Midea, a prominent manufacturer of air conditioning units, has announced a recall of approximately 1.7 million devices due to potential mold growth issues. The recall includes the units sold under various brand names. These brands are produced by Midea, Comfort Aire, Danby, Frigidaire, Insignia, Keystone, LBG Products, Mr. Cool, Perfect Aire and Sea Breeze.
The recall was initiated due to a minimum of 152 reports of finding mold in the recalled air conditioners. Midea has now registered 17 of these reports from people who have developed respiratory symptoms. These symptoms range from allergic reactions to coughing, sneezing, and sore throats, all possibly tied to exposure to mold.
The recalled units are mostly white in color and are approximately 22 inches wide and 14 inches high. They had various BTU options: 8,000, 10,000 and 12,000 BTUs. Retail prices were between $280 to $500. Purchasers would be able to carry these air conditioners from March 2020 to May 2025. They sold well at national chains such as Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot and Menards. They were sold online through retailers like Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Costco.com, and Walmart.com.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the units “can fail to drain quickly enough, which can lead to mold growth.” This defect creates a serious and unjustifiable health danger to users who could be subjected to dangerous mold spores that have been discharged into the air.
Midea has told consumers that they should act immediately with respect to the recalled units. The company advises users to safely unplug the product, cut the power cord, and write or label “Recalled” on the product. Consumers need to provide photographic documentation of what they did. Units intended for disposal should be removed and disposed of in accordance with local waste disposal provisions.
“Unplug the product, cut the power cord, and write ‘Recalled’ on the product, submit photographic evidence of doing so, and dispose of it in accordance with your local waste disposal requirements,” – Midea
These air conditioners were produced by a U.S. company in their Chinese and Thai factories. The CPSC is the federal agency in charge of protecting consumers from unsafe products and improper recall actions.
