August 17, 2023
More than 1.5 million dehumidifiers sold by five brands are being recalled after nearly two dozen fires and hundreds of incidents of overheating were reported, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Wednesday.
Chinese manufacturer Gree Electric Appliances issued the recall of the products sold by Kenmore, GE, SoleusAir, Norpole and Seabreeze.
The dehumidifiers were assembled between January 2011 and February 2014 and were sold at Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, Sam's Club, Sears, Walmart and other stores. Their costs were between $100 and $400, depending on the model.
Products were made with white, beige, gray or black plastic and measured between 19-24 inches tall, 13-15 inches wide and 9-11 inches deep.
Model numbers and sizes of the recalled dehumidifiers can be found at the CPSC site.
The recalled units resulted in at least 23 fires, 688 incidents of overheating and $168,000 in property damage, the CPSC said.
Purchasers of the recalled dehumidifiers should stop using the products immediately and contact Gree for a refund.
In April, Gree was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine for failure to notify the CPSC that its manufactured dehumidifiers posed fire safety hazards.
The fine was part of a $91 million resolution, including restitution payments for consumers who purchased faulty products. Despite knowing that their products could catch fire, Gree's companies, which include Gree Zhuhai, Gree Hong Kong and Gree USA, did not say anything for months, according to USA Today.
This isn't the first recall of dehumidifiers made by Gree. A separate recall on products made between January 2005 and January 2014 was issued after four deaths and $19 million in property damage were reported.
