Carrier yanks AC units, heat pumps

About 185,000 packaged terminal air conditioners and heat pumps, manufactured in Mexico by Carrier Corp., were recalled because an electric heater in the unit could break, posing a fire hazard. Carrier has received five reports of electric heater failures, resulting in fires contained to the unit. The products were sold at heating, ventilation and air-conditioning dealers and by factory-direct sales from January 2002 through December 2006. For details, call (800) 761-8492, or go to www.carrierptacrecall.com or the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov.

* About 84,000 Carefree warm mist humidifiers, manufactured in China by Hunter Fan Co., were recalled because water could leak into the electrical compartment, posing a risk of fire. The company has received four reports of water leaks, including one that resulted in a fire. The humidifiers were sold online, through catalogs and at Lowe’s, Wal-Mart and other discount and hardware stores between September 2005 and February 2007. For more information, call (877) 288-1145 or go to www.hunterfan.com or www.cpsc.gov.

* About 31,000 Skippy pool toys, manufactured in China by Swimways Corp., were recalled because the elastic tongue of the toy fish could break and cut the user’s hands during launching of the toy. The company has received 24 reports of the toy breaking during use and five reports of injuries to children. The recalled toy fish, sold from February through September this year, is blue, purple or green and made of rubber. The toy’s tongue is a loop of elastic tubing that is used for launching the fish across the water like a slingshot. For more information, call (888) 559-4653 or go to www.swimways.com or www.cpsc.gov.