DIMPLEX FIREPLACES RECALL

Remote Control Kits for Electric Fireplaces and Stoves Recalled by Dimplex North America Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

Release #10-167
Firm's Recall Hotline: (866) 673-9880
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Remote Control Kits for Electric Fireplaces and Stoves

Units: About 700,000
Importer: Dimplex North America, of Ontario, Canada
Hazard: The plug-in wall unit can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Dimplex has received about 5,000 reports of the plug-in wall units overheating including 19 reports of damage beyond the remote control and one report of a house fire in Columbus, Ohio that resulted in considerable property damage.
Description: The recalled remote control kits are used with Dimplex, Electraflame, Symphony, Optiflame, Electralog and Charmglow brand electric fireplaces, stoves and fireplace inserts. They include a black or dark gray hand-held remote control and also a black or dark gray wall unit that plugs into an electrical wall outlet. Recalled model numbers include 47-1001, 47-1010-R and APT-1315. The model number is printed on either the plug-in unit or the hand-held remote control. The fireplace or stove's brand name is printed on both units.
Sold at: Mass merchandise, home improvement, specialty fireplace and furniture retailers from January 1998 through December 2008 for between $200 and $1,500 for the fireplaces and stoves. This recall includes remote control kits subsequently replaced under warranty.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the remote control kits, unplug the power cord from the remote control kit's wall unit, remove the wall unit from the electrical outlet and contact Dimplex for a free replacement kit. Consumers can continue to operate the fireplace or stove by plugging the fireplace or stove's electrical cord directly into an electrical outlet.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dimplex North America toll-free at (866) 673-9880 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.recall.dimplex.com
Label on Model APT-1315
Label on Model 47-1010R
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters .

Dimplex Fireplace, Stove Remotes Recalled

About 700,000 Dimplex remote control kits for electric fireplaces and stoves are being recalled. The plug-in wall unit can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Dimplex has received about 5,000 reports of the plug-in wall units overheating including 19 reports of damage beyond the remote control and one report of a house fire in Columbus, Ohio that resulted in considerable property damage.
The recalled remote control kits are used with Dimplex, Electraflame, Symphony, Optiflame, Electralog and Charmglow brand electric fireplaces, stoves and fireplace inserts. They include a black or dark gray hand-held remote control and also a black or dark gray wall unit that plugs into an electrical wall outlet. Recalled model numbers include 47-1001, 47-1010-R and APT-1315. The model number is printed on either the plug-in unit or the hand-held remote control. The fireplace or stove's brand name is printed on both units.
The kits, made in China, were sold by mass merchandise, home improvement, specialty fireplace and furniture retailers from January 1998 through December 2008 for between $200 and $1,500 for the fireplaces and stoves. This recall includes remote control kits subsequently replaced under warranty.
Consumers should immediately stop using the remote control kits, unplug the power cord from the remote control kit's wall unit, remove the wall unit from the electrical outlet and contact Dimplex for a free replacement kit. Consumers can continue to operate the fireplace or stove by plugging the fireplace or stove's electrical cord directly into an electrical outlet.
For additional information, contact Dimplex North America toll-free at (866) 673-9880 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.recall.dimplex.com .
The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC ).

Dimplex Remote Recall

On March 16, 2010 Dimplex North America announced a voluntary recall of approximately 5,000 plug-in remote control receivers included with certain electric fireplace models sold between 1998 and 2008 that have the potential to overheat. Dimplex customers will receive replacements free of charge. In the wake of the Toyota recalls, your first assumption might be that the company was somehow negligent in the manufacturing process to save money and/or worked to hide the malfunctions.
However, this wasn't the case here. Dimplex is a very responsible organization with an excellent reputation based on strong engineering, product development and manufacturing. It should be noted that the remote control receivers involved in this recall were Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) approved. UL is an "Independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization" which has strong credibility testing products for public safety. We are all used to seeing the familiar 'UL Approved' insignia on the electrics we use and we can only assume that an issue with the receivers developed after the rigorous testing and approval process. They have no reported injuries or damage, this recall is strictly voluntary as they are proactively being responsible.
www.recall.dimplex.com/. If you believe you have one of the affected remotes, stop using it. You can still use your electric fireplace, simply plug it directly into an electrical source.

Dimplex North America Limited is a division of the Glen Dimplex Group of Ireland. For more than 30 years, the Glen Dimplex Group has been committed to outstanding innovation, quality and customer service that has enabled it to become the world’s leading manufacturer of electric heating products. Dimplex North America, headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario is North America’s leading manufacturer/marketer of electric fireplaces.

Electric fireplace source Dimplex recalls 700,000 products

Company says remote control receiver can overheat
Carole Sloan, Furniture Today Staff  -- Furniture Today, March 17, 2010
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario — Electric fireplace source Dimplex North America is conducting a voluntary recall and replacement program involving plug-in remote control receivers in about 700,000 of its products, including some media consoles, bookcases and other furniture models.
The recall affects certain Dimplex, Electraflame, Symphony, Optiflame, Electralog and Charmglow branded electric fireplaces, stoves and fireplace inserts. Dimplex advises that, in some instances, the plug-in remote control receiver on these units can overheat, posing a fire hazard.
Dimplex has not received any reports of injury, but has received reports of about 5,000 units malfunctioning due to overheating. One case resulted in a fire causing property damage, according to the company.
Mass merchandise, home improvement, specialty fireplace and furniture retailers sold fireplaces, stoves and fireplace inserts that included the affected plug-in remote control between 1998 and 2008 for $199 to $1,499.
Consumers are advised to contact Dimplex at www.recall.dimplex.com to view a full list of products involved in the recall and to request a replacement at no cost. A 24-hour hotline also is available at (866) 673-9880.
The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.