Mitre 10 recalls dehumidifier

The affected 2013 model -- Nouveau 16L electronic dehumidifier (Model NH-DB16E) -- carries both this model number and the date code 0213. Photo / Supplied

Mitre 10 has reissued its recall notice for a dehumidifier after it is suspected to have caused a house fire from which a mother and her three children escaped unscathed.

Waikato senior fire risk management officer Kevin Holmes said it was the family's smoke alarms which saved their lives on May 22.

It is suspected the fire started at about midnight in the dehumidifier which was in the hallway of their Melville, Hamilton, home.

The mother and her three children, aged 4, 8 and 13, safely escaped, with the oldest child even remembering to close the hallway door which helped limit the damage to one end of the house.

Mr Holmes said if the house didn't have its five smoke alarms, it likely wouldn't have had such a successful outcome.

The fire service issued a recall notice for the dehumidifiers in 2014 -- stating in a "small number of units a faulty capacitor can overheat and the surrounding plastic may catch fire" -- but the family said they had not seen it.

Today, although the cause of the fire is being examined by insurance company investigators, Mitre 10 reissued its original recall notice stating that the appliances can overheat and pose a fire risk.

"The affected 2013 model -- Nouveau 16L electronic dehumidifier (Model NH-DB16E) -- carries both this model number and the date code 0213. They were sold only through Mitre 10 under the SKU number 154937."

Mitre 10 general manager marketing Dave Elliott said the fault was limited to the 2013 model and a recall had been in place by supplier CDB since August 2014 when an electrical fault, which can cause overheating, was discovered.

"Winter is the time when many dehumidifiers come out of the cupboard and can be left on for a long time, so we are asking homeowners to make sure the model they have is safe," said Mr Elliott.

"We strongly urge anyone who has one of these 2013 Nouveau dehumidifiers to stop using it immediately and contact the product supplier CDB on 0800 232 633 or recall@cdb.co.nz for further instruction on how to return the affected item and receive a replacement."

• For further queries contact the product supplier CDB on 0800 232 633.