Carrier Weathermaker Air Conditioners Recalled for Fire Hazard
Carrier is recalling 1962-1964 Weathermaker air conditioners because deteriorating insulators may cause electrical shorts and fires.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a fire hazard with three reported fire incidents, meeting the rubric criteria for 'Severe' (significant injury/property-damage reports or fire risk).
Plain-English summary
Carrier Corporation is voluntarily recalling two models of Carrier Weathermaker room air conditioners (model numbers 51GA0661 and 51GB0661) produced between 1962 and 1964. The recall was announced in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on October 19, 1978.
Engineering tests revealed that the insulator on the terminal board of these 14 to 16-year-old units had deteriorated. This deterioration could cause an electrical short that might ignite adjacent combustible material. The company reported three fires in May 1978 involving these units in an apartment complex in Anaheim, California, though no injuries were reported.
The affected units are 6,000 BTU air conditioners sold throughout the continental U.S. between 1962 and 1965. Consumers with these units should immediately disconnect them from the electrical outlet and cease using them. They should contact a local Carrier dealer for free repairs or call Carrier's Consumer Relations Department for more information.
The recalled product
- Product
- Carrier Weathermaker Air Conditioners
- Manufacturer
- Carrier
- Hazard
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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