Last Thursday, Claire Conroy turned on the air conditioning in his windows for his first run of the season.
Hours later, she learned that her appliance, a U-shaped central unit that has exploded in popularity since its introduction in 2020, was being recalled about the potential mold risk. The elegantly round window unit has become the air conditioner of choice for many design-conscious New Yorkers. This is due to its unique shape that allows the window to close and light can enter either side of the unit.
Suddenly, the air conditioner didn't sound so chic. Conroy learned about recalls on Instagram. There, the handyman who installed the unit posted it to warn clients.
“He said, 'I set them up so I know at least 50 people have them,'” Conroy, 39, laughed.
Conroy, a lawyer living in Manhattan's Upper West Side, said he bought the Midea U, which will be retailed for $330 to $480 in 2021, on the recommendation of a friend. Ideally, window units are seasonal devices that are stored in dry places during cold weather. Conroy lives in a one-bedroom apartment and, like many city residents, does not have the luxury of storage space.
When disassembled the unit after the recall, Conroy said he found a black spot that he believed was mold. She tried her best to thoroughly clean it with bleach and paper towels, but she said she hadn't decided what to do in the long run.
She is one of many midor owners facing the same decision.
MIDEA offers customers the option of one of the company's technicians to refund or repair the unit. (To some customers' surprises, we do not specify a time frame for these repairs to be completed.)
“We take this seriously and work closely with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to carry out the recall and ensure that consumers have the option of reimbursement or repair,” a spokesman for Midea said in an email.
Particularly enterprising AC owners can choose to repair the unit themselves using the company's free repair kit “Includes new drain plugs and bubble levels”. The company has created two educational videos to guide customers through the process of replacing drain plugs and cleaning the units.
All of these options sound incomplete if there is no central air conditioning as summer heat approaches.
Brooklyn-living author Tori Shimokov said in a direct message that she and her husband don't know what they do with the three Midea units, one of which “smells very bad.” The couple lives on the top floor of a walk-up building. Another hurdle to consider when considering a replacement unit.
The sophisticated appliance has become something of a status symbol for New York. There, many coveted Prewar apartments do not have central air conditioning.
In an interview with the New York Times last year, Rodrigo Teixeira, head of product management at Home Comfort at Midea America, said the product is designed to fill the gap in the market for attractive and effective window units. “Now, $1 million homes, or $2 million apartments, have stuck to the windows,” he said.
The product received positive reviews from product recommendation sites, including Consumer Report, Strategist and Wirecutter from the New York Times. The unit is quieter than most, allowing the owner to open and close the window without the need to remove the AC
Katie Whitaker, founder of New York-based home repair service Handyma'am, estimates that they have installed at least 100 midas in recent years, saying the higher price range means the devices are popular in wealthier areas. MIDEA is part of a recent class of aesthetically heartfelt air conditioners, including brands including July and Windmill, and took off with customers.
“When all of these brands started to compete in the market, I started to notice popular Midea units. They said, 'I've never heard of them before,'” the 37-year-old said.
That changed last week. Product recall notifications posted on the company's website list several model numbers for the company's air conditioner, saying, “Consumers who have any of the listed models should immediately participate in the recall.”
The issue is that, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, water may be piled up in the air conditioners instead of being discharged. (According to the agency, 1.7 million units have been recalled in the US.) Windows units can grow mold due to condensation produced when warm air cools. However, moldy air conditioners can pose respiratory health risks to those who use them.
Allen St. John, a senior home and tech writer who has worked on Consumer Reports' air conditioning rankings, said it was “unusual” for Midea to offer refund options to customers for this type of appliance. “As with all health and safety related recalls, our advice is to take recalls seriously,” he said in an email.
He urged the owner of Midea's U-shaped unit to stop using the device and submit it for a refund or repair the unit by an air conditioner technician. Those pursuing DIY repair options should be careful to ensure that the drain plug is properly installed.
On social media, many Midea owners are beginning to express their fears about what to do next. On Tiktok, slow clients, including 26-year-old Allison Davis, who lives in Brooklyn, discussed whether Midea ACS should be raised anyway. (St. John disagrees.) Others pointed to the unfortunate timing of their units being recalled, as the weather is getting more and more upskirts in the northeast.
Angry comments from customers were poured into Midea's Instagram page. There, the company posted a phone number for the recall notifications and helpline. Many wrote that they still couldn't pass through to the company to schedule recommended repairs.
“With the recall just launched and there's a lot of interest, the wait times at the recall contact centre are unfortunately longer than expected,” the company wrote in response to one customer.
New York handpan Katie Whitaker warned Midea's owners of panic on Instagram. Molds are a serious problem to improve, but over time it is very common in almost all window units.
“When did you clean your air conditioner?” they asked in the video.
