2 Million Dehumidifiers Recalled Over Fire Hazard, Incidents Cause $17 Million In Damages

About two million dehumidifiers manufactured by New Widetech are being recalled over a fire hazard resulting in millions of dollars in damages. The recall affects products sold under several well-known brand names such as Haier, Whirlpool, and Honeywell, among others.

The dehumidifiers in question can overheat and catch fire, thereby posing burn and fire hazards, the recall alert posted at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) noted. As of the Aug. 4 recall date, New Widetech had been made aware of 107 incidents of the products overheating or catching fire. While the incidents did not result in any injuries, they led to about $17 million in property damages.

"This recall involves 25-, 30-, 35-, 45-, 50-, 60-, 65-, 70-, and 74-pint dehumidifiers with the brand names including AeonAir, Amana, ArcticAire (Danby), Classic (Danby / Home Hardware Stores), Commercial Cool, Danby, Danby Designer, Danby Premiere, De' Longhi, Edgestar, Friedrich, Generations (Danby), Haier, Honeywell (JMATEK / AirTek), Idylis, Ivation, perfect aire, SuperClima, Whirlpool, and Whynter," CPSC noted.

Photos of the affected units as well as the complete list of the capacity and model numbers under each brand name are available at the agency's website. A guide on how to find this information on your dehumidifier unit can be found here.

These products were sold at retailers nationwide at Costco, Walmart, Menards, Lowe's, and other retailers from 2009 to August 2017. The recall is also being done in cooperation with Health Canada and Mexico's Profeco, as thousands of the units were also sold in those countries.

"Up to 413,915 units of the affected product were sold in Canada, up to 2,103,028 million units were sold in the United States, and approximately 25,659 units were sold in Mexico," Health Canada said.

Those who have a unit that's affected by the recall are being advised to stop using it "immediately" and contact the company to get a refund. "NWT is offering consumers with a recalled dehumidifier an appropriate refund commensurate with the age of the dehumidifiers," the company said.

Dehumidifiers have become popular appliances in many people's homes. Among the measures people can take to ensure the safety of their unit include doing regular checks for burn marks or crackling sounds, removing dust build-up, washing the filters according to the products' booklets, and unplugging it when not in use.

"If you notice a burning smell or any unusual noises, switch the dehumidifier off immediately and contact the retailer and/or manufacturer," England's Electrical Safety First noted.