Although the heat of summer is right around the corner, consumers may need to keep their portable heaters out, as these household products have been on the CPSC’s recall list twice in the past week. Family Dollar Stores announced their recall of 19,640 Optimus Tower Quartz Heaters last week due to potential overheating that could result in a fire. At the time of the recall, the company had already received 10 reports of overheating, including several incidents of melting temperature knobs.
Now another portable heater is being recalled for the possibility of overheating and increasing the likelihood of a unit fire. Meijer, a major retailer headquartered in Walker, Michigan, is recalling 4,560 of their Touch Point Portable Baseboard Convection Heaters. Foshan Guanmei Electrical Co. of Foshan, China manufactured the heaters, which were sold for approximately $50 at Meijer stores from September 2011 through February 2013.
Consumers are urged to identify whether or not the recall affects their heater and to immediately unplug the device. According to the CPSC, “Meijer has received two reports of overheating incidents, including one report of a fire that resulted in minor property damage.”
Recalled portable heaters are black with the “Touch Point” logo on the front, and they are approximately 30-inches long by 6-inches deep by 12-inches high. Consumers can check for model BBC-1500 and date code 0611 on a silver sticker that can be found on the back of the heater.
Owners of the recalled portable heaters should immediately stop use to avoid the possibility of a fire and return the product to a Meijer store for a full refund. For more information and pictures of the recalled heaters, consumers can visit www.meijer.com and click on Product Recalls at the bottom of the page. If consumers have questions or concerns, they may contact Meijer at (800) 927-8699.