Electrical Fault Causes Dishwasher Fire in Wrexham

An ‘electrical fault’ caused a dishwasher to catch fire in Wrexham this afternoon.

Fire crews from Johnstown and Wrexham were called to a property in on Garden View, Ruabon at 2:08pm this afternoon following reports that a dishwasher had caught fire.

The cause of the fire is thought to be an electrical fault in the dishwasher.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents of regularly servicing and replacing aging electrical following the fire this afternoon.

Tony Jones from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Electricity is often overlooked as a fire hazard, perhaps because there is no flame but just because there is no flame, doesn’t mean there’s no risk – never underestimate the risk of fire from electricity.”

Here are Tony’s top electrical safety tips:

● Keep electrical appliances clean and in good working order and have them serviced regularly
● Never buy an electrical appliance without knowing it is safe to use
● New appliances should have the British or European safety mark on them
● Do not leave electrical appliances on standby, unless they are designed to be left switched on (fridges and freezers for example). All other appliances should be turned off at the plug, and ideally unplugged, before going out or going to bed
● Get your electrical system checked by a competent, registered electrician at least once every 10 years
● Always make sure you use an RCD with electrical garden tools to protect from an electric shock
● Don’t overload sockets – use one plug in each socket. – Use a ‘bar-type’ fused adaptor on a lead, rather than a ‘block-type’ adaptor. – Don’t allow the total amps of all plugs in the adaptor to add up to more than 13 amps (or 3000 watts of power). – Don’t plug adaptors into adaptors – use one adaptor in each socket.

It is also advised that you check electrical leads and plugs for wear and tear and faulty wiring and if you notice hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow for no reason, flickering lights, and scorch marks on sockets or plugs he recommends asking a qualified electrician to check your wiring.

He added:”For the protection of you and your family, make sure you have at least one smoke alarm on each floor of your home and that it is tested regularly.”