Dehumidifiers
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares · CPSC Code 306
Down 43% over 5 years
The verdict
Dehumidifiers carry a danger score of 26/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 234 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 43% over the last five years.
- 26/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 234
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.1%
- end in hospital admission
- 75+
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 306 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 26/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for dehumidifiers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume234 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.1%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-43%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Dehumidifiers (CPSC product code 306, in the Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares category) generate an estimated 234 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 4,443 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 26/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 43% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2016 (524 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2024 (7 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for dehumidifiers is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 353 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (326 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,112 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 4.1% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 465 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how dehumidifiers fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 270 | 217 | |
| 5-14 | 223 | 5 | |
| 15-24 | 45 | 213 | |
| 25-34 | 48 | 78 | |
| 35-44 | 78 | 109 | |
| 45-54 | 161 | 317 | |
| 55-64 | 155 | 317 | |
| 65-74 | 536 | 556 | |
| 75+ | 491 | 621 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Arm | Strain, Sprain | |
| Knee | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Foot | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
12YOM WAS WRESTLING WITH SISTER WHEN HE FELL INTO A DEHUMIDIFIER AND CUT HIS CHEST ON A METAL CORNER. DX: CHEST LACERATION.
85YOM WAS PICKING UP A DEHUMIDIFIER AT HOME WHEN HE FELT A SNAP AND PAIN IN HIS L UPPER EXTREMITY. DX: RUPTURE OF LEFT BICEPS TENDON
2YOF WAS PLAYING PUTTING FINGER IN THE TOP OF DEHUMIDIFIER AND FINGER GOT STUCK DX LT FINGER PAIN
89YOF PT LOST FOOTING & FELL TO RT SIDE, HITTING A DEHUMIDIFIER DX: RECURRENT FALLS, ANTERIOR CHEST WALL PAIN, LOW BACK PAIN #
33 YOF STUBBED HER TOE ON THE DEHUMIDIFIER. DX: TOE INJURY
42YOM-PATIENT WAS LIFTING A HEAVY DE-HUMIDIFIER AND HURT LEFT ELBOW@ HOME. DX: STRAIN LEFT ELBOW
74 YOM FELL WHILE GOING TO THE BATHROOM THIS MORNING AND THEN FELL A SECOND TIME HITTING A DEHUMIDIFIER WITH HIS HEAD. +ABRASION SCALPDX: UTI, VERTEBRAL ARTERY DISSECTION
52 YOM PRESENTS FROM HOME. PT STATES HE HAD BEEN DRINKING TONIGHT AND TRIPPED OVER THE DEHUMIDIFIER STRIKING HIS CHIN. NO BAL. DX: MANDIBLE FRACTURE, CHIN LACERATION
55YOF BACK PAIN AFTER EMPTYING A DEHUMIDIFIER THAT WAS HEAVY DX: CHRONIC B ACK PAIN #
77YOM CARRYING A BIG BUCKET OF WATER UP FROM BASEMENT, HAD EMPTIED DEHUMIDIFIER; WENT TO GRAB DOOR HANDLE & FELL BACKWARDS DOWN 5 STEPS, HIT HEAD ON CONCRETE FLOOR DX; HEAD INJURY, LAC OF HEAD #
74YOF, WAS EMPTYING A LARGE DEHUMIDIFIER WHEN SHE DROPPED IT ONTO HER LEG, DX: LACERATION OF LEFT LOWER EXTERMITY
88YO F WAS EMPTYING HER DEHUMIDIFIER AND FELL. DX: L4-L5 SUBACUTE COMPRESSION FRACTURES #
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Moultonborough Fire Rescue dispatched for fire alarm activation. Upon arrival detected odor of something burnign within the structure. Found smoke in the basement, determined that the smoke was coming from an overheated SoleusAir Model GL-DEH-30-1 dehumidifier. Scorching found on casing, strong odor coming from unit. The product was being used by a female senior citizen to dehumidify a damp basement. No injuries occurred.
I have a Hampton Bay HB50 dehumidifier that I run in my basement in the summer with a hose to a sump pump. I never have it set on the highest setting. Last week a switch and wires caught fire and set off my smoke alarm at 1 am, filling the first floor and basement with smoke. When we got to the dehumidifer, the wires were burning, smoke was coming out the back, and the grill was starting to melt. I rushed the dehumidifier out the back, but the wires continued to burn, so I put it out with a fire extinguisher. No injuries, but I had to run the fans all night to rid the house of smoke, and the basement still stinks of electical fire. We were out of town the weekend before, so if had happened then there is a chance the house would have burned down.
Danby dehumidifier ddr7009ree1 runs, but won't remove humidity from room. unit compressor becomes so hot, that if you try to touch it, you would be seriously burned!
Problem: Overheating Fridgidaire dehumidifier Problem Description: The air circulation fan intermittently stops running and the compressor continues to run generating very high heat. The unit doesn't shut off when the "Set-Point" humidity level is met. When switching the unit "OFF" using the top ON/OFF button, the compressor continues to run, while the LED status display is dark, providing the user an erroneous status indication falsely indicating the unit is turned "OFF". In this condition, the compressor continues to generate very high heat while the unit is OFF. An electrical burning smell was emanating from the unit. Use: The dehumidifier is used in a conditioned basement space. Solution was to unplug the unit before it starts a fire. No injuries or damage, however, unattended this unit has potential to start a fire. Model: FAD504DWD Service Model Number: FAD504DWD19 Serial Number: KN52004495 Approx Date of Purchase: 2015
Product was being used in the basement of residential structure for its intended purpose. The Fire Department was called for a possible structure fire, upon arrival found light smoke throughout the residence. Source of smoke was located at the dehumidifier with smoke coming from the unit.
Dehumidifier fan stops. Dehumidifier gets very hot. Compressor still running. If I turn it OFF on the panel, the compressor stays running. Smells very hot. If I unplug the unit, everything stops. Date on this is Jan 2014. Other models of this have been recalled for this problem, but not this model/serial number.
Dehumidifier caught fire and then exploded, sending flaming plastic shrapnel onto walls. It had been on for approximately five minutes. The House was filled with dense black smoke from burning plastic, which then fouled the ductwork in the forced hot air heating system. This brand and model do not appear in any of the previously recalled humidifiers.
Soleus Dehumidifier, 1 of 2 units being used in my finished basement. Unit was making an unusual sound. The fan was not running, there was a smell of melting plastic. None of the control buttons worked and I could feel heat coming from the unit. I unplugged the unit and monitored it. When removing the water container I saw that the wall behind it was melting and too hot to touch. Thank God I caught this before it started on fire.
Showing 8 of 465 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to dehumidifiers on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are dehumidifiers?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, dehumidifiers have a danger score of 26/100 (low risk). An estimated 234 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from dehumidifiers?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 353 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from dehumidifiers increasing or decreasing?
Down 43% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for dehumidifiers injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,112 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by dehumidifiers?
Of all ER visits involving dehumidifiers, approximately 4.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with dehumidifiers?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 26/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 75+ age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
