Skip to main content

CPSC, Holmes Products Corp. Announce Recall of Portable Heaters

  • Recalled Holmes portable electric heater
Name of Product:
Holmes "Wide-Angle" portable heaters
Hazard:

The thermostats in some of these heaters are improperly positioned, which can cause them to overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Remedy:
Refund
Recall Date:
October 21, 1999
Units:

About 45,000

Consumer Contact

For more information, call Holmes at (800) 5HOLMES. Consumers also can access Holmes' web site at www.holmesproducts.com.

Recall Details

Description:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Holmes Products Corp., of Milford, Mass., is recalling about 45,000 heaters. The thermostats in some of these heaters are improperly positioned, which can cause them to overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Holmes Products has received 11 reports of these units overheating and catching fire. Six of these incidents resulted in minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

These "Wide-Angle," portable heaters, manufactured in 1998, are approximately 12 inches high, and are in the shape of a half-circle. The front is white, and the back is gray. The units have two knobs on the top. The date code, which includes the number 98, is located on the back, right-hand corner of the units just above the box containing the Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) logo. Other writing inside the UL box includes, "MODEL: HFH-297" and "MADE IN CHINA." "Holmes(r)" also is written in the UL box and on the front of the unit.

Mass merchandise stores, such as Kmart and Target, sold these heaters from September 1998 through July 1999 for about $27.

Consumers should immediately stop using these heaters, and contact Holmes for information on how to receive a refund. For more information, call Holmes at (800) 5HOLMES. Consumers also can access Holmes' web site at www.holmesproducts.com.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately stop using these heaters, and contact Holmes for information on how to receive a refund.

Incidents/Injuries:

Holmes Products has received 11 reports of these units overheating and catching fire. Six of these incidents resulted in minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Sold At:
Mass merchandise stores, such as Kmart and Target, sold these heaters from September 1998 through July 1999 for about $27.
Manufactured In:
China
Recall number:
00-009

Note: Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

If you are experiencing issues with a recall remedy or believe a company is being non-responsive to your remedy request, please use this form and explain the situation to CPSC.
About the U.S. CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

For lifesaving information:
Choose Your Recall Emails Get Notified About Each Recall via Email.
Report an unsafe product