Dishwasher Recall

May 16, 2007 10:07 am
 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning that 2.5 million dishwashers may be at risk for catching fire.

This morning the CPSC announced that GE is voluntarily recalling Eterna, GE, GE Profile, GE Monogram, Hotpoint and Sears-Kenmore dishwashers manufactured between September 1997 and December 2001. The company has received 191 reports of the dishwashers overheating, including 56 reports of property damage. No one has been injured.

According to GE, the problems occur in the area where rinse aid is often held.

"In the affected models, the rinse aid can degrade the insulation on the wiring inside the door, which can cause an electrical short, overheating or fire if the wire comes in contact with the metal door. You should stop using these dishwashers immediately until you obtain more information."

If you've never used rinse aid, and are the original owner of the dishwasher, the company says you don't need to worry.

You can find a complete list of the models recalled here. The company has also set up a few other sections one that answers the most asked questions and another that helps you locate the serial and model numbers on your dishwasher.

For more information call GE at 1 (877) 607-6395 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST, just be sure to have the model and serial numbers handy.

Second Similar Recall In Four Months

This is the second time in four months dishwashers have been recalled for this issue. In February 2007 the CPSC, along with Maytag recalled 2.3 million Maytag and Jenn-Air dishwashers sold between 1997 and 2001 for similar reasons -- the rinse agent could leak from the dispenser and cause an electrical shortage. In this case there were 135 reports of fires.

Reason To Check Your Dishwasher

Dishwasher recalls are nothing new. I found listings for dozens of them so it may be a good time to take stock on your own dishwasher. Here are some of the dishwasher recalls issued in the past 11 years:
• 500,000 Whirlpool Dishwashers (1996)
• 3.1 million GE Dishwashers Recalled (1999)
• GE Free Repair Supplement
• 161,000 Whirlpool Built-in Dishwashers Recalled (2005)
• 73,000 GE Dishwashers Recalled (2005 with 2006 update)
• 2.3 million Maytag Dishwashers Recalled (2007)