The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2024
Govee's smart heater: wireless control that could start a fire
Govee recalled about 512,500 smart space heaters in the US after they could overheat and start fires, with 113 overheating reports including 7 fires.
Govee · 2024-11-07
What happened
Govee, a Chinese smart-home brand, sold its GoveeLife and Govee smart electric space heaters online and through the Govee Home App. Testing found the wirelessly controlled heaters could overheat and did not comply with the voluntary safety standard UL 1278.
The firms received 113 reports of overheating, including seven reports of fires and one minor burn injury. The six models had been sold from September 2021 through September 2024 for between $30 and $150.
The recall covered about 512,500 US units and 48,600 in Canada. The wireless control feature that made the product stand out was the same feature that let it keep running into a fire hazard.
Why it happened
- The smart heaters could overheat and failed the UL 1278 safety standard
- 113 overheating reports including 7 fires and 1 minor burn injury
- About 512,500 US units and 48,600 Canadian units subject to refund
The lesson
The feature that sells a product is the feature that must be tested hardest. The wireless control that made Govee's heater smart was the same one that let it overheat into a fire hazard.
Sources
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Somewhere, someone solved the problem this company failed at. 2nd Opinion →
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