Maytag & Jenn-Air dishwashers recalled because of fire hazards
A dishwasher caused a house fire in Great Cacapon on December 19, said Great Cacapon Volunteer Fire Company Fire Chief Tucker Stinebaugh. He wasn't sure what dishwasher make and model started the fire but said that the dishwasher was involved in a recall.
Stinebaugh and other area fire department officials were not aware of any other house fires that had been caused by dishwashers.
The state fire marshal's office said that dishwashers caused two fires in West Virginia in 2006. One of those two fires was the December 19 fire in Great Cacapon. A family with four children lost their home in that blaze. No one was home at the time of the fire.
Recall notice
Some 2.3 million Maytag and Jenn-Air brand dishwashers are being recalled nationwide because of a fire risk.
Maytag has had 135 reports of dishwasher fires that caused product or property damage. Four injuries were noted, which included three cases of smoke inhalation and one serious hand laceration from using a fire extinguisher to put out the fire in the dishwasher.
According to information on the Maytag website, liquid rinse-aid could leak from the dispenser and cause the dishwasher's internal wiring to short-circuit and ignite.
The recall involves Maytag and Jenn-Air brand under the counter and portable plastic tub dishwashers. The dishwashers have black, almond, white, bisque or stainless steel front panels.
The Maytag and Jenn-Air dishwashers were made in the United States. They were sold across the country at department stores and appliance stores and by homebuilders from July 1997 through June 2001. Prices ranged from $370 to $800.
Model & serial numbers
Model numbers of the recalled Maytag dishwashers begin with MDB3, MDB4, MDB5, MDB6, MDB7, MDB8, MDB9, MDBD, MDC3, MDC4, MDC5 and DWU9.
Model numbers for the recalled Jenn-Air dishwashers start with JDB3, JDB4, JDB5, JDB6 and JDB7. More than 30 two-digit serial number endings for each brand of dishwasher are involved in the recall. Lists of the last two digits of the serial numbers for the recalled Maytag and Jenn-Air dishwasher models are posted at http://www.repair.maytag.com at the Maytag website.
Go to the Maytag website or call their customer service department toll-free at 1-800-675-0535 to see if your dishwasher is affected by the recall and to determine the best solution.
Stop using dishwasher
Customers that have a dishwasher that is involved in the recall should stop using the appliance immediately and disconnect its electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker to it. Tell all users not to use the dishwasher because of the fire risk.
If the dishwashers do not fall within the posted Maytag and Jenn-Air recall model numbers and serial number ranges, they are not affected by the recall and can continue to be safely used, according to Maytag.
Customer options
Recall teams will help customers decide the best resolution to the dispenser problem. Options could be a free in-home repair or a permanent rinse-aid cap for original owners that have never put liquid rinse-aid in the dispenser. According to Maytag, the repair service to the dishwasher will eliminate the fire hazard.
Qualified customers may also get a $75 cash back reimbursement on the purchase of a new Maytag, Jenn-Air, Whirlpool or Kitchen-Aid dishwasher.
Customers should not return the dishwashers to the store where they were purchased because retailers are not prepared to take them back, the website noted.
