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- Best Overall Basement 50-Pint: Midea Cube 50-Pint (MAD50S1QWT) (~$260) — Energy Star Most Efficient, lift-and-twist nesting bucket resists slime mold, on no recall list.
- Best Continuous Drain with Built-In Pump: Frigidaire 50-Pint with Pump (~$310) — Automatic upward pump discharge into a sink or basement window.
- Best Bedroom / Small Space 22-Pint: Frigidaire 22-Pint (~$189) — Whisper-quiet operation, front-loading bucket, washable dust filter.
- Best Heavy-Duty Commercial / Whole Basement: AprilAire E080 — Made in USA, aluminum coils resist corrosion, built for unconditioned crawlspaces and basements.
What I swapped mine for
I replaced my recalled basement unit with the Midea Cube 50-Pint Smart Dehumidifier (MAD50S1QWT).
The swap itself. The moment I checked my old SoleusAir unit's nameplate and verified it fell under the 2013 Gree fire recall, I unplugged it immediately. I snapped photos of the model and serial tag, submitted the claim at greedehumidifierrecall.com, cut the heavy power cord flush against the cabinet with lineman's pliers per CPSC instructions, and hauled it to our local electronic waste recycler. Setting up the Cube took 5 minutes: unbox, extend the nesting water bucket, attach a 3/4" garden hose to the continuous gravity drain port, and route it straight to the basement sump basin.
What carried over. Continuous 50-pint moisture extraction keeping the basement foundation and framing below 50% relative humidity, preventing mold colonization and musty summer air.
What changed. Peace of mind is the whole story. The recalled units suffered compressor winding hotspots that ignited the surrounding plastic shroud while running unattended overnight. Modern units feature redundant UL-certified thermal fuses, flame-retardant enclosures, and smart sensors that shut down compressor operation if the evaporator coil freezes. Furthermore, the Cube holds 34 pints in bucket mode—triple the capacity of old 10-pint slide-out drawers—and its Wi-Fi app alerts my phone if humidity spikes or a drain hose gets kinked.
What it cost. ~$260 street price for the Midea Cube. The manufacturer refund check reimbursed the bulk of that cost, turning a dangerous fire hazard into a safe, modern upgrade.
The short version
If your dehumidifier was bought between 2003 and 2014, check it tonight. Unplug it, photograph the nameplate on the back, and run the brand and model through the lookups below. Any GE or Kenmore dehumidifier from 2011-2014 is recalled outright. The recalls pay refunds, not repairs: full refund for the 2013 Gree units, partial for the Midea ones. Then replace it with a current unit that is on no recall list: the Midea Cube 50-Pint (~$260) for a basement, the Frigidaire 22-Pint (~$189) for a bedroom. And do not sell or donate the old one. That is illegal under federal law, and it hands someone else the hazard.
Why your dehumidifier might be a fire risk
Between 2003 and 2014, a few Chinese factories built dehumidifiers for dozens of American brand names, whatever label the retailer wanted. Three of those manufacturing runs went catastrophically wrong, and all three ended in multimillion-unit recalls. The recalled designs could overheat and ignite their own housings, and a dehumidifier's working life makes that worse than it sounds: it runs unattended for weeks, in a basement, often near stored paper and cardboard.
| Recall | Units | Sold | The damage on record | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gree (Sept 2013, re-announced 2016) | ~2.5 million | 2005-2013 | 2,000+ overheating incidents, ~450 fires, $19M+ property damage. CPSC's 2023 warning ties four deaths to these units. | Full refund |
| Midea (Nov 2016) | ~3.4 million US + 850K Canada | 2003-2013 | 38 smoke/fire reports, ~$4.8M property damage, no injuries reported. | Partial refund |
| Gree, second recall (Aug 2023) | ~1.56 million | Made 2011-2014 | 23 fires, 688 overheating incidents. Covers ALL GE and Kenmore dehumidifiers of that window. | Refund (waitlist) |
| New Widetech (Aug 2021) | ~2 million | 2009-2017 | Overheating and fire hazard, sold under Amana, Haier, Whirlpool, Whynter, De'Longhi, Honeywell and more. | Refund |
The part that keeps this page relevant in 2026: these units are durable, they were recalled by mail-in claim rather than collected, and CPSC felt compelled to re-announce the Gree recall in 2016 and warn again in 2023 precisely because recalled units were still running. The four deaths on record happened in 2016 and 2022, years after the announcements. Nobody is coming to collect yours.
If you saw a 2025 headline about Midea recalling 1.7 million units: that was the U and U+ window air conditioners, recalled for mold exposure risk, a different product and a different hazard. There is no 2024-2026 dehumidifier recall. The dehumidifier problem is older and quieter than the news cycle.
Read the nameplate
- Unplug the unit first. Not for drama. You are about to tip it and handle it, and a recalled appliance has earned zero benefit of the doubt.
- Find the nameplate sticker. Usually on the back of the housing, sometimes on the side. You want three things: brand, model number, and manufacture date (often a code like a month/year).
- Photograph it. Every recall claim below asks for the model and serial, and the photo saves three trips to the basement.
Run the lookups
The brand on the front is nearly useless, because the same factory built for dozens of labels. Match your unit's brand, purchase window, and model against these, in order:
- The blanket rule first: any GE or Kenmore dehumidifier made 2011-2014 is recalled. All models of that window fall under Gree's 2023 recall. Refund via the waitlist at Gree's US recall page. SoleusAir, Norpole, and Seabreeze units of those years are on the same list.
- Bought 2005-2013 under Frigidaire, GE, Kenmore, Danby, De'Longhi, SoleusAir, Fedders, Norpole, Premiere, Seabreeze, SuperClima, or Fellini? Check greedehumidifierrecall.com or call 866-853-2802. This is the recall with ~450 fires and four deaths on record, and it pays a full refund.
- Bought 2003-2013 under Frigidaire, GE, Honeywell, Danby, Arctic King, Comfort-Aire, Kenmore (Canada), or ~45 other names? Run the model through recallrtr.com/dehumidifier, the Midea recall lookup. Partial refund.
- Bought 2009-2017 under Amana, Haier, Whirlpool, Whynter, Honeywell, De'Longhi, Idylis, or Friedrich? Some of those are New Widetech units, so search your model at cpsc.gov/recalls.
- Nothing matched but the unit predates 2015? Search the model at cpsc.gov/recalls anyway. Sixty-plus brand names is exactly how units slip through memory.
A recalled unit does not get to keep running "until the check arrives." Unplug it. CPSC ties four deaths to recalled units that kept running after the announcements. If the basement genuinely cannot go without dehumidification for two weeks, that is what a $170 replacement is for. It will outlive the refund paperwork by a decade.
Safe dehumidifier replacement cost: Capacity & features compared
Modern dehumidifier pricing depends on daily moisture removal rate (measured under current DOE standards in pints per 24 hours), built-in condensate pump capabilities, and commercial vs residential build quality. Here is how current, non-recalled units compare:
| Model | Capacity | Drainage Method | Approx. Cost | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midea Cube 50-Pint | 50 Pints / day | 34-pint bucket or gravity drain | ~$260 | Best overall basement pick / no recall |
| Frigidaire 50-Pint Wi-Fi | 50 Pints / day | 16-pint bucket or gravity drain | ~$270 | Brand-familiar reliable workhorse |
| Frigidaire 22-Pint | 22 Pints / day | Compact bucket or gravity drain | ~$189 | Best for bedrooms & small crawlspaces |
| AprilAire E070 Pro | 70 Pints / day | Continuous gravity / ductable | ~$1,100 | Commercial grade / permanent installation |
Pick the replacement
Every model below was checked in stock at Amazon on August 30, 2026, and none appears on any recall list. Three paths.
Path A, the basement workhorse: Midea Cube 50-Pint (most people)
You are replacing a full-size basement unit and want the best current 50-pint. This is the same unit that tops our full dehumidifier guide, and it earns it.
- What you get: The Cube (model MAD50S1QWT, ~$260): Energy Star, Wi-Fi with app alerts, and a nesting-basket design where the bucket is the whole lower half. Easy to empty, easy to actually clean, and a clean unit matters, because a slimy dehumidifier is a mold distributor with a fan.
- The elephant, addressed: Yes, Midea is the company behind the 2016 recall. The record: 38 smoke and fire reports, zero reported injuries, pre-2013 designs, cooperative recall. The catastrophic history (450 fires, four deaths, criminal penalties, executives in prison) belongs to Gree, a different company. Current Cube units are on no recall list. If the name still bothers you, Path C exists and I will not argue with you.
- Step-up: the Cube with built-in pump (~$300) pushes water up to a sink or out a window, worth it if your floor drain is nowhere near the unit.
- Midea Cube 50-Pint on Amazon — check current price on Amazon or ~$300 with the pump.
- Midea Cube 50 on eBay, open-box and with-pump listings were running $189-$275 when we checked. Match the model to MAD50S1QWT before you commit.
Path B, small rooms: the 22-pint class
The recalled unit served a bedroom, laundry room, or small office, not a swampy basement. A 22-pint Energy Star unit is quieter, lighter, and $70-$90 cheaper.
- Frigidaire 22-Pint Wi-Fi (FHDD2234W1), ~$189. The familiar name, current design, continuous-drain port.
- Midea 22-Pint (MAD22C1AWS), ~$170. The value pick of the class.
- Both are on no recall list. Skip the no-name brands an AI shopping answer may push at you. A dehumidifier is the last product category to buy from a brand with no recall history because it has no history at all.
Path C, brand-familiar or never-again
Either you want a full-size unit from the brand you already trust, or the recalls have you done with lightweight portables entirely and ready to solve the basement for good.
- Brand-familiar 50-pint: Frigidaire 50-Pint Wi-Fi (FHDD5034Y1) ~$269, GE 50-Pint (ADHE50BWF) ~$290, or LG PuriCare 50-Pint Wi-Fi ~$261. One honesty note: today's recalled-era and current models can carry confusingly similar codes (recalled GE units were ADEH/ADEL/ADER/ADEW, the current one is ADHE). Buy new, from the current listing, and keep the receipt.
- Never again, the US-made tier: the AprilAire E070 (~$825-$1,200) and the Santa Fe line are professional-grade units built in Wisconsin, sized for whole basements and crawl spaces. Several times the price of a portable, and built to be serviced instead of replaced. Our full dehumidifier guide covers when the math works.
- AprilAire E070 on Amazon, professional-grade, made in Wisconsin.
- AprilAire E070 on eBay, new units were listed at $825-$1,200 when we checked, a real save on a four-figure appliance.
Retire the old one properly
- Claim the refund first, then follow the recall's disposal instructions. Some programs want the power cord cut and a photo as proof, so do not destroy anything until the claim tells you to.
- Cut the cord once cleared. A recalled appliance with an intact plug has a way of getting plugged back in, by a tenant, a kid, or a garage-sale bargain hunter.
- Take it to an appliance recycler, not the curb. Dehumidifiers contain refrigerant that must be recovered, not vented. Your county hazardous-waste or appliance-recycling program handles it, and some utilities run appliance pickup programs.
What NOT to do
Selling a recalled product is illegal under federal law, Consumer Product Safety Act section 19, and the ban covers garage sales, Facebook Marketplace, and donation bins as well as stores. And practically: you would be handing someone a documented fire hazard, in a recall class that already carries four deaths CPSC ties to it.
The deaths CPSC ties to recalled Gree units happened in 2016 and 2022, three to nine years after the recall was announced. Overheating failures are not gentle wear that announces itself. The unit is fine until the day it is not, and it picked the appliance category that runs while you sleep.
Search results and AI shopping answers currently push $130 dehumidifiers from brands with no US presence, no parts channel, and no recall history because they did not exist three years ago. People have died in these fires. Every model recommended above has a real company behind it and a clean current record.
If you have an unusual setup
Crawl space
Portables do not belong in crawl spaces: nobody empties the bucket, and the housings are not built for it. This is AprilAire E070 and Santa Fe territory, ducted or hung, drained by hose or condensate pump. Budget four figures and stop fighting it annually.
Water in the basement, not vapor
If water comes through the walls or floor, a dehumidifier is a bilge pump for a leak you have not fixed. Diagnose the moisture path first: our humid basement guide walks the order of operations, and the waterproofing guide covers the products that actually address the source.
Landlords and rental units
If you supplied dehumidifiers to tenants, the recall check is not optional. You own an appliance with a federal fire-hazard notice running unattended in someone else's home, and "I didn't know" reads differently in a lawsuit when the recall is 13 years old. Check every unit this week. The refunds fund the replacements.
Related diagnoses
FAQ
How do I find out if my dehumidifier was recalled?
Five minutes, three steps. Unplug the unit and read the nameplate sticker (usually on the back): brand, model number, and manufacture date. If the brand and years match the Midea list (sold 2003-2013), run the model through recallrtr.com/dehumidifier. If it matches the Gree list (sold 2005-2013), check greedehumidifierrecall.com or call 866-853-2802. And one blanket rule: any GE or Kenmore dehumidifier made between 2011 and 2014 is recalled outright under the 2023 Gree recall. When in doubt, search the model at cpsc.gov/recalls.
Which dehumidifier brands were recalled?
More than 60 brand names across three recall waves, because a handful of Chinese factories built dehumidifiers for nearly everyone. The Midea recall (2016) covers 52 brands including Frigidaire, GE, Honeywell, Danby, Arctic King, and Kenmore in Canada. The Gree recalls (2013 and 2023) cover Frigidaire, GE, Kenmore, SoleusAir, Danby, De'Longhi, Fedders, Norpole, and Seabreeze among others. The New Widetech recall (2021) adds Amana, Haier, Whirlpool, Whynter, Honeywell, and De'Longhi units. The brand on the front tells you almost nothing. The model number and date on the nameplate tell you everything.
Is there a new dehumidifier recall in 2026?
No. As of publication, the most recent federal dehumidifier action is from August 2023: Gree's second recall of about 1.56 million units, plus a CPSC warning tying four deaths to units from Gree's original 2013 recall. If you saw a 2025 headline about Midea recalling 1.7 million units, that was window air conditioners (mold risk), not dehumidifiers. The dehumidifier story is millions of recalled units still sitting in basements running unattended, years after the news cycle moved on.
Can I still get a refund for a recalled dehumidifier?
Yes, the claim channels were live when we checked. Gree's original recall pays a full refund via greedehumidifierrecall.com or 866-853-2802. The Midea recall pays a partial refund via registration at recallrtr.com/dehumidifier. The 2023 Gree recall (GE, Kenmore, SoleusAir, Norpole, Seabreeze units from 2011-2014) runs a refund waitlist through Gree's US site. Have the model number, serial number, and a photo of the nameplate ready before you start any of them.
Is it safe to buy a Midea dehumidifier today?
The honest record: Midea's 2016 recall covered units designed before 2013, with 38 smoke and fire reports and zero reported injuries, and Midea ran a cooperative recall. The catastrophic record belongs to Gree: roughly 450 fires, four deaths, a $15.45 million civil penalty, a $91 million criminal penalty, and two executives sentenced to prison. Current Midea units, including the Cube, appear on no recall list, and the Cube's basket design is one of the easiest to clean in the category. We rate it the best 50-pint you can buy today. If you would rather not buy Midea on principle, the LG PuriCare and the US-made AprilAire and Santa Fe units are the alternatives.
Can I sell or donate my recalled dehumidifier instead of claiming the refund?
No. Selling a recalled product is illegal under federal law (Consumer Product Safety Act section 19), and it applies to garage sales, Facebook Marketplace, and thrift-store donations as well as retailers. Beyond the law, you would be handing someone a documented fire hazard. Claim the refund, cut the cord, and take the unit to an appliance recycler.
What should I replace a recalled 50-pint dehumidifier with?
The Midea Cube 50-pint (MAD50S1QWT, ~$260) is our top pick: Energy Star, Wi-Fi, and a nesting bucket design that actually gets cleaned, which matters because a dirty dehumidifier is a mold distributor. Brand-familiar alternatives verified in stock: the Frigidaire 50-pint Wi-Fi (~$269) and GE 50-pint (~$290). For small bedrooms, the Frigidaire 22-pint (~$189) or Midea 22-pint (~$170). None of these models appears on any recall list.
Why did my dehumidifier catch fire in the first place?
The recalled designs could overheat at the compressor or wiring and ignite the plastic housing, and a dehumidifier's habits make that worse: it runs unattended for weeks in a basement, often on a dusty coil, sometimes on an extension cord. CPSC logged over 2,000 overheating incidents and roughly 450 fires from the Gree units alone, with over $19 million in property damage. That is also the reason to retire a recalled unit now rather than watching it: the four deaths CPSC cites happened between 2016 and 2022, years after the recall was announced.
What does a safe replacement dehumidifier cost?
A modern, certified-safe 50-pint portable dehumidifier like the Midea Cube 50-Pint or Frigidaire 50-Pint costs ~$260 to ~$270. Compact 22-pint bedroom models cost ~$170 to ~$190, while heavy-duty commercial basement units like the AprilAire E070 run ~$1,100. Manufacturer recall refund checks often cover $100 to the full purchase price of the original unit.