Do You Have a 30 Pint Goldstar or Comfort-Aire Dehumidifier in Your Home? If So, Then Read This!

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Do you have a dehumidifier in your basement? If so, you probably put it there to protect your home from water damage, right? Well, if you own a Goldstar or Comfort-Aire dehumidifier, you need to check your model number, because you may have put yourself at risk for something even worse — fire damage.

The recalled dehumidifiers were sold at The Home Depot, Walmart, Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Orgill Inc., and other retailers nationwide from January 2007 through June 2008 for between $140 and $150. They were manufactured in China.

The dehumidifiers were first recalled in December 2009 following eleven incidents, including four significant fires. Since that time, the company has received sixteen additional incident reports of arcing, smoke and fire associated with the dehumidifiers, including nine significant fires. No injuries have been reported.

Some of the more significant property damages that these dehumidifiers have caused include:

  • $500,000 in damage to a home in Gibsonia, Pa.
  • $200,000 in damage to a home in New Brighton, Minn.
  • $183,000 in damage to a home in Hudson, Mass.
  • $192,000 in damage to a home in Valparaiso, Ind.
  • $139,000 in damage to a home in Salem, Ohio
  • $129,000 in damage to a home in Brielle, N.J.
  • $ 95,000 in damage to a home in Philadelphia, Pa.

I’m glad to read that there are no reports of death or injury from people using them, but this is definitely not an item you want sitting in your home … waiting to burn it down while you sleep! I urge you to check your model if you own a dehumidifier!

The recall involves the 30 pint portable dehumidifiers sold under the Goldstar and Comfort-Aire brands. The dehumidifiers are white with a red shut-off button, controls for fan speed and humidity control, and a front-loading water bucket. “Goldstar” or “Comfort-Aire” is printed on the front. Model and serial number ranges included in this recall are listed in the table below. The model and serial numbers are located on the interior of the dehumidifier, and can be seen when the water bucket is removed.

Brand | Model No. | Serial Number Range | Sold at

Goldstar | GHD30Y7 611TAxx00001 through 08400; 611TAxx08401 through 40600; 612TAxx00001 through 20400; 612TAxx21001 through 30600 | Home Depot

Goldstar | DH305Y7 612TAxx00001 through 00600; 701TAxx00001 through 16800; 702TAxx00001 through 03000 | Walmart

Comfort-Aire | BHD-301-C 611TA000001 through 001697; 612TA000001 through 004200; 701TA000001 through 000578; 710TA000001 | through 000599 Various retailers, including Ace Hardware, Do It Best and Orgill Inc.

The Comfort-Aire model

With over $1 million in property damages caused by a short-circuiting power connector for the dehumidifier’s compressor, you can understand why LG Electronics [the manufacturer] is concerned!

Because of the severity of the risks, CPSC and LG Electronics are concerned with the lack of consumer response to the recall. Only two percent of the 98,000 consumers who purchased these units have received a free repair, which means that consumers and their property remain at serious risk.

  
The two Goldstar models

You can check and see if your dehumidifier is included in the recall by clicking here.

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September 14, 2011
Release #11-324

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (877) 220-0479
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
LG Media Contact: (847) 941-8181

Home Fires Prompt Dehumidifier Recall Reannouncement from LG Electronics
More Than One Million Dollars in Property Damage Linked to Goldstar and Comfort-Aire Dehumidifiers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – LG Electronics Tianjin Appliance Co., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is urging consumers to check if they have recalled Goldstar or Comfort-Aire dehumidifiers. The firm is re-announcing the recall of about 98,000 of the dangerous dehumidifiers that pose a serious fire and burn hazard, and are believed to be responsible for more than one million dollars in property damage.

The power connector for the dehumidifier’s compressor can short circuit, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers and their property.

The dehumidifiers were first recalled in December 2009 following eleven incidents, including four significant fires. Since that time, the company has received sixteen additional incident reports of arcing, smoke and fire associated with the dehumidifiers, including nine significant fires. No injuries have been reported. Fires are reported to have caused more than $1 million in property damage including:

$500,000 in damage to a home in Gibsonia, Pa.
$200,000 in damage to a home in New Brighton, Minn.
$183,000 in damage to a home in Hudson, Mass.
$192,000 in damage to a home in Valparaiso, Ind.
$139,000 in damage to a home in Salem, Ohio
$129,000 in damage to a home in Brielle, N.J.
$ 95,000 in damage to a home in Philadelphia, Pa.

Because of the severity of the risks, CPSC and LG Electronics are concerned with the lack of consumer response to the recall. Only two percent of the 98,000 consumers who purchased these units have received a free repair, which means that consumers and their property remain at serious risk.

Anyone who has the recalled dehumidifiers is strongly encouraged to immediately stop using them, unplug them, and contact LG Electronics for the free repair.

The recall involves the 30 pint portable dehumidifiers sold under the Goldstar and Comfort-Aire brands. The dehumidifiers are white with a red shut-off button, controls for fan speed and humidity control, and a front-loading water bucket. “Goldstar” or “Comfort-Aire” is printed on the front. Model and serial number ranges included in this recall are listed in the table below. The model and serial numbers are located on the interior of the dehumidifier, and can be seen when the water bucket is removed.

Brand | Model No. | Serial Number Range | Sold at

Goldstar | GHD30Y7 611TAxx00001 through 08400; 611TAxx08401 through 40600; 612TAxx00001 through 20400; 612TAxx21001 through 30600 | Home Depot

Goldstar | DH305Y7 612TAxx00001 through 00600; 701TAxx00001 through 16800; 702TAxx00001 through 03000 | Walmart

Comfort-Aire | BHD-301-C 611TA000001 through 001697; 612TA000001 through 004200; 701TA000001 through 000578; 710TA000001 | through 000599 Various retailers, including Ace Hardware, Do It Best and Orgill Inc.

The recalled dehumidifiers were sold at The Home Depot, Walmart, Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Orgill Inc., and other retailers nationwide from January 2007 through June 2008 for between $140 and $150. They were manufactured in China.

For additional information about the recall and for the location of an authorized service center for the repair, contact LG toll free at (877) 220-0479 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, and between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, or visit the firm’s website at www.30pintdehumidifierrecall.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled products and fire damage, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11324.html

 

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She got her start in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie has written for or been profiled by nationally known sites and magazines, and she has served on multiple industry hardware and software award panels. She is best known for her device-agnostic approach, enjoyment of exploring tech, gadgets, and gear, and her deep-diving, jargon-free reviews.