Hot water bottles urgently recalled over fire risk

Electric hot-water bottles have been urgently recalled because of the risk of catching fire.

The Southern Arbor electric rechargeable hot-water bottles pose a serious hazard because they may overheat, safety officials say.

The bottles, made in China, have been removed from online selling platform TikTok Shop, where they had been on sale.

Government regulator the Office for Product Safety and Standards is urging anyone who bought one to stop using it.

Officials say there is no thermal protection in the bottles to prevent them from overheating, and they are being recalled immediately.

The watchdog said: “The product presents a serious risk of fire because there is a lack of thermal protection to prevent overheating when it is subject to misuse.

“As there are no supplied instructions, it is possible that no water will be added to the product, and whilst it is plugged in and charging, it may ignite whilst the user is not present, causing harm to consumer and home.”

The regulator said that, additionally, the adaptor supplied with the product had incorrectly sized pins and did not meet the requirements of the relevant standard.

“The product does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 or the Plugs & Sockets (Safety) Regulations 1994,” it said.

The bottle involved has the model code QM-01 and barcode 69615846554.

“The product has been recalled from end users. Owners are advised to stop using the product immediately and contact the distributor they purchased from to request redress,” the watchdog advises.

In October, a British woman said an electric rechargeable hot water bottle she had bought for £4.60 burst into flames the first time she used it.

In the TikTok app, TikTok Shop sells products directly to users.

A TikTok spokesperson said: “The safety and trust of our customers is a top priority and this product was removed over two months ago from TikTok Shop.

“TikTok Shop’s product safety and recall policy covers product safety concerns flagged by users and regulatory government bodies in the UK and in other countries. We have removed products which violate our policies.

“Listings for any products recalled by the manufacturer or by a government agency are prohibited.”