Electric Blower Vacuum Recall Issued Due to Overheating Reports

Roughly 225,000 electric blower vacuums sold exclusively at Walmart stores have been recalled, following more than a dozen complaints of the tools overheating, sparking, and burning, posing an injury hazard for the user.

The Expert Gardner electric blower vacuum recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on April 16, following at least 16 consumer complaints. The CPSC is warning consumers that they should stop using these garden blowers immediately due to the potential for internal components to become so hot it poses a fire hazard. To date, no injuries have been reported.

The vacuum blowers are a common household yard tool and are designed to act as either a leaf blower or as a vacuum. The device has an adjustable setting that will allow the user to blow leafs or yard debris to a certain area or reverse that setting and vacuum up the debris which funnels back to an attachable bag.

The recall includes Expert Gardner 12 amp electric blower vacuums with model numbers 20254EG, 20254EGA, 20254EGB, 20254EGBC, 20254EGC, and 21254EG. The recalled model number can be located on a label on the left hand side of the motor housing next to the phrases “Expert Gardner” and “Blower Vac 2 Speed Quiet 150 MPH Powerful 220 MPH”. The blowers were sold exclusively at Walmart stores and came in one color combination of green and black.

The blower vacuums were manufactured in China under Changzhou Globe Tools Co. Ltd. and Cixi City Best Power Tools Co., Ltd., of China where they were imported by OWT Industries Inc., of Pickens, South Carolina. The blowers were sold exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide and online at www.walmart.com from January 2012 through March 2015 for about $40.

The CPSC is asking that consumer stop using the recalled Expert Gardner blower vacuums immediately and return them to any Walmart store for a full refund. Customers with further questions may contact OWT Industries at 800-597-9624 or visit them online at www.expertgardnertools.com and navigate to the “Safety Notices” tab.