A cordless vacuum battery is a fire risk when it is extremely hot to the touch, bulging, hissing, giving off a strange smell or smoking. Mild warmth after a run is normal. Any of those five signs means the vacuum should not be charged or used again. The failures are not theoretical: one CPSC warning on two stick vacuum models logged 23 reports of ignition, melting, smoking or overheating, and at least 10 of them were fires.

The check takes a few minutes. Smoke is the exception to everything below. By the time a pack smokes, a fire may already have started, and the response is to leave the room and call 9-1-1, not to inspect it.

What to have in hand

  • The vacuum's model number

    On some models it sits on a sticker behind the dirt tank. BISSELL's is a black bar sticker found after the tank is removed.

  • The battery's model number and date code

    Rowenta's recall turns on both: battery ZR0097U2 with a date code beginning '23' or '24'.

  • The CPSC vacuum recall page and its warnings page

    Recalls and warnings are listed separately. A warning means the firm would not agree to a recall.

  • Heavy gloves or tongs

    New York's guidance recommends them for moving a hot or damaged device.

The check, in order

The five signs come from New York State's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, which applies the same list to vacuums, e-bikes and phones. Its position on heat is blunt: a battery that is "extremely hot to touch" is "likely defective."

  • Look for smoke.

    If there is any, leave the area and call 9-1-1. Skip every other step.

  • Feel the pack after use or charging.

    Warm is fine. Too hot to hold means it fails the check.

  • Look along the casing for bulges, lumps or leakage.

    A pack that no longer seats flush in the handle is deformed.

  • Listen for hissing, cracking or popping.

    These are the sounds of a failing cell, not a busy motor.

  • Smell the battery itself.

    A strong or unfamiliar chemical odor fails the check. A burning odor appeared in 17 BISSELL Multi Reach reports, 6 of which ended in fire.

  • If any check failed, switch the vacuum off.

    The device should be silent.

  • Unplug the charger.

    The pack should no longer be connected to power.

  • Move the vacuum away from anything flammable.

    Use gloves or tongs if it is hot.

  • Search the model number on the CPSC recall and warning pages.

    Do this even if every check passed.

That last step catches defects that give no warning. As of this month, the CPSC vacuum cleaner recall page lists one active cordless recall, from Rowenta on July 2, 2026. It covers the X-Force Flex 14.60 Animal (RH99A2U1), the X-Force Flex 15.60 Animal (RH99F2U1) and the separately sold ZR0097U2 battery. Owners should stop using the vacuum, remove the battery and register with a photo of the model and date code to get a free replacement. Rowenta's line is 800-769-3682. The separate CPSC warning on INSE S6P Pro and S6T vacuums offers no remedy at all. The firm did not agree to one, so the whole vacuum is to be discarded. Warnings about third-party replacement packs appear on the same warnings list and are worth checking for anyone running a non-original battery. Our sources do not confirm their current details.

The strongest objection is that the numbers are small. Rowenta's recall covers about 3,660 units, with 67 reports worldwide and no injuries, and most owners will never see a hot pack. That is true. But BISSELL's Multi Reach recall covered about 150,000 vacuums and produced two burn injuries. INSE's buyers were left with nothing to claim. Low odds do not help when the failure happens in a hallway at night.

When the answer is unclear

It is not on New York's list. However, Rowenta's reports combined overheating with charging failure. If a shutoff comes with heat, treat it as heat. If it does not, it is more likely an ordinary worn pack.

No. The CPSC says the INSE vacuums should go through local hazardous waste disposal, not household trash or battery drop-off boxes. BISSELL gives the same instruction for its recalled packs. BISSELL also has owners of its intact recalled units run the battery down for about 20 minutes before removing it. That procedure is for an undamaged pack, not one that is swelling or smoking.

Use the charger that came with the vacuum. Consumer Reports advises storing the pack "in a cool, dry place, away from heat and direct sunlight." Keeping it away from doorways means a failure cannot block the way out.

Report it at SaferProducts.gov, or call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.

This is not a verdict on any brand, and the list of affected models can change the day the CPSC posts a new notice. A vacuum that passes all five checks today can still be named in a recall next month. Bookmarking the CPSC page protects more than any amount of sniffing the handle.