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Fuel
Safety Tips for Natural Gas
Fuel
Safety Tips for Propane Gas
Tanks
Furnaces
Heating A/C Components
Furnances
Rheem Electric
Furnances
Furnaces,
Vents, Pipes
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CPSC, Manufacturers Announce Recall Program to Replace Vent
Pipes on Home Heating Systems
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a landmark action, virtually the entire
furnace and boiler industry together with the manufacturers of
high-temperature plastic vent (HTPV) pipes have joined with the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to announce a recall
program. This program will replace, free of charge, an estimated
250,000 HTPV pipe systems attached to gas or propane furnaces
or boilers in consumers' homes. The HTPV pipes could crack or
separate at the joints and leak carbon monoxide (CO), presenting
a deadly threat to consumers.
CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced by incomplete burning
of carbon-based fuel, including natural gas and propane. The initial
symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu, and may include
dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing.
High-level exposure to CO can cause death.
To determine whether they have HTPV pipe systems that are subject
to this program, consumers should first check the vent pipes attached
to their natural gas or propane furnaces or boilers. Vent pipes
subject to this recall program can be identified as follows: the
vent pipes are plastic; the vent pipes are colored gray or black;
and the vent pipes have the names "Plexvent ," "Plexvent II" or
"Ultravent " stamped on the vent pipe or printed on stickers placed
on pieces used to connect the vent pipes together. Consumers should
now check the location of these vent pipes. For furnaces, only
HTPV systems that have vent pipes that go through the sidewalls
of structures (horizontal systems) are subject to this program.
For boilers, all HTPV systems are subject to this program. Other
plastic vent pipes, such as white PVC or CPVC, are not involved
in this program.
After checking the vent pipes, consumers should call the special
toll-free number (800) 758-3688, available between 7 a.m. and
11 p.m. EST seven days a week, to verify that their HTPV pipe
systems are subject to this recall program. Consumers with eligible
systems will receive new, professionally installed venting systems
free of charge. Additionally, consumers who already have replaced
their HTPV pipe systems may be eligible for reimbursement for
some or all of the replacement costs.
The program came about as a result of mediation among 27 participants
manufacturers of HTPV pipes and manufacturers of natural gas or
propane-fired boilers and mid-efficiency furnaces. This is the
first time that CPSC has used a mediator to bring together all
segments of an industry to implement a program for the benefit
of consumers.
All consumers should have their fuel-burning appliances inspected
each year to check for cracks or separations in the vents that
could allow CO to leak into the home. In addition, CPSC recommends
that every home should have at least one CO detector that meets
the requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories
2034 standard or International Approval Services 6-96 standard.
The following lists the manufacturers participating in this program.
Participants
Armstrong Air Conditioning Inc.
Bard Manufacturing Co.
Burnham Corp.
Consolidated Industries
Crown Boiler Co.
The Ducane Co. Inc.
Dunkirk Radiator Corp.
Evcon Industries Inc.
Hart & Cooley Inc.
Heat Controller Inc.
International Comfort Prod. Corp.(USA)
Lennox Industries Inc.
Nordyne Inc.
Peerless Heater Co.
Pennco Inc.
Plexco Inc.
Raypak Inc.
Rheem Manufacturing Co.
Slant/Fin Corp.
Thermo Products Inc.
The Trane Co.
Trianco-Heatmaker Inc.
Utica Boilers Inc.
Vaillant Corp.
Weil-McLain
Westcast Inc.
York International Corp.
The U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission protects the public from the unreasonable
risk of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products
under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product
or a product-related injury and for information on CPSC's fax-on-demand
service, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter
at (800) 638-8270. To order a press release through fax-on-demand,
call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and enter
the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall
information via Internet gopher services at cpsc.gov or report
product hazards to info@cpsc.gov.
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