White-Rodgers Thermostat Recall Issued Due To Property Damage, Fire Risk

Several reports of property damage have led to a recall of nearly 200,000 White-Rodgers programmable thermostats distributed by utility companies across the United States and Canada to homes that participated in energy reduction programs. 

The programmable thermostat recall was announced on January 12 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the manufacturer, White-Rodgers. The recall came after the company became aware of at least three incidents where the thermostats caused caused minor property damage.

The thermostats are determined to constantly charge the backup AA batteries that power the thermostat’s clock, but examinations have revealed that the batteries may begin to leak due to the constant charging, posing a fire hazard. There have been no injuries reported in connection to the defective thermostats.

The recall affects about 180,000 White-Rodgers programmable thermostats sold in the U.S. and 8,300 in Canada with the model numbers 1F88-XXX and 1F85RF-275 and with date codes starting with 05, 06, 07, 08, 09 and 1001 through 1039. The model numbers are located on the front pull-down panel door and the date codes are located on the inside of the removable cover.

The thermostats are able to be controlled by power companies remotely and were placed in homes that participated in energy demand reduction programs. They were distributed by more than 40 utility companies nationwide. They were also sold by HVAC wholesalers for about $150.

The CPSC recommends that any consumers who have the devices in their homes immediately remove the two AA batteries and contact White-Rodgers for a free repair kit. Consumers with questions, or whose furnace changes operation due to the removal of the batteries, should contact White-Rodgers at 1-888-624-1901.