dehumidifier fire hazard question & recall alert

[Digital2k2]

Thinking about the possibility of a dehumidifier catching on fire, I've been wondering if there are any that are completely safe?

I know some of the expensive ones have a metal casing on them, which seems like it could mostly contain a fire, but what about the ones with plastic casings?
The idea of hanging a metal fire pit bowl upside down above the dehumidifier, to keep the flames from reaching high enough to catch the house on fire, actually ran through my mind...

Also with this huge recall effecting so many, I figured I would post it here for anyone who hasn't heard about it: http://www.greedehumidifierrecall.com/ProductEntry.aspx

 

[linksep]

I've got one of those running directly below my bedroom at this very second! I'll sleep just fine.

 

[eljefino]

A metal case could amplify a fire by reflecting heat back towards the core. Just look at a car fire, they bake!

 

[bradepb]

I replaced my in-laws unit a couple years ago for the recall. That recall is over 2 years old. They didn't want the unit back. they had you cut the power cord off and send it back along with a decal off the unit w/serial number. I guess if I was feeling lucky I could put on a new cord and use it, but no way.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Originally Posted By: bradepb
I replaced my in-laws unit a couple years ago for the recall. That recall is over 2 years old. They didn't want the unit back. they had you cut the power cord off and send it back along with a decal off the unit w/serial number. I guess if I was feeling lucky I could put on a new cord and use it, but no way.


me as well. got $175.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: Chris Meutsch
Originally Posted By: bradepb
I replaced my in-laws unit a couple years ago for the recall. That recall is over 2 years old. They didn't want the unit back. they had you cut the power cord off and send it back along with a decal off the unit w/serial number. I guess if I was feeling lucky I could put on a new cord and use it, but no way.


me as well. got $175.



Same here.

 

[MNgopher]

Same story for me. Contact the manufacturer via their website. They will send a "kit" telling you what needs to be sent back - in my case was a cut power cord with its tag, and a tag off the original unit. Send those back in, and I got a check for $175 a few weeks later. Recycled the unit for free at the local haz waste site.

In any event, if I had a non recalled unit, I'd use it with no fear or mickey mouse solutions. If it is recalled unit, just do the recall. In my case, the unit was 4 years old, and I got back nearly what I paid for it, and I sleep better at night now.

 

[JTK]

Phewww.. I didn't know anything about this recall until I read this thread! Checked my Danby dehumidifier serial #. I guess I'm OK by one digit. Mine's a DDR451. Based on what I can find DDR4511 is the burst into flames model.

Funny too, because this is the best dehumidifier I've owned, aside from the ancient one I left with our first house many years ago. I was literally going through one every 1-2 years until I bought this Danby unit around 2007-08.

 

[MNgopher]

Thought the same thing about the unit I had. It worked the longest of any of them I had bought...

 

[JHZR2]

Thanks for letting us know about this. I need to check a frigidaire dehumidifier that I have!

 

[Digital2k2]

My Frigidaire FDL70S1 is just a year too new to fall under that recall thankfully. I have it sitting on a table so it can gravity drain through where the natural gas line comes in the crawl space. The floor of the house is about 6'8" off the ground at that point in the crawl space, but I still might get something like this and hang it upside down above it (am I crazy for wanting the peace of mind?): http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Ashcraft-30-in-Steel-Round-Fire-Pit-FT-01C/205089348

I actually didn't run it this summer because last winter, when you really don't even need to run one around here, a neighbors house got a couple thousand in fire damage from one burning in their crawl space. Imagine if they hadn't been home...