Health Canada Recalls 10,045 Galanz Retro Fridges Over Fire Risk; Free In-Home Repair Offered

Unplug It, Then Register

If the model and date code match, the order is simple. Unplug the fridge. Move the food to your main fridge or a cooler. Then register through the Galanz recall portal, which asks for the model number and date code first.

The portal is the same one Galanz uses in the U.S., and its wording refers to the U.S. regulator. Health Canada sends Canadian owners to it anyway. If you would rather not use the form, or it doesn't accept your code, Galanz takes calls at 888-462-0579 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, and email at customerservice@galanzamericas.com.

If there has already been an incident, such as smoke, scorching, a burning smell or a tripped breaker linked to the fridge, report it to Health Canada through its Consumer Product Incident Report Form as well as telling Galanz.

Two Parts, One Visit

The Galanz FAQ is more specific than the Health Canada notice about what fails. It names two small parts, the overload protector and the starter relay, which regulate the flow of electricity to the compressor. The technician replaces both. Galanz estimates the job at about one to two hours.

The replacement parts come to you first. According to the Galanz registration portal, parts are scheduled to ship within three to four weeks after your registration is approved, and repair timing depends on your location and appointment availability. Keep the box near the fridge so it's there when the technician arrives. Galanz says evening and weekend appointments are available where needed.

Some things to know before you register:

• It is a repair only. Galanz says it will not offer a refund or a replacement fridge.
• Plan for the fridge to be off for weeks. Galanz's average is three to four weeks from contact to completed repair, and the fridge should stay unplugged until then.
• Don't do the repair yourself, even though the parts arrive at your door. Galanz says a trained technician must do the work.
• Not sure it was already fixed? If the fridge has had service since 2020, Galanz can check its recall repair records by phone.

Health Canada's guidance for companies treats product correction as a standard recall remedy, and notes that some corrections require sending a professional to the owner's home. That is the route Galanz has taken here.

Homeowner.ca has covered other fire-risk recalls handled the same way, including Health Canada's recall of 6,758 home saunas and infrared kits with free repairs.

Out of Sight Is the Problem

A kitchen fridge gets opened dozens of times a day. A basement drinks fridge might get opened on the weekend. A garage fridge might sit untouched for most of the winter. The recall itself has nothing to do with where the fridge sits. Health Canada puts the hazard in the fridge's own electrical parts. Placement only affects how quickly anyone would notice a problem.

While you have the fridge pulled out to read the label, check how it gets its power. This is general electrical safety, not something the recall points to. Ontario's Electrical Safety Authority advises using extension cords only as a temporary measure because they can crack and fray, which can lead to shock or fire. It also warns against overloading outlets and says to replace damaged cords.

Manitoba Hydro's residential wiring guide calls extension cords used as permanent wiring hazardous. It says new outlets should be installed where cords are permanently used for appliances such as a freezer. Code requirements vary by province and by installation. If a fridge has lived on an extension cord for years, call a licensed electrician rather than rewiring it yourself.

If you keep other appliances in the garage, see our coverage of Generac pressure washers recalled after units started on their own in garages.

The Rule That Catches Fall Clear-Outs

Fall is when a lot of old basement fridges get listed online, left at the curb or handed to a relative's first apartment. For this fridge, that's a problem. The recall notice states that the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act prohibits recalled products from being redistributed, sold or even given away in Canada.

That rule comes from federal law, not from Galanz. Health Canada's recall guide for industry explains that sections 7 and 8 of the Act prohibit manufacturing, importing, advertising or selling a consumer product that is dangerous to human health or safety and has been recalled. Where disposal is used as a remedy, the same guide says it should keep unsafe products from getting back into the market and follow federal, provincial and municipal waste rules.

For this recall, the remedy is the repair. If you plan to sell or give away a red Galanz retro fridge, check the label first. If it's covered, get the repair done before it goes anywhere.

The same rule applies to every recalled product in Canada. We explained it in more detail when Health Canada advised disposal of the IQYEF triple-detector alarm after the seller refused to recall it.