't take another one if they paid me.
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We bought an acti-fry from Comet and had it for 6 months. We had seen the programme so I didn't leave it unattended. It went bang and the smell of burning plastic was coming from it. Didn't see any flames so the safety cut outs must have worked. The fan had definatly stopped working so took it back to Comet. They replaced with absolutly no hassle whatsoever which is very strange for Comet which normally insist on a repair!
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hi i purchased a fryer 19th november 2008
i used it every day for meats and chips ect as i loved it -
i would go off and do my house work for the 30-40 minutes cooking time thinking it was the safest way to cook -
january it started crackeling
and black smoke poured out
and inside was on fire
thank goodness i'd purchased it from a home shopping cataloge as they took it straight back and refunded me my money
i will never buy another active fry they are dangerous i just hope more people hear about this
i dont know what would have happened if i hadnt been in the kitchen when it went on fire :(
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
My Tefal actifry is less than 5 moths old and has been used just 7 times.
I plugged it in and turned the socket on, but not the actifry. Whilst standing next to the actifry, peeling potatoes, it suddenly mad a loud pop and flames were coming out of the back, I immediately unplugged it and luckily my partner was able to carry it quickly outside, just before it caught the blinds!!!
I phoned tefal and they were extremely rude, they said that since the issue was raised on watchdog (which we never knew) lots of people had either made up or exaggerated faults!
They also said that the my unit had "Failed safe...it is perfectly normal to have small short lived flames coming fromm it", I declined a new replacement, as I think it is just not worth the risk if that is their idea of a safety feature....They said they cannot help me and to try returning it to where it was purchased.
We now have a burnt out actifry in the Garage, that we paid £150 for at Tesco. Hopefully I can find my receipt.
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Help! We purchased a Tefal Acti-fry a few weeks before we saw it go up in smoke on Watchdog.
We kept it meticuously clean and were thrilled with the 'chips' it produced. We were thinking of buying my mother one for her 80th birthday.But OH NO ours burst into flames and we had thick acrid smoke billowing out too. It took hours to get rid of the smell. We have tried in vain to get in touch with Tefal but to no avail. We have the receipt, What do we do next? We certainly don't want another one!
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i purchased an actifry from comet in oldbury west mids, i have not contacted comet as i have no receipt as i have had the actifry for 8 months now, i must admit my actifry is very well used but still i dont expect this sort of thing to happen from a well known company, it was tuesday of this week(10th march 09) tha my actifry also actually set on fire from the back of the machine, i was completely unaware of anyone else having this problem until a friend told me that this was a common fault and appeared on watchdog. i have just dropped tefal an email explaining what had happened and i will await there reply.
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I had an Actifry for Christmas and we used it a couple of times a week. At the eight weeks later it gave two huge bangs and stopped working. I took it back to the store and had a full refund, they sis offer to replace it with a new machine but I was too nervous to accept their offer having then watched this report.
I had been so thrilled with the machine and so disappointed when it broke down. Now I realize what a lucky escape I had.
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