Because of DeLonghi’s Defective Heaters, This Winter, Please Review If You Have a Model That Could Explode

Winter is nearly here, which is when people start using portable electric heaters to keep themselves warm.

This blog is to let you determine whether or not you may be using one of the oil-filled DeLonghi Defective Heaters that are manufactured in Italy, have caused fires, some deaths, and dozens of lawsuits. To that end, you should immediately:

• Check first to see if you have a heater with DeLonghi, Sears and Welbilt brand names.
• Make sure you don’t have one of these individual DeLonghi oil-filled heater models: 9306, 9308, 9608, 5108, 5108T 4308, 5307, 4707, 3107, 3107T, plus these serial numbers, which may be contaminated with PCBs: 86-20 or lower.
• Look to see if your possible DeLonghi Defective Heaters bear the code number “816F” next to the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) label on the side of the metal control box, that also signifies some of their faulty heaters.

General Safety Tips About Home Heating Fires
Regardless of the brand you may own, you should know how pervasive home fires are because of portable heaters. In fact, space heaters accounted for 40% (two of every five) home heating fires and 84% (more than four out of five) home heating fire deaths.

Placing items too close to space heaters can cause things to burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding, which was the leading factor contributing to ignition in fatal home heating fires and accounted for more than half (56%) of home heating fire deaths.

Nearly half (49%) of all home heating fires occurred in December, January and February, when the weather turns the coldest, especially because of DeLonghi Defective Heaters that are under recall.

Finally, another factor contributing to home heating fires (30%) was failure to clean your fireplace, principally of creosote.

How to Further Prevent Home Fires With Space Heaters

• Use a space heater that’s been tested to the latest safety standards and has been certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. Typically, these heaters have the most up-to-date safety features. Older space heaters such as the DeLonghi oil-filled radiator heaters manufactured between 1980 and 1986 do not meet newer safety standards. Also, always follow the manufacturer’s directions for proper use.
• Place the heater on a level, hard, nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor –– never on a carpet that can catch fire.
• Keep the heater at least three feet away from bedding, drapes, furniture, and other flammable materials.
• Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
• Turn the heater off if you leave the area.
• Never plug a space heater into a power strip –– it can cause an overload.
• And install carbon monoxide detectors in every room of your home to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

In closing, if you’re not sure if you have one of the DeLonghi Defective Heaters, call 1-800-322-3848 to speak with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) so you can arrange for replacement of the potentially dangerous oil-filled portable heater that has caused fires and deaths. They will ask you to cut the power cord, mail it back to DeLonghi America, and the company will send you a new heater.