Kenmore air conditioners

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. No one hurt

   Made Oct 1, 2019 · , sent to the company Oct 24, 2019 · , published by CPSC Nov 7, 2019

   The product, in the report: UNIT WAS DESIGNED APPRANTLY TO USE UP ALL THE WATER THAT COMES FROM CONDENSATION AS IT OPERATES BUT IT DOES NOT AND THERE IS NOT DRAIN HOLE TO KEEP WATER FROM SITTING IN THE UNIT AND FEEDING MOLD AND MILDEW.

   Re: Health issue Bought a Sears window air conditioner in June 2017, ran fine, maintained that year. 2018, ran fine, maintained but found what looked like black spots on grill area and cleaned. 2019 (September) lady stopped and said she smelled mold in the air. In checking we found not only the grill but fan blade and floor of unit was just covered with mold. Cleaned it. Thinking the cause was the drain hole might be plugged, checked and found no drain hole. Checked manual, they indicated water from condensate/rain is tossed around by design to cool the condenser and mentioned that drilling a hole would end any warranty. Bothersome! we checked the rear of the unit and could see water deposits on fins out side that would indicate standing water. Contacted sears and they kept going back to the fact the unit is designed to handle water....which might be right in northern climate but when in humid areas, how will that volume of water from condensation and rain get removed......STANDING WATER FEEDS MOLD AND MILDEW. To make it safe at this point, we examined the inside and found an area that we could safely drill a hole....and have to tell you, water that ran out (and continues as it should) would blow your mind.....it means the standing water do to the design by the manufacturer is causing mold and mildew to form. Now, in my conversation and letter to Sears Holding, I suggested that maybe they are not aware of an issue with standing water but, they need to at last replace the unit with one with a drain hole or we need to contact CPSC to let them know their product is a health hazard by design and should not be sold! Again, the design might work well up north where humidity levels are low but in the south the amount of water from condensation is overwhelming and unless it can get out of the unit, is feeds mold and mildew which is a dangerous issue. I have not heard from Sears and told them that if I do not I need to address the issue with you so this unit can be replaced and more importantly they look at the construction and make sure a drain hole is available for those areas where their present design will not allow standing water sit in the unit and create mold and mildew. Any further questions someone can call me on my cell: [REDACTED]. Have been told now that regardless of the fact that the hole we provided is draining he unit as it should....we should not have drilled the hole. One thing that is lost here is the fact their design in pushing the water around may work just fine in northern areas but when you are dealing with areas in the south where the humidity level is very high and heavy rains can enter, there is no way that amount of water will disappear without a drain hole! Once we carefully drilled a hole it was unbelievable the amount of water that came out of the unit and have watched each day since and the inside stays dry SO MOLD AND MILDEW DOES NOT FORM. Simple as that. It was sad and very scary to open the unit and find everything in there covered with mold/mildew.

   Model

   253.87050

   Serial number

   kk55377548

   Bought from

   SEARS

   Bought

   Jun 21, 2017

   Where

   Safety Harbor, Florida: Other Public Property/Office

   Who was involved

   Unspecified

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand KENMORE, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

2. No one hurt

   Made Aug 14, 2018 · , sent to the company Aug 21, 2018 · , published by CPSC Sep 5, 2018

   The product, in the report: wall mounted air conditioner

   Kenmore a/c exploded...have pictures to show...kenmore a/c model 25371035 serial number: kk12913212

   Model

   25370135011

   Serial number

   kk12913212

   Where

   walla walla, Washington: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unknown

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand kenmore, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

3. No one hurt

   Made Jul 11, 2013 · , sent to the company Aug 12, 2013 · , published by CPSC Aug 26, 2013

   The product, in the report: AC

   The caller stated that the electrical cord that is connected to the AC unit is not sealed properly, therefore there is water leaking from the unit inside the plug into the outlet which is a hazard. The unit was plugged in for couples hours when she noticed that it stopped working, she unplugged the cord and noticed that water was dripping it. This incident caused it to trip the power.

   7/10/13 The manufacturer was contacted and she was advised that a service technician would be sent out at a cost to her. They also informed her that she would have to pay for a repair kit because the unit was out of warranty. She informed them that she had only used the unit 3 times since she purchased.

   The caller feels that this unit is unsafe and should be investigated.

   Model

   253.70181010

   Serial number

   kkq4229206

   Bought from

   Sears, New York

   Bought

   May 19, 2012

   Where

   Bronx, New York: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Female

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand Kenmore, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

4. No one hurt

   Made Jul 15, 2012 · , sent to the company Aug 1, 2012 · , published by CPSC Aug 15, 2012

   The product, in the report: Window air conditioner , 8000 Btu’s

   Through the Pa. weatherization program I received two window air conditioners. They are Kenmore by Sears. They both are installed properly.They are filled with mold. I have to have them taken out to clean them.They are back int he windows a day or two and all the mold is back. I called Sears and was told to call the store they came from, the weatherization program doesn’t know which store they came from. I have been having them cleaned because of the severe heat.I can’t just stop using them.Please help,me and I’m sure many other low income and disabled people in Pennsylvania who received these items. Thank you .[REDACTED]

   Model

   253.79081014

   Serial number

   KK05010065

   Where

   Greensburg, Pennsylvania: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unknown

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand Kenmore, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

5. No one hurt

   Made Jul 5, 2012 · , sent to the company Aug 23, 2012 · , published by CPSC Sep 7, 2012

   The product, in the report: Air Conditioner

   The consumer says last night her son was working when he called her stating his roommate told him of a strong odor in the home.

   She went to his home and noticed fumes and smoke had engulfed the home. The consumer called the Fire Dept who said the fire was caused by the compressor in the air conditioning unit. They sat the unit outside.

   The consumer says she called the manufacturer today who told her the unit is not on recall. The retailer also said the same thing.

   There was no other damage done to the home.

   Model

   253.70251010

   Serial number

   KK00536818

   Bought from

   Sears

   Bought

   Jun 15, 2011, about then

   Where

   Steele, Missouri: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   My Child

   As this report names them

   Brand Kenmore, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

6. Seen by a doctor or nurse

   Made Jul 27, 2011 · , published by CPSC Aug 18, 2011

   The product, in the report: Kenmore Room Air Conditioner Model No. 580.75151500 purchased from a Sears

   This letter addresses concerns that I have regarding a Kenmore Room Air Conditioner Model No. 580.75151500 purchased from a Sears in Chicago on June 2009. After two years of using this air conditioner and experiencing some never previously experienced extreme health symptoms, I question if something is wrong with the air conditioning unit. My girlfriend and I have moved, changed employers and employer locations, and even stayed with family and friends to experiment if symptoms improved. Based on what we have gone through and measures we have taken, I speculate that something is functional wrong with this air conditioning unit and has caused extreme health issues as listed below.

   I purchased the Kenmore Room Air Conditioner Model No. 580.75151500 from Sears in June 2009 for use in my apartment. At the time I was living in an apartment on [REDACTED] and currently live in an apartment on [REDACTED].. Having an air conditioner during Chicago summers is very important for obvious health reasons. Mid way through the first summer of owning this unit, living in the apartment located on [REDACTED], I began having health issues. I was in my mid 20s and up to that point in my life had always been a healthy person. There was no logical reason for me to get sick to the degree that I did; symptoms included dizziness, disorientation, feelings of vertigo, memory recall problems, shortness of breath, respiratory problems, inability to sleep, extreme fatigue, loss of muscle tone and weight loss, and more than usual hair loss. I experienced most of these symptoms, but some were also experienced by my girlfriend. Multiple times we cleaned our apartment from ceiling to floor, moving furniture, and ensuring everything was clean, but the health issues did not improve. From time to time, my girlfriend and I would head back home to stay with our parents or stay with friends that also lived in the City. During these visits, we would both begin to feel better. After a day or two of being back in our apartment with the air conditioner operating, symptoms would re-present themselves.

   At first, we both thought these symptoms had something to do with the apartment we were living in at the time,[REDACTED], or my work environment. Therefore, we cut our lease short during winter and moved over Christmas to a different apartment complex, located on [REDACTED]. All symptoms listed above improved for the first six months of living in this apartment. Note, we were not using the air conditioning unit as it was winter and early spring.

   Other things had happened at work that caused me to continue my career search. Plus I was still not thrilled with the work environment indoor air quality and cleanliness. I continued to try and find other employment with better environmental conditions. I obtained employment with a new company in a very new, updated, and well ventilated building at the beginning of July. At this point in time, symptoms were much improved, and we both felt like our health levels were returning back to normal.

   This July Chicago has had its days of extreme heat where an air conditioner is 100% necessary, and there have also been about 15 days where the weather is a perfect 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night time and an air conditioner is not necessary. One of the instances of extreme heat lasted for a period of approximately one week. During this week, we ran the air conditioner, and we both began to notice the symptoms were reappearing. Once the weather became more reasonable, we turned the air conditioner off and opened windows. We then began to notice that symptoms were again beginning to improve.

   All of this has taken place over a two year period, and everything up to this point leads me to believe there is something wrong with the Kenmore room air conditioner. I have tried to contact multiple heating and cooling companies to ask questions and inquire what they charge for air conditioner cleaning. Every company I have contacted instructed me I was better off to purchase a new air conditioner and forget about it. However, I do not have the income to spend $500 on a new air conditioning unit every year or when something goes wrong. $500 may not be much to some people, but when I make an investment of that size, I expect the product to be safe to use. Additionally, when I contacted Sears, distributor of Kenmore products, I did not receive a response to my initial inquiry. I have since been given short unclear answers to my questions. I am writing to seek assistance in my quest and also because I would not want anyone else to go through what I have had to over the past two years.

   Please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail or phone for further communication.

   Thank you

   [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]

   Model

   M # 580.75151500

   Bought from

   Sears

   Bought

   Jun 13, 2009, about then

   Where

   Chicago, Illinois: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 28, Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand Kenmore, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources