Serene S2068 heaters which were manufactured in March 2021 have a manufacturing defect which can cause harm to people or damage, so are being withdrawn.
There have been several fires and overheating events associated with these heaters. According to WorkSafe, there is a significant risk of people being seriously harmed and property being damaged from electricity going through these heaters, and has prohibited these for sale.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment has worked with several retailers to issue voluntary recall notices.
“We are aware of at least 15 fires or overheating events associated with these heaters and want to encourage anyone who has these heaters to contact the retailer immediately,” says Ian Caplin, Business Specialist at Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The manufacturer of this heater closed their business in New Zealand, and consumers here can reject the goods under the Consumer Guarantees Act and ask for a replacement or a refund.
The prohibited S2068 heater is described as wall mounted fan heater with step-down thermostat with pull-cord on-off switch, for fixed-wired installation in bathrooms and similar locations.
The prohibited S2068 heaters have a serial number in these ranges: VH145173 – VH147003; VK154294 – VK160567; WF167045 – WF168874.
People are being advised to check if their heater is a Serene model S2068 with a serial number in the range listed above. This information is on the top side of the unit when mounted on the wall.
WorkSafe investigating two other Serene bathroom heater models, the S2069 and S207T, that were tested, and did not comply with required safety standards.
– from NewsViews
