Dehumidifiers that were sold by Ace Hardware, Walmart, The Home Depot, Orgill, Inc., Do It Best and various other retailers across the nation between January of 2007 and June of 2008 are being recalled due to a serious fire and burn hazard. LG Electronics Tianjin Appliance is recalling the Goldstar and Comfort-Aire dehumidifiers, believed to be responsible for over $1 million in property damage.
The products were recalled originally in December of 2009 after 11 incidents, including 4 significant fires, resulted due to use of the dehumidifiers. Since that date 16 additional reports of fire, smoke and arcing have been reported. It appears that the power connector for the compressor can short circuit, which poses hazards to consumers and their property.
Goldstar and Comfort-Aire 30 pint portable dehumidifiers are involved in the recall, and are white in color with a red shut-off button. The dehumidifiers have a front-loading water bucket and controls for humidity levels and fan speed. The brand name is printed on the front. Model and serial numbers of affected dehumidifiers are listed below:
Goldstar model no. GHD30Y7
611TAxx00001 through 08400
611TAxx08401 through 40600
612TAxx00001 through 20400
612TAxx21001 through 30600
Goldstar model no. DH305Y7
612TAxx00001 through 00600
701TAxx00001 through 16800
702TAxx00001 through 03000
Comfort-Aire model no. BHD-301-C
611TA000001 through 001697
612TA000001 through 004200
701TA000001 through 000578
710TA000001 through 000599
Serial numbers are visible on the interior of the products when water bucket is removed. Significant fires have resulted in homes in PA, MN, MA, IN, OH, and NJ.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and LG Electronics are concerned that only 2% of the 98,000 customers who have purchased the dehumidifiers have received a free repair, meaning that customers and property may be at serious risk. The CPSC urges consumers to stop using the dehumidifiers and contact LG Electronics for a free repair.
Consumers who have the dehumidifiers listed above may call (877) 220-0479 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. central time to locate an authorized service center.
Those who have been injured or lost property because of defective products may have cause to file a lawsuit for compensation of costs related to their loss. Brown Chiari is a team of New York defective products attorneys who are aggressive and dedicated to seeking justice for our clients.