2 million dehumidifiers in US recalled over potential fire hazard

WASHINGTON - About 2 million dehumidifiers are being recalled in the U.S. because of their potential to overheat and catch fire, posing fire and burn hazards. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the dehumidifiers were made by New Widetech. The company is aware of 107 incidents of the recalled dehumidifiers overheating and/or catching fire, resulting in about $17 million in property damage. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled dehumidifiers, which remove excess moisture from the air, were sold at retailers including Lowe’s, Costco, Walmart and Menards across the U.S. from February 2009 to August 2017. They were priced between $120 and $430.

Another 380,000 products in Canada and about 25,000 in Mexico are also under the recall. 

The recall involves 25-, 30-, 35-, 45-, 50-, 60-, 65-, 70-, and 74-pint dehumidifiers with the brand names including AeonAir, Amana, ArcticAire (Danby), Classic (Danby / Home Hardware Stores), Commercial Cool, Danby, Danby Designer, Danby Premiere, De’Longhi, Edgestar, Friedrich, Generations (Danby), Haier, Honeywell (JMATEK / AirTek), Idylis, Ivation, perfect aire, SuperClima, Whirlpool, and Whynter. 

A photo provided by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows recalled AeonAir dehumidifier(L) and ArcticAire dehumidifier (R) made by New Widetech. (Photo: Consumer Product Safety Commission)

The brand name, model number and pint capacity are printed on the nameplate sticker on the back of the dehumidifier. Click here for a full list of products under the recall on the CPSC website.

Consumers should stop using the dehumidifiers immediately and contact New Widetech for a refund. The amount of the refund will be pro-rated based on the age of the dehumidifier, officials said.

Those impacted can call New Widetech at 877-251-1512 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at www.recallrtr.com/nwtdehumidifier or http://www.newwidetech.com/en/ and click on "Recall Information" at the bottom of the page for more information.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.