Allaire Conte
Like a lot of New Yorkers, I’ve always depended on a humble window AC unit to survive summer’s swampy grip. For nearly a decade, my old Frigidaire did its best: It was dented from three moves, louder than a subway train, and shook my whole building every time the compressor kicked in. Every June, I begged it to hang on for just one more season. For ten years, it did.
This spring, I decided enough was enough. It was time to get a grown-up air conditioner that wouldn’t wake me (and all my neighbors) up every time it hummed to life. So I did what any Brooklynite who works in media does: I read every “best air conditioners” list I could find. One name kept finding its way to the top: the Midea U-Shaped Window AC.
This unit isn’t like other window AC units. It’s stylish, near-silent, and cleverly designed so you can still open your window without risking a tragic 60-pound steel box plummeting to the sidewalk. Review after review called it the quietest, most efficient window unit you could buy. It seemed like an obvious choice.
And it was, until a recall notice told me that my dream appliance was a potential mold factory.
Love at first chill
I installed the unit in early May, after watching a playlist’s worth of YouTube tutorials and reading about a dozen Reddit threads. They all warned me that a botched job could lead to standing water and mold.
I double-checked my level a half-dozen times, sure that if I got the angle right, I’d never have to think about it again. After all, this was the top-rated window unit according to every tech blog and home guide I trusted—surely the only real threat was user error.
Once it was securely fitted in my living room window, I pressed the power button and waited for the familiar roar. Instead, silence. For 10 minutes, I was convinced we’d received a broken unit because it was so quiet, too quiet. Then, the first wave of crisp, chilled air drifted across the room.
Our apartment felt like a crisp spring morning: Cool and blissfully silent. It felt worth every penny.
(Allaire Conte )
The email that ruined everything
But then, on June 5, I received an email from the Amazon Product Safety Team. My brand-new, whisper-quiet Midea U-Shaped AC was part of a massive recall affecting more than 1.7 million units in the U.S. and 45,900 units in Canada.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, certain Midea U models can fail to drain condensation properly. Unlike traditional boxy window units, the U-shape design relies on a specific tilt and an internal drain system.
But for some units, water can pool inside instead of draining out the back. Over time, that trapped moisture turns the inside into a damp, dark environment where mold can easily grow on parts like the fan blades.
The recall covers multiple models sold between March 2020 and May 2025. Midea’s official advice: Stop using the unit until it’s repaired or refunded, to prevent potential mold exposure.
The danger of mold in your AC unit
Mold isn’t just a Midea problem. Any window air conditioner can become a breeding ground if moisture builds up and parts stay damp and dark. It’s basic science: Warm air hits cold coils, condensation forms, and if water doesn’t drain properly, mold spores have everything they need to spread.
The trouble is, mold often hides where most of us never think to look. Opening the front and swapping out the filter won’t catch what might be lurking deep on the fan blades or in the drip pan.
This is an especially pressing concern for the more than 26 million Americans, myself included, who live with asthma or seasonal allergies. Breathing in mold spores can irritate the lungs and trigger a chain reaction: Airways tighten, extra mucus builds up, and inflammation sets in. That combination can lead to coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or feeling like you just can’t catch your breath, according to the American Lung Foundation.
Even if you’re not in an at-risk population, a moldy AC can trigger asthma, allergies, and other breathing problems, especially for kids, older adults, or anyone with a weaker immune system. If you notice musty odors, see mold, or feel your allergies acting up, it’s time to inspect, clean, or replace your unit.
Midea has acknowledged at least 152 reports of mold so far and 17 cases where people reported getting sick from it, with symptoms ranging from respiratory infections to coughing, sneezing, or sore throats.
Regular cleaning can help keep mildew at bay, but once mold is growing deep inside, most experts say there’s no easy DIY fix. You’ll need either a professional cleaning or a new unit altogether.
The two stages of grief: Refund or repair
For affected units, Midea is offering two options: a refund (prorated, sent as a prepaid Mastercard) or a free repair, with either a DIY kit or a technician visit.
On paper, it sounds fair; in practice, it’s an awkward fix for an appliance you absolutely need when the forecast says temperatures will top 100 degrees in Brooklyn next week.
Because both my fiancée and I have asthma, the refund initially seemed like the safer route. But then we read the fine print: To claim it, you have to box up your 60-pound AC (including finding a big-enough box, bubble wrap, and shipping center) to send to Midea, or you have to physically cut the power cord and send a picture to Midea as proof it is inoperable, forever disabling an appliance you just spent over $400 on.
Neither option made sense. Hauling it was unrealistic without a car; destroying it felt wrong and wasteful, especially in the middle of an expensive summer. So we landed on the DIY repair kit, which includes a plastic drain plug and a tiny bubble level that should solve the design flaw and help the unit drain properly.
While we wait for the kit to arrive, we’re using our unit sparingly.
What to do if you own one
If you have a Midea U-Shaped Window AC, don’t panic. But do check if it’s affected by the recall right away. Here’s what to do:
- Step 1: Go to the official Midea recall site, and enter your model and serial numbers to see if your unit is included. Both numbers are printed on stickers on the right side of the unit.
- Step 2: Even if your unit seems fine, do a quick mold inspection. Midea’s instructions walk you through this: Unplug the unit, open the front louver, remove the filter, and use a flashlight to look at the fan blades and drip pan. If you spot gray or black splotches (or smell that unmistakable musty odor), that’s mold.
- Step 3: Decide whether you want a refund or a repair. If you choose a repair, Midea will either send you a free DIY kit or schedule a technician visit to modify the drainage. If you’d rather be done with it, you can request a partial refund.
If you do disable your unit, dispose of it according to your city’s e-waste guidelines. Air conditioners contain refrigerants that can harm the climate if released, so they must be handled by certified disposal programs. Most cities have drop-off sites.