CPSC, Whirlpool Announce Recall of Dehumidifiers
Home product recall 02-096. Announced by CPSC on Jan 31, 2002.
- CPSC: stop using it
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own notice is on cpsc.gov.
The short answer
Announced by CPSC on Jan 31, 2002. Copied from CPSC on Oct 19, 2026.
- Stop using it what CPSC tells owners to do now (needs attention)
- About 1.4 million units, as CPSC gives them
- None injuries, CPSC’s notice says
Every line below is in CPSC’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
The dehumidifiers can overheat, posing a fire hazard.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What should you do?
Consumers should stop using these dehumidifiers and unplug them immediately. Contact Whirlpool to arrange for a free repair.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
- How to reach the firm: Contact Whirlpool at (866) 640-7139 anytime or visit the firm’s web site at www.repair.whirlpool.com
Which ones are recalled?
The recalled dehumidifiers were sold under the Whirlpool, Kenmore and ComfortAire brand names. The dehumidifiers are white plastic, about 2 feet high and have a front-mounted water bucket. They have serial numbers that begin with QG, QH, QJ, QK or QL. The serial number can be found on a label located on the wall behind the water bucket. Dehumidifiers with water buckets located in back are not involved in the recall.
About 1.4 million units, as CPSC gives them.
Dehumidifiers.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
CPSC’s photos
CPSC shows 1 photo on its notice. Hearth Record doesn’t copy them; each opens on cpsc.gov.
Who made and sold it?
- Made by Whirlpool Corp., Benton Harbor, Mich.
- Department and appliance stores nationwide sold the dehumidifiers, from February 1997 through December 2001, for between $130 and $260.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
Was anyone hurt?
Whirlpool has received 13 reports of the dehumidifiers overheating and causing fires, three of which resulted in extensive property damage. No injuries have been reported.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What the record doesn’t say
- The notice lists no UPCs, so check the model, the description and the photos.
- The notice lists no model numbers in a field of their own; its description may give them.
- How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls API.
Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Recalls of kids’ and home products are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record. Copied on Oct 19, 2026.