Dehumidifier Hell: 2.5 Million Recalled Due To Fires

[frigilux]

Well, kids, check your brands.

 

2.5 million dehumidifiers made by Gree with these brand names have been recalled due to a 400% increase in the number of units reported overheating and/or starting fires.

 

These were sold in stores and online between January 2005 and August 2013. I purchased my Frigidaire in May of 2013.

 

Danby 

DeLonghi

Fedders

Fellini

Frigidaire

GE

Gree

Kenmore

Norpole

Premiere

Seabreeze

SoleusAir

SuperClima

 

 

Contact Gree at 866-853-2802 or follow the link provided here. I'm going to run mine only when I'm home 'til it's replaced.

 

DAMN IT! Nothing pisses me off more than an appliance that's a fire hazard. Burn your house down just trying to keep the humidity low.

[this post was last edited: 7/9/2014-19:02]

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www.greedehumidifierrecall.com

 

[circlew]

Just one more reason I'm putting in a full fire sprinkler system in the house I'm renovating.

My Frigidaire and Kenmores weren't part of the earlier recalls, so I'll have to see about this latest one.

 

[liamy1]

Maybe a silly question,,,,,,

But, does this apply to models in the UK?

I will have a look around, to see if there is any recall here. My Retailer hasn't contacted me, however it is accepted that recalls can be difficult to manage.

Thanks

 

[frigilux]

Tom--- I believe Kenmore and Frigidaire were added recently as part of the expanded recall.  

 

Liamy1--- Don't know if this includes units sold outside the US.  I'll try to find out.  Off-topic aside:  I am listening to '(I'm Not From) Bury' by The Fall as I'm typing this.

 

EDIT:  I entered the required information at the Gree recall website and my dehumidifier, Frigidaire model (FAD704DWD) with a production date of 10/12 is not part of the recall.

 

 

[this post was last edited: 7/9/2014-19:26]

 

[liamy1]

Frigilux

Haha, what a coincidence.

Thanks for looking into that.

I has a look around, not much info on my end

There have been a few points raised here in the UK, on how hard recalls are to administer and manage, and whether or not the Government need to look into doing more for these.

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www.recalluk.com

 

[tomturbomatic]

How the hell do you eff up an appliance that for decades used to sit in basements and keep them dry? You do it by using more plastic and lightweight electrical components than sanity ever decreed.

 

[xraytech]

I'm glad that I have an early 1980s JCPenney 25 pint and a late 70s GE Sahara14 dehumidifier a. I feel very safe with them

 

[washman]

Pretty simple Tomturbomatic

and to add to what you already stated............you then outsource it to the lowest contract factory in China with the most "competitive" labor and transportation costs.

And Voila!

Another cheap albeit dangerous Chinese appliance.

 

[DirectDriveDave]

Just recently, I made a video on a 1980s Kenmore dehumidifier that had not ran for 10 years. It still runs. Try finding that today.

 

[dustin92]

We had a Kenmore that was affected by the earlier recall (made by LG in china), ours was made in 2003. We bought a SoleusAir last August that was NOT affected by the recalls, and so far it has been great, other than being pretty noisy. It is connected to a floor drain, and runs pretty much 24/7, only stopping to clean the filter when the light comes on.

 

[jeffg]

According to Gree's site, two separate recalls are in progress, one was issued last January, and a much larger one in September of 2013 that includes 12+ brands. Here's some info on the older recall:

Gree Recalls 12 Brands of Dehumidifiers Due to Serious Fire and Burn Hazards; More Than $2 Million in Property Damage Reported

Consumers should immediately turn off and unplug the dehumidifiers and contact Gree to receive a refund.

www.cpsc.gov

 

[frigilux]

Well, this doesn't help the other 2,499,999 people whose dehumidifiers are part of the recall...but it turns out mine is not.  

 

Brand:  Frigidaire

Model: FAD704DWD

Date: 10/12

 

If you have this model (or any Frigidaire model beginning with FAD) you are not part of the recall.  Mine is pictured here.

 

Whew!  I really like my dehumidifier.  It costs very little to run and is super-efficient at removing water from the air.  

 

[mieletag]

Don' t mean to sound like an ad for Speed Queens lol (Washman, don't worry, I have two new awn542 washers squirrelled away) but Oasis started making their dehumidifiers again a few years ago. If you cannot find a good vintage one, this is a great new one. It has a Tecumseh reciprocating compressor and a cast iron Morrill fan motor with metal blades, both of which are used in vending machines and other small commercial refrigeration units, running strong in adverse conditions. It also has a mechanical humidistat and hot gas defrost, and anall aluminum evaporator coil. Believe me, I work in the hvacr industry, and this is as close to a vintage dehumidifier you will get. Pricey but well worth it in my opinion, I likee it so much I got two more, one for my grandpa and one for a spare. 35 pint per 24 hour capacity. I just called Oasis direct to order these. Here are some pics of one of mine.

 

[mieletag]

Hummm, not quite sure why that didn't work, let me try again. It also has a washable filter that I had removed for the picture.