Midea recalls 1.7 million Matter window air conditioners for mold exposure risks

Major home appliance maker Midea has announced plans to recall its Matter-compatible Midea U and Midea U+ window air conditioners in North America due to mold issues.

The recall covers 1.7 million Midea air conditioners in the US, in addition to about 45,900 units sold in Canada, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a government watchdog.

What’s happening?

The issue is caused by water pooling in the air conditioner, leading to mold growth and spread into homes. According to the CPSC announcement, there have been 152 reports of mold growth, with 17 consumers experiencing health issues such as “respiratory infections, allergic reactions, coughing, sneezing, and/or sore throats from mold exposure.”

A Midea Global spokesperson told Matter Alpha that “this recall announcement does not indicate significant flaws or defects in design, materials, or manufacturing processes that would affect normal usage, product efficiency, or lead to safety incidents or personal injury.”

They added that these products are properly certified for sale in the US and Canadian markets, and the mold issues have occurred only in “extremely rare cases” triggered by very humid environments.

Midea noted that the complaint rate remains below 0.01% for these products.

Recall coverage

The “proactive” recall program covers Midea U and U+ window air conditioners manufactured by Midea, including models sold under the brands:

• Comfort Aire
• Danby
• Frigidaire
• Insignia
• Keystone
• LBG Products
• Mr. Cool
• Perfect Aire
• Sea Breeze

Three versions are involved: 8,000, 10,000, and 12,000 British Thermal Units (BTU) models.

For detailed model numbers, you can visit Midea’s official site for more information:

Midea U Window Air Conditioner

The Midea U Smart Inverter AC (Model MAW12V1QWT-M) is ultra-quiet, ENERGY STAR certified, Matter-compatible, and allows flexible window use with easy installation.

Buy at Amazon US

If your unit is covered by this recall, you can choose to have it repaired or refunded.

To repair affected air conditioners, Midea will send a technician to install a new drain plug or provide a repair kit for self-service. You can also choose to dispose of the unit through local waste disposal or return it to Midea for a refund, following official instructions.

With the new part installed, condensation water in these air conditioners can be “more rapidly drained after shutdown, effectively preventing mold growth in the air ducts and mitigating the risk of mold on the fan blades,” according to Midea’s statement to Matter Alpha.

As of now, certain models of Midea U-shaped air conditioners are unlisted on Amazon. Midea did not immediately comment on when they will be available again.

(Source: Midea, CPSC)