Fire Hazard in Dishwasher

Last week we talked about refrigerators with potential fire issues. Now it is dishwashers.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC), in cooperation with General Electric, is recalling dishwashers with the following problem: “Liquid rinse-aid can leak from its dispenser onto the dishwasher’s internal wiring which can cause an electrical short and overheating, posing a fire hazard to consumers”.

According to the CPSC press release: “GE has received 191 reports of overheated wiring including 56 reports of property damage. There were 12 reports of fires that escaped the dishwasher. Fire damage was limited to the dishwasher or the adjacent area. No injuries have been reported”.

Here are the brands: “The recall includes GE built-in dishwashers sold under the following brand names: Eterna, GE, GE Profile®, GE Monogram™, Hotpoint™, and Sears-Kenmore”.

When I talked to CPSC yesterday they knew of no instances of fire involving the dishwashers reported in the immediate Washington area. If you have information of cases here, please let me know.

I just checked my GE Profile dishwasher and the model and serial numbers show I have one with the potential problem. The press release advises to stop using it immediately. I guess that means, for now, I am the new dishwasher.