Chinese appliance giant Midea has announced a recall of 1.7 million air conditioners in the United States and Canada due to potential mold growth that could lead to consumer exposure.
On June 5th, Midea, in a recall notice issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the United States, stated that their U-shaped window air conditioners and U+ shaped window air conditioner units may accumulate water, leading to mold growth. Mold can cause respiratory illnesses and other infections.
The CPSC indicated that they have received at least 152 consumer reports claiming mold buildup inside Midea air conditioner units. Among them, 17 reports mentioned users experiencing respiratory infections, allergic reactions, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and other symptoms due to contact with mold.
Aside from air conditioners sold in the United States, nearly 46,000 units of these air conditioners were also sold in Canada.
According to the recall notice, Midea air conditioning products were sold under various brand names including Comfort Aire, Danby, Frigidaire, Insignia, Keystone, LBG Products, Mr. Cool, Perfect Aire, and Sea Breeze. These air conditioners of certain brands and models, with dimensions of 22 inches wide and 14 inches high, are within the recall scope (view the complete list of affected models).
The recalled air conditioners were sold from March 2020 to May this year at retailers such as Best Buy, Costco, and Home Depot, with prices ranging from $280 to $500.
The CPSC notice stated that users who have purchased the affected devices should contact Midea to receive a full refund or free repair. Midea will provide free shipping labels for customers to return the devices to the company. Alternatively, customers can submit a photo showing the power cord of the device has been cut to receive a refund.
Midea’s previous recall of dehumidifiers occurred in 2016 when the CPSC and the Canadian Department of Health collaborated to recall 3.4 million dehumidifiers (with 850,000 units sold in Canada).
The reason for the recall at that time was that these dehumidifiers could overheat, emit smoke, and catch fire, posing fire and burn hazards. The dehumidifiers were sold between January 2003 and December 2013, during which Guangdong Midea received 38 reports of smoke and fire incidents, resulting in approximately $4.8 million in property damages.
Within less than ten years, Midea’s products have been recalled twice in North America, totaling 5.1 million units.