Is Your Dishwasher a Fire Hazard? GE Announces Recall

by Anna Glendenning | More from this Blogger

16 May 2007 02:42 PM

Today General Electric in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall including as many as 2.5 million dishwasher units.

The recall hazard involves the liquid rinse-aid dispenser which can leak into internal wiring of the dishwasher and may cause an electrical short or overheating, resulting in a possible fire hazard for consumers and homeowners.

General Electric says they have received 191 reports of overheated dishwasher wiring. There have been no injuries reported, but 56 claims for property damage and 12 cases of fire damage. The 12 reports of fire have resulted in limited damages mainly to the actual dishwasher or the area adjacent to the dishwasher.

The General Electric dishwashers included in the recall were manufactured in the U.S and sold for the price of about $400.00 in appliance and department stores from September 1997 through December 2001.

If you are using one of the recalled dishwashers you should stop using it now and contact General Electric for free repairs, a $150 rebate for a new GE dishwasher, or a $300 rebate for a new GE Profile or GE Monogram dishwasher.

The dishwasher recall includes GE built-in dishwashers sold in the colors of almond, bisque, black, stainless steel and white with the brand names of:

• Eterna
• GE
• GE Profile™
• GE Monogram®
• Hotpoint®
• Sears-Kenmore

To find out if your dishwasher is part of the recall be sure to have the following information ready:

• The brand name which is printed on the dishwasher's front control panel.
• The model and serial numbers are located inside the front of the dishwasher tub on the left side.

For more information contact: General Electric toll-free at (877) 607-6395 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday. Consumers also can visit the Web site Here

Homeowners, may want to keep a master list of all their home appliances, including the model and serial numbers as a part of the Household Inventory. This information is important to include for replacement values in the event of a loss but, may also help determine the hazard responsible for a loss.

Related Blogs:

• The Standard Fire Insurance Form
• Household Inventory--Getting Started.
• Flood Disaster
• Earthquake Insurance

Glossary of Insurance Terms:

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J-K | L | M | N | O | P | Q-R | S | T | U-V | W-Z

Families.com Blogs are for informational purposes only. Families.com assumes no responsibility for consumer choices. Consumers are reminded that it is their responsibility to research their choices properly and speak to a certified insurance professional prior to making any decision as important as an insurance purchase.

dishwasher recall, electrical hazard, Fire Hazard, hazard