Fires at Hougang condo linked to Electrolux fridge

Four separate fires in March and April at a condominium in Hougang have been linked to the built-in Electrolux refrigerators in the homes of residents.

There were 1,377 units of the affected fridge model installed in the apartments at Riversails Condominium, where the fires occurred.

The fridges will be removed from the apartments of other residents as a precautionary measure, said Enterprise Singapore (ESG), which oversees the safety of household products.

As of last Tuesday, close to 80 per cent of the condominium's residents have contacted Electrolux and the majority have had their refrigerators removed, ESG said in a statement on Friday.

Based on preliminary investigations, the fires were caused by the failure of the refrigerator's motor capacitor, which is a device that holds charges of electricity in refrigerators.

The fires took place on March 7, 14 and 26, as well as on April 13.

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While Electrolux acknowledged that the fires are "associated" with its fridges, it said in a separate statement that investigations were ongoing to establish the root cause of the blazes.

"We continue to advise and request that investigations of external factors take place at Riversails, including stability of power supply and electrical infrastructure of the affected buildings and sites," the company said.

The manufacturer will also be removing 398 units of the affected fridge model installed at four other developments - Katong Regency, Sky Green, Winsland Serviced Suites by Lanson Place and Wisteria.

The affected fridge model is ENN2754AOW, with serial numbers starting with 512 and below. - THE STRAITS TIMES