Westinghouse Portable Generator Recall Issued Due to Fire Risk
About 4,500 portable generators have been recalled by federal safety officials, following several reports of problems where the units overheated or caught on fire, indicating that the generators pose a potential burn and injury risk for consumers.
The Westinghouse portable generator recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on December 7, due to the potential for the generators to overheat and burst into flames. To date, no injuries or property damage has been reported in relation to the recall.
According to the CPSC, the manufacturer has received at least four consumer reports indicating the generators overheated and caught on fire while in use. Customers are being asked to stop using the recall generators immediately to prevent burn and injury hazards.
The recall includes Westinghouse iGen2500 and iPro2500 portable inverter generators used to power appliances, cell phones or other electrical devices. The units are marked with a 2200 Running Watts rating and a 2500 Peak Watts rating on the side panel. The Westinghouse iGen2500 models have a bright blue plastic cover and the Westinghouse iPro2500 generators have a plastic gray housing cover. Both models measure about 20 inches long by 18 inches wide by about 11 inches tall, and weight approximately 49 pounds.
The recalled generators were manufactured in China for MWE Investments of Columbus, Ohio. They were distributed for sale throughout the U.S. online at amazon.com, apelectricgenerators.com, ClimateRight.com, Homedepot.com, Houzz.com, Menards.com, PowerEquipmentDirect.com, and Walmart.com from June 2017 through October 2017 for between $580 and $600.
About 4,500 units affected by the recall were distributed for sale throughout the United States.
Customers are being asked to stop using the recalled generators immediately and to contact MWE Investments at 855-944-3571 or visit them online at www.westinghouseportablepower.com and navigate to the “Product Safety” tab for information on how to schedule a free repair.