Safety Alert: Faulty Attic Fan Motors Recalled Due to Fire Risk
Well, well, well. Here we are again, folks. Another day, another product recall that makes you wonder how these things ever made it to market in the first place. This time, it’s attic fan motors—specifically, 2.9 million of them—that apparently think they’re auditioning for a role in Backdraft.
Air Vent, the Dallas-based company behind this fiasco, has issued a nationwide recall for their electric motors used in gable- and roof-mounted attic fans. Why? Oh, just because they have a pesky little habit of catching fire. No big deal, right? Just your entire house potentially going up in flames because of a faulty safety cutoff. But hey, who needs functioning safety features anyway?
The Burning Truth About These Attic Fan Motors
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) dropped this delightful news on Thursday, revealing that these attic fan motors have a charming tendency to short-circuit and ignite. The motors’ safety cutoff—you know, that little mechanism that’s supposed to prevent fires—apparently decided to take an extended vacation. Because nothing says “safety first” like a safety feature that doesn’t work.
Here’s where it gets really fun: Air Vent received 159 reports of burning or fire related to these motors. One hundred and fifty-nine! That’s not a few isolated incidents; that’s a pattern that would make even the most optimistic person start side-eyeing their attic. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported yet, but let’s be honest—it’s probably only a matter of time before someone’s “quiet evening at home” turns into an unexpected meeting with their local fire department.
Which Attic Fan Motors Are Trying to Burn Your House Down?
If you’re sitting there wondering whether your attic fan motor is part of this pyromaniac parade, here’s what you need to know. The recall affects motors sold between August 2003 and December 2013—that’s a solid decade of potentially dangerous products sitting in people’s attics like ticking time bombs.
The specific model numbers that made the naughty list include:
- DOW-136-0-34-XIN
- DOW-136-0-26-XIN
- DOW-136-0-40-XIN
- DOW-136-0-40-XIN-3/4
- D-RE-PSC-127/20-4P1SP
These motors were sold at major retailers, including ABC Supply, Lowe’s, and Beacon, both in-store and online, with prices ranging from $74 to $92. So not only did people pay good money for these fire hazards, but they also had the convenience of buying them from trusted retailers. Fantastic.
The recalled motors can be identified by a distinctive vent pattern on the motor end bells—because apparently, even fire hazards need to have some style.
What Air Vent Wants You to Do (Besides Not Sue Them)
Air Vent’s response to this situation is about as exciting as you’d expect from a company that just admitted to selling nearly three million potential fire starters. They’re urging consumers to “immediately stop using the recalled motors.” Gee, thanks for that groundbreaking advice. Next, you’ll be telling us not to stick our fingers in electrical outlets.
But wait, there’s more! If you want a refund (and honestly, who wouldn’t?), you’ll need to jump through a few hoops. First, you’ll need to submit an online registration and verification form—because bureaucracy never takes a day off, even during safety recalls. Then, you’ll need to provide photos of your motor to “confirm eligibility.” Apparently, in 2025, we still can’t take people’s word for it when they say they own a recalled product.
The Bigger Picture: When Safety Takes a Backseat
This recall raises some seriously uncomfortable questions about quality control and safety testing. How does a company sell 2.9 million attic fan motors over a decade without catching a fundamental safety flaw? How does a safety cutoff—literally the thing designed to prevent fires—fail so spectacularly and so frequently?
The answer, unfortunately, probably has something to do with the familiar corporate dance of cutting corners to save costs while hoping nobody notices. Well, guess what? When your attic fan motors start a fire, people tend to notice pretty quickly.
What This Means for Your Home’s Ventilation
If you’re one of the unlucky homeowners with these attic fan motors, you’re probably wondering what to do next. First, stop using the motor immediately—yes, even if it seems to be working fine. Fire doesn’t always announce itself with fanfare; sometimes it just shows up uninvited.
Second, contact Air Vent for your refund. You can reach them at 877-247-4878 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday, or visit their website. Fair warning: you’ll probably be on hold longer than you’d like, because apparently everyone else had the same brilliant idea to call at the same time.
Third, start shopping for a replacement. Your attic still needs ventilation, and summer heat isn’t going to wait for Air Vent to get their act together. Look for motors with proper safety certifications and maybe—just maybe—ones that haven’t been recalled for trying to burn down houses.
The Silver Lining (If You Can Call It That)
At least Air Vent is offering refunds instead of just shrugging and saying “caveat emptor.” That’s something, right? And hey, no injuries have been reported yet, so we’re still in the realm of property damage rather than human tragedy. It’s a low bar, but we’ll take it.
The recall also serves as a helpful reminder to check your home’s safety equipment regularly. When was the last time you looked at your attic fan motors, your smoke detectors, or your fire extinguisher? If the answer is “I can’t remember,” maybe it’s time for a little home safety audit.
