SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260105-562C7-2147324849. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Blauwhal PD14BS-B (2025 Blauwhal 50-Pint Dehumidifier with Pump, 8000 Sq. Ft. Coverage - Model PD14BS-B. Dark White. 14"D x 10"W x 24"H.). Incident: On February 2, 2026, I purchased a Blauwhal 150-Pint Dehumidifier with Pump, 8000 Sq. Ft. Coverage - Model PD14BS-B from Amazon, which was delivered on February 4, 2026. The side of the box containing the dehumidifier had a Warning label that caught my eye: "Risk of Fire due to Flammable Refrigerant Used. Follow Handling Instructions Carefully in Compliance with National Regulations." Such warning was concerning to me, so I went back on the Amazon website and thoroughly reviewed the description given about the dehumidifier, including its Features and Specs. There was no disclosure given on the type of refrigerant used nor the risks associated with using that type. The refrigerant used, along with its associated risks, is finally disclosed in the Owners Manual found in the shipping box containing the dehumidifier, after it had been purchased and delivered. (The Amazon website did not include any link to an Owners Manual.) The refrigerant used is hydrocarbon R-290, which is essentially propane gas and highly flammable. It appears that most portable dehumidifiers on the market today use R-32, which has much lower flammability and is considered only "mildly flammable." According to "combustion grade" classification by standards organizations such as ASHRAE and ISO, hydrocarbon R-290 falls in Class 3, whereas R-32 falls in Class 2L. In my opinion, the Amazon website page on the Blauwhal dehumidifier should have disclosed the type of refrigerant used along with the elevated fire hazard risks associated with that type. Any potential purchaser should have that information to make a