Midea U Recall

What the Recall Actually Says

The official recall covers Midea U and U+ window air conditioners sold under multiple brands. The public recall page says refunds are full or prorated, based on your purchase date or the unit's manufacture date. There is no single flat public dollar amount for the cut-cord/photo path.

888-345-0256

Hotline

Repair

or Refund

Photo

Cord-Cut Proof

Prorated

Refund Rule

Official Rules

How the recall works

Per the official recall page, Midea says affected consumers should participate immediately. If you choose repair, Midea provides either a technician visit or a repair kit with a new drain plug and bubble level, depending on model. If you choose refund, the public workflow is either return the unit with a prepaid label or cut the unplugged power cord, mark the product "Recalled," and submit photo proof.

Affected Units

Midea U and Midea U+ window air conditioners.
White units about 22 inches wide, 13.5 inches tall, and 19 inches deep.
8,000, 10,000, and 12,000 BTU models.
Sold under multiple brands, including Midea, Comfort Aire, Danby, Frigidaire, Insignia, Keystone, LBG Products, Mr. Cool, Perfect Aire, and Sea Breeze.

Refund Rule

The official public language does not publish one fixed refund number. It says the refund is full or prorated based on purchase date or manufacture date. That means the amount is determined case by case after you enter the serial number and complete the recall claim.

For the cord-cut path, the photo is proof that the unit is out of service. The actual dollar amount still depends on the claim outcome, not on the photo alone.

Compare Remedies

Repair, Return, or Cut the Cord

Three routes are offered. The amount and speed depend on your serial number and claim details, but the trade-offs are consistent: repair keeps the unit, a return or cord-cut removes it from service in exchange for a refund.

Remedy	You Get	Best When
Repair	Technician visit or a mail-out kit with a new drain plug and bubble level.	The unit works and you want to keep cooling with it.
Return	Refund after you ship the unit back with a prepaid label.	The unit is easy to uninstall and you want it fully gone.
Cord-cut + photo	Refund after you unplug, cut the cord, mark it “Recalled,” and submit a photo.	Shipping a heavy unit back is impractical.
Refund amount	Full or prorated — computed per serial number	Never a single flat public figure

Do not keep running a unit you have chosen the cord-cut remedy for. That route certifies the AC is out of service — it is not a way to get paid and keep cooling.

Cord-Cut Refund · Step By Step

The Cut-the-Cord Photo Path, In Full Detail

This is the route where you never ship the heavy unit anywhere. You render the air conditioner permanently unusable, photograph the proof, upload it to the recall portal, and dispose of the carcass locally. Midea’s official language for this option is short — “unplug the product, cut the power cord, write ‘Recalled’ on the product, submit photographic evidence of doing so, and dispose of it in accordance with your local waste disposal requirements.” Everything below expands each of those words into the careful version.

Do this first, before any cutting: start the claim at mideaurecall.expertinquiry.com and enter each unit’s model and serial number so the portal confirms the serial is eligible and issues you a claim/reference number. Cutting the cord is the point of no return — you want the claim open and the unit confirmed before you destroy it, and you want the reference number to attach your photo to.

Step 01 · Unplug at the wall

Kill the power completely

Pull the plug from the outlet — do not just switch the unit off. The cord must be fully de-energized before a blade goes anywhere near it. If it is hardwired or on a dedicated circuit, throw the breaker too. Let it sit a minute. You are about to cut a power cord; treat it as live until it is physically out of the socket in your hand.

Step 02 · Confirm the label

Photograph the rating plate first

On the unit (front-right side or the back rating plate) find the model number and serial number. Take one clear, readable photo of that label before you cut anything. This is your proof the destroyed unit is the same serial you registered. Good light, no glare, close enough that the characters are legible.

Step 03 · Cut the cord

One clean cut, close to the unit

With the cord unplugged, cut cleanly through the entire power cord using insulated wire cutters, lineman’s pliers, or heavy shears. Cut once, all the way through — not a nick. Cut it close to where the cord exits the appliance (a few inches from the body) so the stub left on the unit is far too short to ever be spliced or reused, and the severed length is obviously separated. The goal the recall is enforcing is simple: this machine can never be plugged in again.

Step 04 · Mark it “Recalled”

Write RECALLED on the body

With a permanent marker (or paint pen on a light unit), write “RECALLED” directly on the housing of the air conditioner — large, on a flat visible face, not on a sticker you could peel off. This is a required part of the proof, not optional garnish.

Step 05 · Stage the proof photo

One photo that shows everything at once

Lay the unit so a single frame captures, together: the severed cord (both the stub on the unit and the cut-off length), the handwritten “RECALLED” marking, and ideally the model/serial label in the same shot. Shoot in daylight or bright indoor light, straight on, no motion blur, close enough that the cut and the word are unmistakable. If one frame cannot hold all three, take a small set: (a) the cut cord, (b) the “RECALLED” marking, (c) the serial label.

Step 06 · Upload to the portal

Attach the photo to your claim

Return to your claim at mideaurecall.expertinquiry.com and upload the photo(s) as JPG or PNG against the serial number you registered in Step 00. Submit. Save the confirmation/reference number and keep your own copy of the photos until the refund actually lands.

Step 07 · Dispose locally

Get rid of the carcass properly

Once the photo is submitted, dispose of the dead unit per your local waste rules. A window AC contains refrigerant, so most areas require appliance/e-waste handling or a scrap-metal / recycling drop rather than the curb. You do not mail this unit anywhere — that is the entire point of choosing this path over the return option.

The Photo Must Show

The power cord cut clean through — visibly severed, not just unplugged.
The word “RECALLED” written on the unit’s body.
Ideally the model + serial label in the same frame (or a second photo of it).
Sharp focus and enough light that every one of the above is legible.

Do Not

Cut a plugged-in cord. Unplug first, every time.
Plan to keep using it. Cord-cut certifies the unit is out of service — there is no “cut and still run it.”
Cut before you register the serial. Confirm eligibility and open the claim first.
Toss it in the regular trash if local rules require appliance/refrigerant handling.

What you get paid: the refund is full or prorated, calculated by Midea from your purchase date or the unit’s date of manufacture against the serial number on the claim. There is no single flat public dollar figure for the cord-cut path — the photo proves the unit is destroyed; the amount is computed from the claim. If you want the exact number for a specific unit before committing, call the hotline at 888-345-0256 (8am–5pm ET, Mon–Fri) or email midea4028@midea.com with the serial in hand.

Your 3 Units

Practical handling for three recalled ACs

If all three units are recalled, treat them as three separate serial-number claims. Do the verification for each unit, then choose repair or refund per unit. That is the safest working assumption unless the recall site tells you otherwise during claim entry.

Read the model label

Find the model and serial number on the front right side of each unit.

Verify each unit

Use the recall site to check whether each serial number is eligible.

Pick your remedy

Choose repair if you want to keep it, or refund if you want it out of service.

Do not re-use the cord-cut unit

The cord-cut/photo route is for removal from service, not for continued use.

Save the receipt and confirmation

Keep the recall confirmation for your records until the claim is closed.

Replace with something else

If you are building a wall mount, plan on replacing the unit rather than rebuilding around a recalled one.

Best Use

What this means for your build

A recalled Midea U/U+ unit should not be treated as a permanent wall appliance. If you are building around a trailer or container, design the wall opening for a future compliant replacement, not for a recalled unit you intend to keep using.

If you want the exact refund amount for each of your three units, the recall site has to compute it from each serial number and claim details. The public language does not give one dollar figure for all cord-cut claims.

Sources

Official References

CPSC official recall notice — ~1.7 million U/U+ units, mold-exposure risk.
Midea U/U+ recall claim portal — register the serial, pick a remedy, upload the cord-cut photo. Hotline 888-345-0256 (8am–5pm ET, Mon–Fri); email midea4028@midea.com.
AP recall coverage
The Verge recall explainer

The DIY Set

Building Around Your AC?

This recall guide is the companion to the two CargoSolar build plans. Sort the AC out first, then frame the wall opening for a compliant replacement — not for a recalled unit.

DIY Trailer · $4.5K

Lightweight 6x12 wood-frame camper on a stripped trailer frame — door, window AC, wet bath, kitchen, and bed, under budget.

DIY Conex · $31K

A 40-foot high-cube container turned into a real small home: bedroom, wet bath, kitchen, and a living zone.

Midea Recall

You are here — refund rules, affected brands, cord-cut proof, and the recall hotline.