LG Humidifier Recall Reannounced: $1 Million in Home Fire Damages

Federal consumer protection officials have re-announced a December 2009 recall involving about 98,000 LG Electronics dehumidifiers, many of which are still in circulation and continuing to cause house fires throughout the United States. 

The original Goldstar and Comfort-Aire dehumidifier recall stemmed from 11 reports that the appliances were short-circuiting, causing fire and burn hazards. Four of those reports resulted in significant fires. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has continued to receive reports of problems with the dehumidifiers, resulting in a re-announcement of the recall on Wednesday.

Since the original recall, there have been at least 16 more incident reports. Fires caused by the recalled Goldstar and Comfort-Aire dehumidifiers have done more than $1 million to homes in Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

The recall affects 30 pint dehumidifiers sold under the Goldstar and Comfort-Aire labels. The Goldstar dehumidifiers had model numbers GHD30Y7 and DH305Y7. The Comfort-Aire dehumidifiers had a model number of BHD-301-C. The dehumidifiers are white with a red shut-off button and a front-loading bucket. The model and serial numbers are located on the inside of the dehumidifier and can be located when the water bucket is removed. A list of serial numbers affected by the recall can be found in the CPSC recall notice.

The dehumidifiers were sold at Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Orgill Inc. and other retailers nationwide for between $140 and $150 from January 2007 through June 2008.

The CPSC recommends that the any consumers with the affected dehumidifiers call LG to arrange for repairs at (877)220-0479 or visit the company’s website at www.30pintdehumidifierrecall.com.