Expert reports fridge freezer wiring caused Grenfell blaze
Overheating of crimp connector is probable cause, reports principal engineer
At the Grenfell Tower inquiry, an expert has reported the blaze was probably started by overheated wiring in a fridge freezer, according to BBC News.
The report notes the principal engineer at investigations firm Failure Electrical, John Glover, told the inquiry that a connector in the Hotpoint FF175BP fridge freezer of Flat 16 had a “poor crimp connection.”
As reported by BBC, Glover said: “The overheating connector, in my opinion, was the first event that started burning the insulation on the wires that led to a short circuit.
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“The overheating of the crimp starts the fire. It overheats, it glows, it ignites.”
The Metropolitan Police identified the Hotpoint FF175BP as the cause of the Grenfell Tower Blaze in June 2017.
However, parent company Whirlpool found there was no evidence of fault with the FF175BP fridge freezers, following tests by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the manufacturer.
Alex Neill, managing director of home products and services at consumer association Which?, commented on the Grenfell inquiry claims.
He said: “The claims from this inquiry back up our own findings, which show that plastic-backed fridges and freezers put lives at risk by contributing to a fire spreading more quickly.
“These findings raise real questions around why people in the US, where these appliances are banned, are better protected than those in the UK and Europe.
“Hundreds of fridges, freezers and fridge freezers with plastic backs, currently on sale around the UK, are a potential fire risk and should be urgently removed from sale.”
Which? has called for a ban on plastic-backed cooling and freezing appliances, with immediate removal from sale.
However, the association of appliance manufacturers AMDEA slammed Which? for causing “unnecessary fear and alarm.”
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Sintered stone manufacturer Neolith has launched Calacatta Roma and Cappadocia Sunset, inspired by nature and classical architecture, and for use in kitchens or bathrooms walls, floors, in gardens or facades.
They belong to The New Classtone and Fusioncollections which interpret marble and natural stone, respectively, and boast Neolith’s antibacterial NeolEAT technology.
Inspired by Ancient Rome, Calacatta Roma (pictured top) pays homage to Italian Carrara marble, with ochre and grey veins in a white background.
While the Cappadocia region, in central Turkey, with its rock formations formed by volcanoes and underground cities, has inspired Cappadocia Sunset (pictured below).

Just like all of Neolith’s surfaces, Calacatta Roma and Cappadocia Sunset are resistant to heat and atmospheric conditions, are 100% recyclable, and do not contain added quartz to their formulation.
Mar 14, 2024
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