As students prepare to head off to college, many will be gathering their dorm room essentials, including a mini fridge. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning about 634,000 Frigidaire mini fridges that are being recalled due to fire and burn hazards.
The safety concern has arisen over the mini fridges’ internal electrical components, which can short-circuit and ignite the surrounding plastic housing, posing fire and burn hazards.
Which mini fridges have been recalled?
The mini fridges were imported by Curtis International and feature the ‘Frigidaire’ logo on the front of the units. To check whether your mini fridge is one of those recalled, you can find the model and serial number on the back of the unit.
There are four models affected, which were sold in 6-can and 9-can sizes, and in a variety of colors ranging from black, blue, green, white, yellow, red, pink and silver. The models include: EFMIS129, EFMIS137, EFMIS149 and EFMIS175.
Model |
Serial Number |
|---|---|
EFMIS129 |
A2001 to A2308 |
EFMIS137 |
A2001 to A2312 |
EFMIS149 |
A2001 to A2308 |
EFMIS175 |
A2001 to A231 |
What to do if you’re affected
The CPSC warns consumers to stop using the mini fridges immediately and to follow the instructions to receive a full refund at www.recallrtr.com/minifridge. And it states, “Consumers should unplug and cut the power cord and write 'Recall' using a permanent marker on the front door of the unit. Consumers should dispose of the recalled minifridges in accordance with local and state regulations.”
The mini fridges were sold at Walmart and other stores nationwide, as well as online at Walmart.com and Amazon.com from January 2020 through to December 2023 for between $36 and $40.
Hazards reports
The CPSCS states that Curtis International has received at least 26 reports of the mini fridges smoking, sparking, burning, melting, overheating and catching fire — with property damages totaling more than $700,000. Two consumers reported smoke inhalation injuries.
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