Other Water Heaters
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.
Laundry & Household Appliances · CPSC Code 133
Up 45% over 5 years
The verdict
Other Water Heaters carry a danger score of 29/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 132 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 45% over the last five years.
- 29/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 132
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 0.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 133 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 29/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for other water heaters - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume132 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)0.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+45%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Other Water Heaters (CPSC product code 133, in the Laundry & Household Appliances category) generate an estimated 132 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 2,112 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 29/100 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 rising by about 45% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2022 (351 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2016 (16 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for other water heaters is contusions, abr. to the hand, accounting for approximately 177 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the lower trunk (165 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 499 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 0.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 19 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how other water heaters 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 | 44 | 79 | |
| 5-14 | 55 | 0 | |
| 15-24 | 157 | 0 | |
| 25-34 | 441 | 58 | |
| 35-44 | 416 | 17 | |
| 45-54 | 446 | 0 | |
| 55-64 | 193 | 16 | |
| 65-74 | 81 | 0 | |
| 75+ | 0 | 112 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Arm | Burn, Scald | |
| Upper Arm | Other | |
| Finger | Hematoma | |
| Lower Leg | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Burn, Scald |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
39YOM C/O SEIZURE S/P PT WAS FOUND BY EMS STUCK IN THE BASEMENT OF HIS HOME IN BETWEEN THE WATER HEATER AND FURNACE AFTER HE FELL DURING A SEIZURE. NO INJURIES REPORTED. DX: SEIZURE
21MOM PRESENTS FOR POSSIBLE CARBON MONOXIDE EXPOSURE AFTER FATHER SMELLED ROTTEN EGG SMELL AND CARBON MONOXIDE WAS DETECTED IN AIR OF THEIR APARTMENT UNIT. THE SOURCE FOUND TO BE A HOT WATER HEATER WITH IMPROPER EXHAUST VENTILATION NEXT TO A WINDOW. DX: CARBON MONOXIDE EXPOSURE
84YOF SLIPPED ON WATER FROM A LEAKING WATER HEATER AND FELL, STRIKING HER HEAD ON THE WALL DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
66YOM PRESENTS TO ED W/ BURN TO HIS LEFT ARM. PT REPORTS INTOXICATED 3 NIGHTS AGO FELL INTO SOME FIRE EMBERS AFTER TRIPPING OVER A HOT WATER HEATER NEAR THE FIRE. PT WENT INSIDE, WASHED OFF BURN AND APPLIED BACTRACIN. PT SAW PCP THAN SENT TO THE ED. ETOH: NOT STATED DX: LEFT ARM SWELLING, PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF MUTLIPLE SITES OF LEFT UPPER EXTREMITY
60 YOM LIGHTING PROPANE WATER HEATER WHEN IT FLASHED BURNING FACE AND CHEST DX: BURNS FACE AND CHEST, NO FIRE DEPT ATTENDED
40 YOM WAS WORKING ON HOT WATER HEATER WHEN IT BLEW UP AND INJURED EYES DX FOREIGN BODY IN EYE
21YOM WAS AT HOME ATTEMPTING TO LIFT WATER HEATER AND INJURED SHOULDER DX SHOULDER STRAIN
47 YOM WAS LIFTING A HEAVY HOT WATER TANK 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL WHEN HE FELT A POP IN RIGHT ELBOW REGION, NO TRAUMATIC INJURY NOTED ON EXAM. DX: RIGHT ELBOW PAIN
25YOM WAS MOVING A WATER HEATER THAT FELL ON HAND DX: FRACTURED HAND
33 YOM WAS LIFTING A WATER HEATER A FEW DDAYS AGO AND AFTERWARDS STARTED HAVING LOW BCK PAIN. DX: BACK PAIN
45 YOM BURN TO UPPER ARM, HOT WATER HEATER HOSE BUSTED SPRAYING HOT WATER TO UPPER ARMDX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF RIGHT UPPER ARM
59YOF WITH HAND INJURY, CAUGHT BETWEEN WALL AND WATER HEATER DX: CRUSH INJURY
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I saw the error code of Tankless heater Boiler, and opened the boiler cabinet. I found water accumulated inside, evidence of water leakage from the boiler components, and corrosion of all components beneath the boiler components due to water damage.
We had a solar water heater installed in Dec. 2009. The system is mounted on the water heater. It has two loops. One pumps water to the roof to panels where it is heated. The water returns through a heat exchanger. The second loop takes water from the water heater and runs it through the heat exchanger, then returns it to the water tank. This system won't heat the water tank past 160F, but the individual pipes can see temperatures well above 200F. For this reason, the pipes should all be copper or stainless steel (per the installation manual). The contractor, contrary to the above, used plastic (PEX) pipes on the water tank loop. One of the pipes on the water tank side ruptured and spilled about 2000 gallons (before it was detected and stopped) into the house. It caused about $63,000 worth of damage. Luckily, no one was standing nearby when this pipe ruptured because a person could have been sprayed with 200F water. The contractor reported that he and many other solar water heater installers used PEX pipe up until about 2 years ago. There are probably thousands of these installations out there, and they will eventually fail in all likelihood.
I own and installed a "combination boiler" (combi boiler) manufactured by Heat Transfer Products (HTP), model number eftc-199W. This appliance provides hot water for heating a building as well as hot water for domestic use such as bathing. The problem is with the temperature of the domestic hot water (DHW). Despite the temperature setting being set to 115°, it can get as hot as 160+° at a faucet. I have worked with HTP to resolve this problem, but it appears to me to be caused by a design defect. In addition, I recently learned that despite the product having the ETL logo on it as well as a certification number, ETL informs me that this product model is not certified. I believe that this product poses a serious scalding risk to consumers. I recently spoke to a staff member at the CPSC to get the status of the report I filed as entitled above. That staff member asked me to send a photo of the manufacturer's label and that photo is attached. Please note the ETL logo and certification. I looked into what tests were performed by ETL and what I found out is that this product is in fact not certified by ETL. I have written confirmation of this from ETL. Following is a link to a video that I took that shows exactly what and when this combination boiler delivers domestic hot water at temperatures exceeding 160°F even though the temperature is set to 115°F. 7-15-17 EFTC199W Test That Scalds.MP4
The GE GEOSPRINGS WATER HEATER WE PURCHASED HAS BEEN LEAKING REFRIGERANT FOR YEARS AND GE WAS AWARE OF THIS BUT INSTEAD SAID WE HAD TO CHANGE THE FILTER AND FAN WHICH WE DID. I HAVE CONTACTED GE NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEN [REDACTED] WHO GE DUMPED THIS ON. GE SHOULD HAVE DONE RECALL AS IT IS VERY UNSAFE. I DEVELOPED A VERY BAD COUGH THAT IS PERSISTANT AND LIKELY CASUED BY THE LEAKING REFRIGERANT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LEAKING REFRIGERANTUNTIL RECENTLY WHEN SEEING MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS ONLINE. Same thing happened to my GE Hybrid Geospring Water Heater. The problem is really a leaking evaporator coil in the heat pump (top portion) of the water heater., and not the fan and filter as most clients have been told. The water heater repeatedly beeps but never actual shows an error code as it states in the manual that it should.Believe it or not, the evaporator coil may be freezing up due to low refrigerant levels, which triggers the filter alarm. GE knows all about this problem, and it is covered by the 10 year warranty FOR PARTS. Labor is not covered, even though this is a big defect. . You will need an HVAC service tech to fix this problem, HOWEVER IT IS NOT REALLY SAFE AS MORE REFRIGERANT WOULD BE RELEASED IN THE AIR.. Last, but not least, owners need to report this to the Consumer Product in my opinion A RECALL IS IN ORDER HERE. After all, the thought that 410A refrigerant is leaking into my ANYTHING BUT SAFE! It is very unethical and unsafe of GE the way they have handled our case.
Known defective Quietside DPW-120, unit from Daesung manufacturer, installed 3/2012 broke 2/2015 during snowstorm, flooded basement, corroded gas connection, had to be replaced before pipes froze. Contacted distributor for South Korean manufacturer, Challenger Supply Holdings, Inc. in TX, spoke with [REDACTED] of TX distributor at [REDACTED] on March 23, 2015, sent information which he forwarded to SK, but no response. Left 2nd message on April 17, 2015, no response yet.
The hot water heater short circuited and melted the wires in the hot water heater. The insulation on the power wires melted before the circuit breaker tripped.
This is for a GE Geosprint Heat Pump Hot Water Heater. The Clean Filter light is on and beeps, I cleaned the filter, attempted to reset the alert per instructions, but the light stays on and the beeping continues. The problem is a leaking evaporator coil in the heat pump (top portion) of the water heater. Believe it or not, the evaporator coil may be freezing up due to low refrigerant levels, which triggers the filter alarm. GE knows all about this problem. A RECALL IS IN ORDER HERE. 410A refrigerant is leaking into my home is ANYTHING BUT SAFE!
Our tankless water heater caught fire
Showing 8 of 19 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to other water heaters on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are other water heaters?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, other water heaters have a danger score of 29/100 (low risk). An estimated 132 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from other water heaters?
The most common injury is contusions, abr. to the hand, accounting for approximately 177 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from other water heaters increasing or decreasing?
Up 45% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for other water heaters injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 499 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by other water heaters?
Of all ER visits involving other water heaters, approximately 0.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (100.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with other water heaters?
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 Laundry & Household Appliances
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 29/100 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 25-34 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.
