A small electric immersion water heater sold on Amazon under the brand Lakkzoom has been linked to 235 fires and is so dangerous that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) used emergency federal court authority to take action against it — the first time CPSC has used this power in nearly 40 years. CPSC, through the U.S. Department of Justice, filed an imminent hazard complaint in federal court against the manufacturer and seller, both based in China, seeking a mandatory recall. The product has been sold on Amazon and eBay since 2022.
Why These Heaters Are So Dangerous
Immersion water heaters are compact metal coil devices designed to be submerged in a cup or container of water to heat it. The Lakkzoom models — sold in 1500W and 2000W versions with the brand name visible on the purchase receipt — can ignite within minutes if they are operated even partially out of water. The hazard is not merely theoretical: CPSC has received 235 reports of fires involving these heaters. The manufacturer, Cixi Miaojie Electrical Appliance Co. Ltd., has refused to cooperate with CPSC’s recall requests.
Other immersion water heaters have also been warned against by CPSC, including HAIYEATBNB brand heaters that were linked to 29 reports of ignition, melting, smoking, or overheating including at least 11 fires, all sold on Amazon.
How to Identify a Lakkzoom Heater
The Lakkzoom immersion water heaters are metal tubes with circular or heart-shaped holes and plastic endcaps in black, yellow, or pink. The brand name Lakkzoom and model numbers 1500W, 2000W, HT1500W, or HT2000W may appear on the purchase receipt.
What You Should Do
- Stop using any Lakkzoom immersion water heater immediately and dispose of it.
- Do not continue using any immersion coil water heater from an unrecognized brand purchased online.
- Report incidents involving fire or overheating to CPSC at SaferProducts.gov.
- Check SaferProducts.gov for the full list of recalled and warned-against immersion water heaters.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.
