Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Product Information
Type of Product: Portable electric heater
Units: About 107,500 units.
Manufacturer: Lasko Products Inc., of West Chester, PA.
Hazard: An electrical connection in the base of the unit can overheat, causing it to melt and expose the electrical connection, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Lasko received a total of 36 reports of the electrical connection overheating with no reports of injury. There were 18 reports of minor burn damage to floors or carpets.
Description: The portable, electric, tower heaters are 20.5 inches tall x 8.25 inches wide x 9.25 inches deep. They are dark grey with silver front covers and black vent slats. The brand names Lasko or Air King are on the top, center of the front cover. The Lasko Model 5540 and Air King Model 8540 subject to this recall were manufactured in 2002 and have date codes that begin with a “2.” The date code is on the label located on the bottom of the unit. The date code is a four-digit number on the bottom left area of the label, above the voltage number. Heaters with date codes beginning with “3,” “4” or “5” are not subject to this recall.
Sold at: The Lasko Model 5540 was sold at Sam’s Club and other retailers from September 2002 through early 2004 for $39.00 to $49.00. The Air King Model 8540 was sold primarily through the maintenance, repair and operating products supply company, W.W. Grainger Inc. from late 2002 to 2004 for approximately $80.00.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the heaters immediately and contact Lasko to receive a free replacement heater.
Consumer Contact: For additional information and pictures of affected models, visit Lasko’s website at www.Laskoproducts.com, or call Lasko anytime, toll-free at 800-363-8044.
CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.saferproducts.gov/CPSRMSPublic/Incidents/ReportIncident.aspx
About The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at 301-595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
