LOS ANGELES - More than 26,000 glass cooktops with touch controls were recalled on Wednesday over a risk of spontaneously switching on, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The agency said the recalled cooktop surface elements could turn on by themselves, which poses burn and fire hazards.
“This recall involves cooktops with a glass cooking surface, touch controls, radiant and downdraft radiant models sold under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid and JennAir brands,” the CPSC said, listing the exact model numbers. They were manufactured from December 2016 through July 2019.
Whirlpool had received 133 reports of incidents involving the cooktop surface elements turning on by themselves.
“This resulted in 14 reports, including 13 in the U.S. and 1 in Canada, of heat damage to nearby items and four reports of items catching on fire, including one report of property damage. Two minor burn injuries have been reported,” the agency said.
The products were sold at Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Best Buy, other home improvement and home appliance stores, as well as online from March 2017 through August 2019 for between $1,150 and $2,500, according to the CPSC.
The brand name is printed on the cooktop, while the model number and serial numbers are printed on the underside of the cooktop, the commission said.
Model numbers beginning with K are KitchenAid models, ones beginning with W are Whirlpool models, and numbers beginning with J are JennAir models.
“Consumers should immediately contact Whirlpool to arrange for a free installation of a replacement cooktop. When not in use, turn the unit off at the circuit breaker. Do not leave flammable materials or empty cookware on or near the cooktop,” the commission said.
Consumers can visit www.whirlpool.com, www.kitchenaid.com, or www.jennair.com and click on “Recall Information” at the bottom of the page for more information.