Hong Kong watchdog says some cooker hoods pose fire, electrical hazards after failing tests

Consumer Council says five of 14 models that underwent its evaluation failed at least one type of safety test

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The watchdog has also reminded consumers to regularly clean their cooker hoods to prevent grease build-up and fire hazards. Photo: Handout

Published: 3:41pm, 19 Aug 2024Updated: 5:38pm, 19 Aug 2024

Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has warned that some commercially available cooker hoods have failed parts of its safety evaluation, raising concerns that the domestic appliances could pose fire and electrical hazards.

The Consumer Council said on Monday that five of the 14 models that underwent the evaluation had failed at least one type of safety test stipulated under international standards.

Two models – the Miele DAS 2620 and Sakura RW7100 – were found to have earthing wires that were too short, posing potential risks if the supply cords were forcefully pulled out during installation or maintenance.

“If the supply cords are pulled forcefully during installation or maintenance, and the cord anchorages do not function properly, the earthing wires can potentially be loosened,” said Kenneth Chan Kin-nin, vice-chairman of the watchdog’s publicity and community relations committee.

In response, manufacturer Miele said the relevant model was tested by an internationally recognised third-party agency and had passed all safety assessments to meet international standards.

While the company insisted the model posed no safety risks, it promised to continue improving the product to address concerns.