Federal safety officials have called for the recall of more than 255,000 Vornado tower heaters, warning owners to unplug the units at once after a series of reports that the appliances overheated and, in several cases, caught fire. The action was announced on June 4, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The recall covers the Vornado SRTH small room tower heater, a compact appliance that was sold for years at some of the country’s most familiar retailers. Because the heaters were on shelves for well over a decade, the number of households that may still own one is considerable, and that is part of what makes the warning notable rather than routine.
A Fan Blade That Can Come Loose
At the center of the problem is a small mechanical failure with outsized consequences. The heater’s fan blade can detach from the motor shaft, which can slow or stop the fan entirely. According to the CPSC, that stalled condition leads to overheating and the melting of the unit’s enclosure and internal parts. Melted components can then ignite and breach the casing if the thermal cutoff or fuse does not activate in time, posing a fire hazard.
The reports are not merely theoretical. Vornado has received 32 complaints of overheating tied to fan displacement, including eight fires and one case of smoke inhalation. The heaters were manufactured in China and imported by Vornado Air, LLC, of Andover, Kansas.
Identifying an affected unit is fairly straightforward. The heaters were sold in black and white, stand about 12.5 inches tall and measure roughly six inches across. They carry two heat settings, low and high, plus a fan-only option, and the model designation “TYPE SRTH” is printed on a silver rating label on the bottom of the product.
Where They Sold, and What Owners Should Do
These were not obscure imports tucked away in a single chain. According to Fox Business, the heaters reached buyers through Costco, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and ACE Hardware, as well as online at Vornado.com and Amazon.com. They sold from August 2013 through May 2026 at prices between $40 and $50, an unusually long sales window for a recalled product.
Costco, for its part, wrote to members noting that it carried the SRTH heater between August 2013 and January 2017 under item number 1002889. A small number of units, roughly eight, were also sold in Canada.
The remedy is a full refund, though the process asks something of owners. Consumers should stop using the heaters immediately and contact Vornado for instructions on submitting photographs of the product along with proof that it has been destroyed. The company can be reached toll-free at 844-205-7978, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time, or online at recalls.vornado.com. The recall has been listed under number 26-532.
