Rheem Performance Platinum Electric Water Heater XE50M12EC55UO

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20240520-1A619-4741981. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Rheem Performance Platinum Electric Water Heater XE50M12EC55UO (- Rheem Electric Water Heater - 50 Gal. Unit - Gray - "Performance Platinum" - Unit used to heat household water.). Incident: On the morning of March 17th, 2024, we went into our acrid, electric-burning, fume-filled, cloudy garage, attached to our home. I located the source of the smell In the water heater and turned off the power. There was soot and evidence of fire on top of the water heater and a melted area on the electrical connection on the side. This Rheem water heater had been under a CPSC Recall since May 26th, 2016. So, for about eight years we lived with an unsafe control panel causing a constant threat of over-heating and posing a fire and burn hazard. If we hadn't been home on March 17th and had not turned the heater off, the house might very well have burned down. We discovered this recall on the date of the Incident we Just described. There was no previous alert to us from anyone including the CPSC Recall for this Rheem Performance Platinum Water Heater.