"Aloha Breeze" Portable Electric Heaters

CPSC Recall #07-296 — August 29, 2007

Recall Summary

Recall Number07-296
Recall DateAugust 29, 2007
Remedy TypeDispose, No Remedy Available
Units AffectedAbout 281,000
ImporterAloha Housewares, Inc. of Arlington, Texas
Manufactured InChina

Where It Was Sold

Wal-Mart stores nationwide from July 2005 to July 2007 for about $15.

Product

"Aloha Breeze" Portable Electric Heaters

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Aloha Housewares, Inc. of Arlington, Texas, is voluntarily recalling about 281,000 "Aloha Breeze" Portable Electric Heaters. The heater can overheat, posing a fire hazard.Name of Product: "Aloha Breeze" Portable Electric HeatersUnits: About 281,000Importer/Distributor: Aloha Housewares, Inc. of Arlington, TexasHazard: The heater can overheat, posing a fire hazard.Incidents/Injuries: Aloha Housewares has received seven reports of heaters melting, smoking or catching fire, including one report of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.Description: The recalled electric heaters are white-colored with the name "Aloha Breeze" printed on the front. The recall includes model number 05226 with date codes of 07/05, 08/05 and 11/05. The model number and date code are printed on the silver label located on the bottom of the heater.Sold at: Wal-Mart stores nationwide from July 2005 to July 2007 for about $15.Manufactured in: ChinaRemedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled heaters immediately and destroy and discard the product. The firm is out of business. A remedy is no longer available.

Hazard

The heater can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents & Injuries

Aloha Housewares has received seven reports of heaters melting, smoking or catching fire, including one report of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Remedy Instructions

The firm is no longer in business and the recall remedy is no longer available. Discard this product. Do not donate or resell.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Dispose, No Remedy Available at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Dispose, No Remedy Available) at no cost to you.

If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.

In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.

If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.