If You Bought This at Home Depot or Lowe's, Stop Using It Now, Officials Warn
A widely distributed item could pose a hidden hazard in your garage.
With spring cleaning season underway, you may be gearing up for some organization projects that go well beyond just the standard weekend fare of sweeping and decluttering. But if you have such ambitions, you'll want to make sure you're undertaking your good-intentioned projects safely. That's why you'll want to know about the latest home-improvement product recall that affects items sold widely all around the country at popular outlets such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Costco, True Value, and their online platforms. Read on to find the product that needs to be shelved.
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This new recall is the latest among home-improvement product recalls just this week.
Earlier this week, SafeRacks/Monsterrax recalled its overhead garage storage racks as they pose a risk of detaching from the ceiling and falling on anyone below. Now, a new product recall affects an appliance that could pose another danger behind your garage door.
Thousands of electric start pressure washers are being recalled due to a malfunction.
According to a recall notice dated April 28 on the website for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USPC), Generac and DR Power brand electric start pressure washers are currently being recalled. The affected products have model numbers DPW3100DEN, DPW3101DEN, DPW3102DEN, G0071320, G0071321, G0071430, and G0071431. About 53,000 units sold around the country are affected. (In addition, 1,750 were sold in Canada.)
The company has received nine reports of the pressure washers starting and operating without being connected to a water supply. This malfunctioning self-start feature poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to anyone using the unit in a confined space. Fortunately, no injuries or property damage have been reported at this stage.
The company is conducting the recall voluntarily, under the CPSC's Fast Track Recall process, intended to quickly announce the recall and remedy to protect consumers.
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Here's how to know if you have one of the recalled pressure washers at home.
Major home improvement and hardware stores nationwide sold the product online and in stores from February 2018 to February 2022 for a retail price between $450 and $650. These well-known outlets include Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Amazon, City Electric Supply, Costco, Do It Best, eBay, Essendant, Fastenal, Menard's, Orgill, Power Equipment Direct, Ravitsky Bros., Tractor Supply, True Value, and Walmart.
To check to confirm whether a product you bought is subject to the recall, look for the model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the product's frame. Consumers can check specific unit type, model number, and serial number location information at a dedicated page on Generac's website.
Each recalled electric start pressure washer has an electric start/stop button to operate its gasoline-powered engine, plus a rechargeable battery used to power the button.
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Here's what to do if you have one of the recalled power washers at home.
If you have one of the recalled units at home, the UPSC notice advises you to stop using it immediately—unless you have removed the rechargeable battery. You can continue to use your power washer with the battery removed, using the pull-start option to start the unit.
Contact the company to arrange for an authorized dealer to replace the start/stop switch on the pressure washer at no cost to you. Generac is also contacting known purchasers of the product directly to provide more details about the needed repair and the steps to remedy it for free.
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