Fridge freezer safety

Video: Flammable plastic vs aluminium-backed fridge freezers

All fridges, freezers and fridge freezers need insulation to keep cool. This insulation is flammable, so it's essential that it's sufficiently protected in the event of a fire. Prior to the new regulations, the backing that protected this insulation was made from either plastic, metal or aluminium laminate, depending on the make and model of refrigeration appliance.

Our tests revealed that plastic backing can be highly flammable. Watch our video above to see what happens in a fire.

We are therefore not recommending any refrigeration appliances with flammable plastic backing. All models with this backing have been made Don't Buys, regardless of how else they performed in our chilling and freezing tests.

• See all the best fridge freezers.

How can I tell if my fridge freezer is metal or plastic-backed?

It can be very difficult to tell whether or not your fridge freezer, fridge or freezer has a plastic back or not. 

One way to find out which materials the back of your appliance is made from is to check if your fridge freezer, fridge or freezer has been reviewed by Which?. If so, the material of the back panel should be listed in the technical specifications section of our fridge freezer reviews. Alternatively, you can consult our tool below.

Our research

In September 2017, we called on manufacturers to immediately stop producing refrigeration appliances with flammable plastic backs. In the apparent absence of any action from the then newly created Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), we started conducting fire testing on refrigerator backings.

We tested backing samples from more than 100 refrigeration appliances, across every refrigeration brand that we had on our website. We applied an open flame to each sample, and any product that was unable to withstand the flame for 30 seconds was deemed unsafe and made a Don’t Buy.

Hundreds more products were also made Don’t Buys because the manufacturer either confirmed, or our own research indicated, that the backing on these products was identical to a product we tested and found to be unsafe.

Should I worry if my fridge freezer is plastic-backed?

Consumers who already own a fridge freezer, fridge or freezer with a flammable plastic back should be reassured that the likelihood of a refrigerator fire is very low. Our March 2018 research analysing government fire data found that only 8% of fires caused by faulty household appliances were caused by fridge freezers, fridges or freezers. It's important to note that the material used in the backing can allow an existing fire to spread – it isn’t the cause of fire itself.

If the model you're looking for isn't in our tool above (or for any reason you can't see our tool, or it's not working for you), you can check all of our Don't Buy fridge freezers to see those models currently on sale that we've made Don't Buys. If you still can't find it, and it's a second-hand machine, we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the appliance. Products made since the new safety standards were introduced in July 2019 may not be listed in the tool. 

Top five cheap fridge freezers with metal backs

Buying a metal-backed fridge freezer doesn’t have to cost a fortune, as our pick of the top five metal-backed fridge freezers below shows.

More fridge freezer safety tips

To minimise the risk of fire in your kitchen, take the following precautionary steps:

• Refer to your appliance manual to ensure that recommended distances are kept between your refrigeration appliance and the wall, and to ensure there are no other obstructions that can restrict airflow. 
• Make sure vents are not blocked and the area around your appliances are kept clean to prevent the build-up of dust and grease. 
• Plug your refrigeration appliance directly into the wall rather than using an extension lead, and ensure the sockets are not overloaded with too many plugs. 
• If your white goods start making a strange noise, don't ignore it. If you suspect there might be a problem, always unplug it and contact the manufacturer or a qualified repair technician. 
• Don't be tempted to put your fridge freezer in the hallway: if a fire does break out in your home, you need all escape routes to be clear. 
• Fit smoke alarms: white goods are often left switched on 24 hours a day, seven days a week; a smoke alarm will wake you up if a fire starts while you're sleeping. You should fit a minimum of one smoke alarm per floor and fit enough alarms to cover all areas where a fire could start, making sure they are tested regularly. 
• Fit a heat alarm in your kitchen. This will give you early warning of an increase in temperature caused by fire but won’t be set off by cooking fumes. 
• Register your appliance, so you will be informed if the manufacturer identifies any issues with the product you have bought. 
• Be careful with refrigerant. Refrigerant is used in fridges, freezers and fridge freezers to extract the heat from the device. In modern appliances, it's used in very small quantities, but it is highly flammable and so needs to be treated with care. With this in mind, be careful when transporting a refrigerator and don't plug it in if it looks damaged in any way. To reduce risk of refrigerant leaks, don't defrost the appliance using anything sharp. 
• Be careful if you're thinking about using a big refrigerator in a small room. The proportion of refrigerant to normal air could get too high in the unlikely event of a leak, so will make the air more flammable. Common advice is that the room needs to have one cubic metre for every 8g of refrigerant used in the appliance. The amount of refrigerant can be found on your appliance's rating plate. Your manual will tell you where to find the rating plate.

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