Whirlpool has apologised to Irish customers who may be affected by a potential safety issue in a number of washing machines.
A recall of up to 11,000 washing machines will take place in January after Whirlpool safety experts identified a potential risk in models of Hotpoint and Indesit products.
The recall applies to Hotpoint and Indesit machines which were made between October 2014 and February 2018.
A defect was identified in the door-locking mechanism which could cause the machine to overheat and potentially catch fire.
The recall does not affect Whirlpool-branded machines.
Owners of washing machines that could be affected by the safety issue are asked to unplug the machine and not use it but if they absolutely must use the machine, they are advised to do so with the use of a cold water cycle of 20C or lower.
We are experiencing technical problems with our website and customer service hotline, and are working to fix the issues as soon as possible. We will let you know as soon as they are live again. Please find affected model numbers below. Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/tdqIH3yhHn
— Whirlpool Ireland (@Whirlpool_Ire) December 17, 2019
Whirlpool Corporation vice president Jeff Noel said: "We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and concern this may cause to our customers, particularly over the Christmas period, but we hope people will understand that we are taking action because people's safety is our top priority.
"Preparing for a recall of this scale is a complex operation and we are working tirelessly to ensure we are ready to start offering replacements or repairs to our customers from early January."
The recall, which will be rolled out by Whirlpool at "full speed" next month, will entitle affected customers to either a full replacement or a complete repair.
Over 500,000 machines in the United Kingdom may be affected.
Noel added: "This is an issue we inherited from buying Indesit Company, but as the new owner, it is our responsibility to keep our customers safe.
"We are recalling these products because it is the right thing to do for people's safety and we will do whatever it takes to put the situation right for our customers.
"By taking actions like this, we are bringing the company we acquired in line with Whirlpool's industry-leading global safety and quality standards."