As the saying goes, the kitchen is the heart of the house. In accordance with this, homeowners throughout the Pittsburgh area choose to spend their time and money updating their kitchens to reflect the latest trends regarding comfort, convenience and style.

For many people seeking to update their kitchens, and who can afford it, the inclusion of a Viking Range as well as other Viking appliances is a must. Hopefully those people are aware of a recent recall involving a defective Viking dishwasher.

The reason cited for the recall of the Viking 24" Professional, Designer and Custom Panel dishwasher, was a fire hazard that is due to a defective electrical system. Reportedly an electrical component in the appliance can overheat causing a fire to start.

A relatively small amount of the appliance-2000-have been recalled. The dishwashers, which were available in 28 different finishes, were sold between June 2010 and March 2012 throughout the United States.

Thus far, the dishwasher's manufacturer has been made aware of 21 incidents of the appliance catching fire. Though property damage has resulted on five occasions, thankfully as of yet, no one has been injured.

Clearly, no one who has spent the money on a luxury appliance such as the ones being recalled is interested in having their home go up in flames. Anyone who currently has one of these dishwashers in their kitchen should contact the manufacturer to determine how to proceed. Taking that action now could prevent property damage or, worse, physical harm, in the future.

Source: The Washington Post, "Product recall: dishwashers," Associated Press, April 10, 2012