The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2024–2026
Kobe's 2 kW radiator: a plug defect that melts and catches fire
The plug's manufacturing defect can overheat, melt the plug and cable, and catch fire. Sold since Jan 2024 via Cromwell; stop using and claim a refund.
Kobe · 2026-07-29
What happened
The Kobe 2 kW oil-filled 9-fin radiator (model KBE8280200K) sold through Cromwell Tools from January 2024 onwards — a workshop and site heater.
The plug has a manufacturing defect and may overheat, melting the plug and cable and/or catching fire. On July 29, 2026, the UK recall (PSD case 2606-0205) told owners to stop using it immediately.
The remedy is a refund arranged through Cromwell's HSE team. A heater bought to remove risk from a cold workspace carried its own at the wall socket.
Why it happened
- The plug's manufacturing defect can overheat and melt plug and cable into a fire — recall Jul 29, 2026, PSD case 2606-0205
- Sold via Cromwell Tools from Jan 2024 onwards — over two winters of site and workshop use before the stop-use notice
- An oil-filled radiator runs unattended against cold — the melting plug sat at the socket of exactly that habit
The lesson
The heater is the appliance nobody watches — it runs against cold, unattended, for hours. A plug defect in that product is a fire scheduled at the socket.
Sources
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