Lasko Box Fan Recall Issued After Fires Reported
Published: March 25th, 2011
Nearly 5 million box fans sold under the “Lasko” and “Galaxy” brand names have been recalled after several fires were traced back to the fans’ motors.
The box fan recall was announced on March 24 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after Lasko Products Inc., the manufacturer, indicated that at least seven reports of fire have been associated with the fans, including a barn fire and two house fires that caused extensive property damage.
The CPSC recall notice states that the fires are likely the result of an electrical failure in the fans’ motors which constitutes a fire hazard for consumers.
The fan recall affects about 4.8 million Lasko box fans with model numbers 3720, 2723 and 3733, as well as Galaxy box fans with model number 4733. The model numbers are located on the bottom of the fans. All of the affected fans will have a date of 2002-03 or 2003-04 stamped on the bottom of the metal frame. “Lasko” or “Galaxy” will be on the front fan plate.
The fans were sold as mass merchandisers nationwide from July 2002 through December 2005 for about $12 to $15.
This is the second major Lasko recall this year. In early February the company had to recall about 110,000 portable space heaters. Like the fans, those heaters had electrical defects which turned them into a fire hazard. There were dozens of reports of fires in connection with the recalled heaters.
The CPSC recommends that consumers immediately stop using the fans and contact Lasko to receive a free fused plug safety adapter. Consumers with questions can call Lasko at 1-877-445-1314 or visit their website at www.laskoproducts.com.
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Comment by Laurie on 25 March 2011:
I’m relieved to see that not just the box fans, but also portable space heaters are being recalled. I have had a long-standing campaign going on through my website, http://www.firesafetyinbarns.com, to have barn owners and managers stop using any and all residential box fans in their facilities. And, every winter the number of confined animals killed in barn fires due to the misuse or unattendance while in use, of portable heaters, rises dramatically. I maintain a running chart of these losses on the website. Misuse of electrical appliances and malfunctioning electrical equipment are the major causes of preventable fires in livestock facilities, including the massive lives lost in factory fires.
Comment by Monica on 18 April 2012:
I don’t understand why they waited so long to make a recall when my house burned down in January more than two years ago. My home burned in the middle of the night while we were all sleeping because of a Lasko box fan. My family and I made it out safetly with nothing but the clothes on our backs and we are still dealing with the desvastation it caused.