A Winnipeg man claims a pot he purchased at Costco caused $2,000 damage to his home after it melted on his stove. Now, he’s facing possible eviction from his Transcona apartment if he can’t cover the costs.
Kevin Power believes the company that made the pot should pay for the damage, but the manufacturer denies that they are responsible.
Back in March, Power was steaming broccoli in the pot when he noticed something wasn't right. “The inside of the pot, the layer of the pot that holds the copper bottom had melted,” he said. “So when I picked it up, all the liquid metal had poured out onto the floor.”
Power returned the pots to Costco, which gave him a refund and sent the pots back to Meyer, the manufacturer. After investigating the incident, Meyer sent Power a letter stating it wasn't responsible for the damages.
"Had there been liquid in the pot while it was heated, it is scientifically impossible for the aluminum to melt since the liquid in the pot will disburse the heat," the company said in a statement.
The cookware's use and care guide specifically states that empty pots and pans should never be left on a stove and to never allow the cookware to boil dry.
Power admits letting the water boil off, but still can't believe the pot would break apart and molten aluminum would burn his foot. "Why would they build a pot, in my mind, that would melt and create damages and personal injury?" he said.
To demonstrate, Power placed the copper bottom lined with aluminum that broke off on a burner set to high. It took just under six minutes for the aluminum to liquefy.
"Someone should say, ‘Hey, there's a problem here, this should not happen. We need to pull these we should accept responsibility,' and nobody is,” he said.
Power said his landlord's insurance has refused to pay for the damages. He's now submitting a claim to his own insurance company.
- with a report from Karen Rocznik
