The U.S. has issued a recall for more than 1.5 million dehumidifiers after receiving reports of nearly twenty fires. Commission for Consumer Product Safety
42 dehumidifier units sold under the five brands Kenmore, GE, SoleusAir, Norpole, and Seabreeze are included in the recall. Between January 2011 and February 2014, these goods—all produced by Gree Electric Appliances in Zhuhai, China—were offered for sale at well-known stores across the US, including Walmart, Home Depot, and Sam’s Club, among others.
The CPSC claims that the dehumidifiers that have been recalled can overheat, smoke, and ignite.
At least 23 fires, 688 instances of overheating, and $168,000 in property damage have all been reported to Gree in connection with the recalled goods.
Customers are advised to disconnect the dehumidifiers, cease using them right away, and get in touch with Gree to request a refund.
The brand, model number, and capacity of the recalled dehumidifiers are all specified on the CPSC’s notice.
The items are made of plastic and come in white, beige, gray, or black. They range in price from $110 to $400.
Dehumidifiers made by Gree have already been recalled due to burn and fire hazards.
The CPSC issued a second recall notice on Gree dehumidifiers on Wednesday.
These products were sold under the following names: Danby, De’Longhi, Fedders, Fellini, Frigidaire, GE, Gree, Kenmore, Norpole, Premiere, Seabreeze, SoleusAir, and SuperClima between January 2005 and January 2014. The first notice of the recall was issued in 2013, and it was later broadened in 2014 and reissued in 2016.
According to the CPSC, there have been more than 2,000 overheating events and 450 fires documented to date, causing $19 million in property damage and four fatalities that have been “potentially associated with Gree dehumidifiers,” including fatal house fires in Ohio, Iowa, and Missouri in 2016 and 2022.
Gree and its Hong Kong affiliate agreed to pay $91 million in 2021 for failing to alert American regulators to the possibility of the devices overheating and catching fire.
The U.S. attorney’s office stated at the time that the firms entered into an agreement to avoid criminal prosecution, adding that they would also compensate victims for fire damage brought on by the dehumidifiers. As part of this agreement, Gree USA, the American division of Gree, was also convicted in April of this year of paying a $500,000 criminal fine as well as reparation payments.
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