5 Appliance Recalls You Should Be Aware Of

Appliance brands do their utmost to provide high-quality appliances at affordable prices. Wherever you are in the homemaking process, eventually you will need to buy an appliance. But be careful. Every responsible homeowner (and renter) should remain aware of the most recent appliance recalls. A recall occurs when there is something deeply wrong with the manufacturing process and an item is deemed both defective and dangerous to current users.

Recalls can happen to brands that outsource production to other countries, but sometimes the mistake is a truly unforeseen and unavoidable twist of fate. Perhaps the manufacturing machines were too cold or too old. Perhaps a machined part just doesn’t quite fit correctly. When something doesn’t work, it’s not just inconvenient. It can also be dangerous. Join us in an adventure of recent appliance recalls that you shouldn’t ignore. 

Carrier Heat Pump – Fire Hazard

Recall Date: October 10, 2019

The Carrier corporation very recently recalled an entire batch of Carrier brand and Bryant brand heat pumps due to a regulation problem that turned them into a fire hazard. These heat pumps are ‘single zone’ indoor-outdoor heaters used for outdoor gatherings, events, and light commercial use. In other words, they’re very handy when you want to work outdoors or in a chilly garage after the seasons start to get a little colder.

However, there’s something wrong with the fan motor, the motor responsible for spinning the fan. The fan that pushes heat out of the unit and into the surrounding area. When the fan stops spinning while the heating elements heat, this becomes a serious fire risk. Tragically (and interestingly) unlike other fire hazard recalls, these dangerous space heaters have resulted in up to six instances of the units actually catching fire. The good news is that no one has reported injury despite the pyrotechnics.

• The Problem
  • Fan would not spin
  • Heat built up and caught fire inside the heater unit.
• The Solution
  • Unplug the heat pump to prevent the risk of fire.
  • Contact installing provider for free repairs
  • Keep an eye on new models
  • Keep foliage and other debris from blocking the unit.

ASKO Dishwashers

Recall Date: September 26, 2019

Not all dishwashers are one of the top brand-name families in kitchen appliances. This is true of the ASKO dishwasher. A nearly unheard of name that usually produces reliable dishwashers. These dishwashers are great for homeowners and investment property owners alike and normally, they are perfectly safe. However, there is a minor manufacturing flaw in many recently sold units. A flaw that puts your kitchen at risk of an electrical fire.

Fortunately, while over 50 instances of overheating power cords were found, no fires were started and no injuries have been reported. So there is a silver lining to every recalled dishwasher.

• The Problem
  • The power cable for the dishwasher was not properly constructed or insulated and has a tendency to overheat.
  • This overheating, while safe in principle, can eventually result in a dangerous electrically-based fire starting at the power cord.
• The Solution
  • The good news is that this recall can also be fixed with a simple professional repair.
  • A repair technician can check on the overheating problem while also changing out your power cord which a new one that is prepared to handle the electricity demands of a dishwasher.

Bodum Toaster

Recall Date: July 17, 2019

Toasters work by running a current through heating elements on either side of the toast slot. This is supposed to be a fully insulated and safe implementation of electric heat, but it isn’t always. The Bodum brand recalled several of its toasters, about 4,000 total, due to an electrocution risk in a surprising manner. Rather than electricity being insulated into the heating chamber, the highest toast-setting charged up the toaster so much that the recalled models leak electricity. This, understandably, poses an electric shock hazard to users.

It should be noted that both the two-slice Bodum toasters and the four-slice Bodum toasters are on recall so if you have recently purchased a Bodum brand toaster,  you’ll want to read the recall page carefully and compare it to your current SKU number. If you own a recalled SKU number, it’s important to take the correct remedy steps. You can find the SKU number underneath your Bodum brand toaster.

Watch out. This toaster has already shocked eight people, as known so far.

• The Problem
  • At highest settings, toaster leaks electricity
  • This creates a shock risk
• The Solution
  • Take your toaster back to the store of purchase for a full refund. This problem cannot be solved with repairs.
  • If you cannot take your toaster back to the store of purchase, Bodum will send you a prepaid mailer for a full refund return.

Universal Security Instruments Smoke Alarm

Recall Date: July 10, 2019

Battery-powered smoke alarms are an important part of home safety. They are there to alert the household in the event of a fire, even if that means waking everyone out of a sound sleep. Fire alarms are an absolute necessity in homes and businesses and have become a hallmark of good hospitality as well.

As much as we hate the loud chirp when a fire alarm’s battery is low, that chirp also lets us know when the home may not be completely covered when there’s a fire risk. This last July of 2019, Universal Security Instruments bran recalled 180,000 smoke alarms. That is a lot of smoke alarms, and for what? A very simple and responsible reason – because there was a risk these alarms wouldn’t go off when there was a real fire. So far, there have been 134 known reports of failure to activate during installation.

• The Problem
  • Misaligned internal switch causing the alarms not to activate properly.
  • Risk of failing to alert in the event of a fire.
• The Solution
  • Inspect your smoke alarm by pressing the test button. If alarm sounds, you’re all good. The smoke alarm is fine.
  • If the alarm does not sound, contact Universal Security for a replacement.

Recalled appliances are sometimes just an inconvenient defect, but sometimes they can be truly dangerous. This is why it’s important to keep track of recent recalls and recalls relating to your home appliances. If a recalled appliance needs repairs, our team can help with professional-grade inspection and repair of fixable recalled items.