A DANGEROUS showerhead caused a Warwickshire resident to be burnt by scalding hot water.
Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards is warning consumers not to use the replacement ‘stop-start-button’ showerheads as they can cause second and third-degree burns.
The resident reported the showerheads to Trading Standards Officers, who are now working with the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) to secure the agreement of online sellers to remove the products from sale.
A Trading Standards spokesperson said: “The replacement showerheads, sold by online marketplaces for a few pounds, are not suitable for electric showers, where they can cause the water in the appliance to overheat rapidly, potentially up to 80 degrees.
“The showerheads have buttons that can stop the flow of water, but this doesn’t deactivate an electric shower’s heating element, leading to a build-up of scalding water.”
Coun Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council’s spokesman for Community Safety, said: “While we are working to remove these products from sale as quickly as possible, we are still concerned that consumers in Warwickshire and across the UK may already have these devices fitted to their showers.
“Safe for use on mixer-valve showers, they shouldn’t be used on electric showers where they represent a serious safety hazard.
“We would strongly urge people to immediately remove these showerheads from electric showers.”
Warwickshire Trading Standards advises anyone who has purchased a product which may be unsafe to stop using it immediately and report it via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Visit http://tinyurl.com/3cwt8z52 to read the BMA’s warning about the showerheads.
