Government Recalls Dehumidifiers Again After More Fires

Thousands of dehumidifiers are being recalled for a second time after being blamed for more house fires.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says LG Electronics Tianjin Appliance Co. is again announcing a recall of Goldstar and Comfort-Aire dehumidifiers because they can pose a fire and burn hazard.

The CPSC says they are believed to be responsible for 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.

About 98,000 dehumidifiers are being recalled. The power connector for the machine’s compressor can short-circuit.

The dehumidifiers were first recalled in December 2009 following four significant fires. Since then, the company has received 16 additional incident reports of arcing, smoke and fire associated with the dehumidifiers, including nine significant fires. No injuries have been reported.