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Sunbeam®, Hankscraft® and SunMark® humidifiers with water tanks that glow in the dark

CPSC Recall #00-020 - November 22, 1999

Recall Summary

Recall Number00-020
Recall DateNovember 22, 1999
Remedy TypeReplace
Units AffectedAbout 560,000

Where It Was Sold

Discount department and drug stores sold these humidifiers nationwide from March 1995 through December 1997 for $8 to $15.

Product

Sunbeam®, Hankscraft® and SunMark® humidifiers with water tanks that glow in the dark

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Sunbeam Corp., of Boca Raton, Fla., is recalling about 560,000 Sunbeam®, Hankscraft® and SunMark® humidifiers with water tanks that glow in the dark. These humidifiers can develop an electrical short, presenting a fire hazard.Sunbeam has received 87 complaints from consumers using these humidifiers, including 42 reports of fire. Three consumers suffered smoke inhalation and another suffered minor burns to her hands.These humidifiers were sold under the brand names Sunbeam, Hankscraft and SunMark. The Sunbeam brand has service numbers 644 through 646 written on the back of the humidifier's motor housing. The Hankscraft brand has service numbers 1260 through 1262 and the SunMark brand has service number 1260. Hankscraft and SunMark service numbers are written on the inside of the plastic housing of the motor. All the recalled humidifiers have date codes stamped on the plugs beginning with I001 through J226. The humidifiers are white with green, blue or rust colored covers. Sunbeam, Hankscraft or SunMark is written on the plastic cover. The Sunbeam humidifiers were sold with 1-gallon, 1.5-gallon and 2-gallon tank capacity. The Hankscraft humidifiers were sold with 1.2-gallon, 1.7-gallon and 2.5-gallon tank capacity. The SunMark humidifiers were sold with 1.2-gallon tank capacity.Discount department and drug stores sold these humidifiers nationwide from March 1995 through December 1997 for $8 to $15.Consumers should immediately stop using these humidifiers, and call Sunbeam for instructions on returning the products for a free replacement. For more information or to get instructions on returning the humidifiers, call Sunbeam at (800) 440-4668 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET on Saturday. Consumers also can access the company's web site at www.sunbeam.com.Only the humidifiers with the service numbers and date codes listed are part of this recall. Also, if your humidifier has a sticker on the motor's plastic housing showing a manufactured date of 1999 or later, it is not part of the recall.Consumers can also view a video clip about this recall (Transcript). It is about 7 megabytes long and the download time depends upon the speed of your Internet connection.

Hazard

These humidifiers can develop an electrical short, presenting a fire hazard.

Incidents & Injuries

Sunbeam has received 87 complaints from consumers using these humidifiers, including 42 reports of fire. Three consumers suffered smoke inhalation and another suffered minor burns to her hands.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should immediately stop using these humidifiers, and call Sunbeam for instructions on returning the products for a free replacement.

What Should You Do?

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

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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 (Replace) 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.

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