The family with small children from Lavangen in Indre Troms had a terrifying experience during Christmas.
– After the joys of Christmas food had left their mark on the oven, it was time to run a cleaning program on the oven so that it would be clean for further preparation of Christmas and New Year’s food, says Daniel Løkken.
He turned on pyrolysis on the oven, a cleaning process that uses high temperature to burn food residues, grease and other dirt.
KNUST: This photo was taken right after the incident. The loop, he says at this point, was quite “shaky”. Photo: Private
Shards of glass everywhere
While they were sitting in the living room, they heard a bang in the kitchen.
– During the cleaning process, the innermost glass door of the oven exploded.
According to Løkken, there were pieces of glass all over the kitchen.
– There were pieces of glass in drawers, on benches and the floor. That says something about the forces that were at work. This despite the fact that everything has been done in accordance with the accompanying user manual, says Løkken to TV 2.
Løkken has two children who were present, and both are under 5 years old.
– It’s just luck that none of them were present in the kitchen when it happened. Our eldest daughter was very frightened, he says.
Customer became a throwaway ball
There was no New Year’s dinner. No oven for the next two months either.
– However, the New Year’s turkey had to settle for remaining in the freezer.
The oven from Power was less than two years old, and the family took it over when they moved in.
Løkken says that the real problems started when he had to advertise the oven. He experienced becoming a toss-up between several subcontractors.
– The complaint was initially rejected, without any explanation as to why. Power referred us to subcontractors, and put us in a position where we acted as an intermediary between a total of 4 different actors.
He says that he experienced that they had to argue with each actor to get the oven repaired, and says he received ambiguous and different feedback from Power.
GLASS EVERYWHERE: Løkken says that the innermost glass in the Smeg oven exploded during the pyrolysis program. Photo: Private
Apologies to Løkken
Although the manufacturer, Smeg, initially refused a complaint, he receives feedback that they will cover the case on “goodwill”.
– I never found out what caused the explosion. These are questions that remain unanswered as long as the damage is not inspected by expert personnel.
After much back and forth with the manufacturer and repair company, the oven was fixed in mid-February, says Løkken.
The repairer also has no explanation as to what may have happened.
– I think it is strange that Smeg rejects the complaint, and Power refuses to take any responsibility, says Løkken to TV 2.
He believes that in such cases consumers are left to fend for themselves.
– To me, it seems like a growing trend that larger players make life miserable for customers who want to advertise products that break, despite the fact that this is something you have a right to.
TV 2 has been trying to get an answer from Smeg for a long time, but we have not been successful.
Provides compensation
When TV 2 makes contact with Power, they lie flat.
– In this case, the customer was covered by warranty, and it has taken too long to get the glass replaced, and we apologize on behalf of both us and the supplier, says communications manager Monica Iren Fasting in Power.
She says that Power understands that this is experienced as dramatic for the customer.
– We should have been more helpful here. We will follow up on the case and send them compensation, and we hope that we will have the opportunity to correct the impression, says Fasting to TV 2.
After a few days, Løkken received an apology.
POWER APOLOGY: Monica Iren Fasting, Nordic PR and Communications Manager at Power apologizes to Løkken. Photo: Catchlight / Power
– They have also sent me a gift card of NOK 3,000 as compensation, which is a “plaster on the wound”. I’m glad they are taking responsibility. But I wish they chose to change the oven, says Løkken to TV 2.
– Can happen to anyone
That glass breaks in this way can happen with all products that contain toughened safety glass, says Power.
– Fortunately, it happens very rarely. Glass of the same type is also used in shelf tops, glass cabinets and shower cubicles, says Fasting.
Power explains that there are various reasons why the glass implodes, and it can be due to a crookedness in the frame that causes the glass to stand in tension, a tear in the glass, or that the glass has received a thump or impact.
– The glass often breaks after a short period of use after the damage has been caused, as a result of heating and cooling, she says.
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Power: – Avoid this
On a general basis, Power says that a number of precautions must be taken. It is especially around cleaning ovens.
– Scrubbing creams and scrubs, as well as glass scrapers can cause scratches that will weaken the glass over time. The same applies to roasting trays and racks that are pounded into the glass, says Fasting and adds:
– Over time, there can be such great stress in the glass that it cracks, in the same way as with stone chips on a car.
According to Power, pyrolysis cleaning can further affect the glass.
– This applies to the warranty on the product if it is within the warranty period, but does not trigger the right to cancel the purchase. Here, the glass pane is replaced with a new one by an authorized technician.
