Dehumidifiers Recalled Nationwide After Causing $17M In Property Damage
PITTSBURGH (CBS News) -- Roughly 2.4 million dehumidifiers made for 20 different brands and sold by retailers nationwide are being recalled because they can overheat and catch fire, something that's happened more than 100 times, causing about $17 million in property damage.
"The recalled dehumidifiers can overheat and catch fire, posing fire and burn hazards," according to a notice posted this week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Manufacturer New Widetech in China said it is aware of 107 incidents where the dehumidifiers overheated and/or caught fire, resulting in about $17 million in property damage. No injuries have been reported.
About 2 million of the recalled dehumidifiers were sold at retailers nationwide including Costco, Lowe's, Menards and Walmart from February 2009 through August 2017 for between $120 and $430 each.
Another 380,000 of the dehumidifiers were sold in Canada and about 25,000 in Mexico, the company stated.
The 25-to-74-pint dehumidifiers were sold under brand names including AeonAir, Danby, Friedrich and Whirlpool.
A table with the model numbers can be found here on CPSC's website.
Consumers should stop using the dehumidifiers and contact the company for a refund that will be pro-rated depending on the product's age.
New Widetech can be reached online or by calling (877) 251-1512 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
