NITE Alert

No.80
June 18, 2007

Safety alert on Electric heaters (Halogen heaters) imported and distributed by former BAN-YU Co.,Ltd

Faulty caulking and wrong mounting positions of wiring connections in electric heaters imported and distributed by the former BAN-YU Co., Ltd., (Halogen Heater: DW-803, body color: blue, see images below) has caused accidents such as meltdown of basal resin or burning of carpets, etc, underneath the heater.
To prevent further accidents, consumers should immediately stop using these halogen heaters, and contact BAN-YU for inspection and repair prior to further usage.

1. Product details

Product name:   Halogen Heater (made in Korea)
Model No.:        DW-803
Period of import/sales: January-August 2001
No. of sales:     38,154 units

2. Background

(1): Due to the incidence of product accidents (no reported human injury) related to the electric heaters (halogen ceramic far-infrared heater, DW-803, body color: blue, see the picture below) imported and distributed by the former BAN-YU Co., Ltd., said company had been offering a free inspection and repair service, and sending out repair kits to users since August 2001. However, following a series of similar accidents, the company sent out direct mails to notify its users of the problem in October 2002. As of April 2007, only 4.5% of faulty products have been fixed or inspected, and many of these products are presumed to be still in users' hands.
(2): In order to prevent further accidents, the new or current BAN-YU Co., Ltd.(*), who took over the business and business name from the former BAN-YU Co., Ltd., has been contacting respective DW-803 users for free inspection and repair since February 2007, although they did not take over the DW-803 operation from the former company.

(*)Full Faith Inc. became the current Ban-Yu Co., Ltd., after taking over the business (excluding DW-803 operation) and the business name at the end of January 2007.

(3): In May 2007, BAN-YU Co., Ltd. reported to METI that they had received 65 reports of product accidents from March 2001 to March 2007. No human injuries have been reported.

3. Cause of accidents and Correction details

Faulty caulking of internal wiring (a power wire, a heater lead wire and a motor lead wire) with the crimping terminal caused a partial disconnection and generated a spark. Also, as the caulking part came in contact with a synthetic resin contained in the bottom part of its base, the bottom part of the product melted and burnt a tatami mat.
Measures taken by BAN-YU to correct the problem are; (1) Installation of a thermal fuse beside the caulking part in order to keep the temperature below 98C. (2) Covering of the caulking part of the power wire with an insulating tube.

4.Alert to users

Consumers should immediately stop using the electric heater DW-803, and call BAN-YU to receive an inspection and repair.

5. How to identify the recalled product

Che images below are of the relevant heater and the labeling on the bottom. The halogen heater is shaped as an electric fan, and the body color is blue. The words "HALOGEN ELECTRIC STOVE" are printed on the center of the fan section and "BAN-YU" is imprinted on the upper bottom. Images of product appearance and labeling (lower bottom)

Fore more information;
National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE)
Product Safety Technology Center, Product Safety Investigation Division
Email:ps-news@nite.go.jp