A couple of days ago, a message from Consumer Reports said the Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued this recall notice for dehumidifiers.
That evening I heard my Frigidaire dehumidifier making a terrible sound. Running downstairs to check it, the fan wasn’t running and the thing was extremely hot. The power button didn’t work, so I pulled out the power cord. After letting it sit overnight, yesterday morning I plugged it back in but didn’t hit the power button, and it did this.
The buzz wasn’t as loud as the noise that caught my attention, but it wasn’t a good sound. After pressing the power button the display flashed “88” and the fan spun up, but the compressor was dead and the buzzing persisted. Purchased nine years ago, I’m just glad it didn’t catch fire. Obviously, it should be one of the recalled units.
But is that particular make and model and serial number on any recall notice, past or present, I could find? Nope, of course not. So I put it in the trunk of my car and paid $40 to drop it off at the local trash and recycling center.
A replacement I ordered from Lowe’s should be here on Monday.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Whirlpool/5013975113
Elsewhere downstairs, a Goldstar (pre-LG brand) dehumidifier I bought in 1989 for our first house continues to work. It clanks when turning on and off, but when running it does what it’s supposed to do.