Image: Hans Olav Lien Image: Hans Olav Lien

It’s been less than a month since Samsung issued a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7, and just as it was about to blow over, a US consumer watchdog has warned the public about their “exploding” washing machines.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have issued a warning regarding Samsung’s top-loading washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016 can explode with no warning while running.

These units could reportedly cause significant damage to homes and potentially residents.

The CPSC said they are working actively and cooperatively with Samsung to address safety issues related to certain top-load washing machines made between March 2011 and April 2016.

Samsung said in a statement: “In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items.”

They recommend consumers with affected models to use the lower speed delicate cycle when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant materials as there have been no reported incidents when using this cycle.

Samsung doesn’t name the models, but said customers can enter the serial number to see whether their machine is among those affected.

The company are also facing a federal lawsuit from US law firm, Lieff Cabraser who have received reports of exploding washing machines causing damage to walls, doors, and other equipment, presenting high injury risks.

Lawyer Jason Lichtman said in a statement: “The rod can slide right out and that’s what causes the washing machine to blow apart.”

The law firm also said that users reported the washing machines to explode “as early as the day of installation, while other owners have seen their machines explode months or even more than a year after purchase.”

On 2 September, Samsung issued the global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 after reports of “exploding batteries” when charging. After they said it was difficult to work out which phones were affected among the 2.5 million sold, 60% of owners exchanged them.