| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| August 26, 1982 | |
| Release # 82-035 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) the General Electric Company (GE) advises owners of certain GE drip coffeemakers that a potential fire hazard may be present in some units manufactured before June 1978.
The hazard may occur when a thermal fuse in the coffeemaker occasionally fails to function as intended during an overheat condition. GE has received over 400 reports of overheating, counter top damage or fires. These incidents have resulted in 11 claims involving hand and foot burns or smoke inhalation. GE estimates that approximately 200,000 of these coffeemakers are still in use.
GE has voluntarily instituted a national program to replace the drip coffeemakers in question, Owners of GE coffeemakers are asked to read both the catalog number on the bottom of the coffeemaker and the date code stamped on the outside of the metal blades of the electric plug.
If the unit is identified as in the table below, owners should call the GE Answer Center, a 24-hour, toll free service, at l-800-626-2000 for complete information on free replacement. No other coffeemakers or other products are involved.
| Catalog Number | Date Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Bl-3385-0, Bl-3382-0 | with Date Code between | 634 thru 717 |
| Bl-3390-0 | with Date Code between | 704 thru 717 |
| Bl or B2-3387-0 | with Date Code between | 618 thru 822 |
In addition to this announcement, GE will reach owners of the units in question through:
Consumers who identify their drip coffeemakers according to the above table are advised to stop using it, to unplug the unit, and not attempt to disassemble or service it themselves.