26,000 Glass Cooktops Recalled; Can Turn Themselves on

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tomturbomatic

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<cite class="el-editorial-source">N)</cite>Tens of thousands of stovetops have been recalled, for the freakiest of reasons: They can turn themselves on.

The 26,300 glass cooktops -- sold under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid and JennAir brands -- were recalled Wednesday by Whirlpool, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The cooktops pose a burn and fire hazard, but the recall notice doesn't explain how the cooktops turn themselves on. The glass cooktops were manufactured from December 2016 through July 2019 and sold at Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy and other stores from March 2017 through August 2019.

Whirlpool said it has received 133 reports of cooktops turning on by themselves, resulting in 14 reports of fire or heat damage. Two cases of minor burn injuries have been reported.

People who have these cooktops in their homes are urged to contact Whirlpool to arrange for the installation of a replacement cooktop free of charge. They are also being told to turn the cooktop off at the circuit breaker and to not leave empty cookware or flammable material on or near the cooktop.

Go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for a complete list of the model numbers and serial numbers of the cooktops affected by the recall.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story provided incorrect dates for when the cooktops were sold in stores. They were sold between March 2017 and August 2019.

 
A recall for the same reason was made on a 2002 Frigidaire range I had back at the house. 

If I recall correctly, the cause of the problem was steam from boiling pots of water (or whatever) on the back burners was getting into the electronics behind the control knobs for the burners and causing issues. Apparently the burner would turn on by itself at full tilt and never cycle off. The glass top would buckle and burst. Fires ensued.

In fact, a second recall letter arrived saying, "Well, there's one more thing we have to do to fix the problem." So I guess their first fix wasn't successful.

 

Don't know if similar issue is causing problems for the Whirlpool-made glass tops, but appliances turning themselves on is always a frightening prospect.

 

Wish the quality of the electronics in appliances that are subjected to moisture, heat and vibration was better.  Personally, I love electronic controls and prefer them over knobs and buttons.

[this post was last edited: 8/30/2019-09:07]
 

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