Contents:

1. Baseboard Heaters - Electric

2. Cook Tops - Gas

3. Dishwashers

4. Hardboard Composite Siding - Class Action

5. Polybutylene (PB) Plumbing - Class Action

6. Electrical:  Circuit Breakers, Meter Boxes, Surge Arresters

7. Fireplaces:  Decorative Gas, Dampers

8. Flue Vents (HTPV) for Gas Furnaces

9. Furnaces - Gas (Natural & LP)

10. Garage Door Openers

11. In-Wall Heaters - Gas & Electric

12. Microwave / Hood Combinations

13. Miscellaneous Products:  Shower Doors

14. Ranges - Gas & Electric

15. Water Heaters - Gas

CPSC = U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Find Recalled Products at CPSC   Articles by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on a large variety of products that have been found to be defective.

1. Baseboard Heaters - Electric

Berko Baseboard Heaters - pdf   (CPSC)  Announced in 1996 - 1.5 million baseboard heaters - wires inside the heaters may deteriorate - fire and shock hazard.

Square D & Nelco Baseboard Heaters - pdf   (CPSC)  Announced in 1996 - 920,000 baseboard heaters - a wire inside the heaters may deteriorate - fire and shock hazard.

2. Cook Tops - Gas

Tappan, O'Keefe & Merritt, Montgomery Ward Gas Cook Tops - pdf  (CPSC)  Announced in 1985 - 113,000 gas cook tops - gas valve can break away permitting gas to escape - fire hazard.

3.  Dishwashers

Maytag & Jenn-Air Dishwashers - 1997 to 2001 - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in Feb. 2007.  2.3 million dishwashers sold from 1997 to 2001 - rinse-aid dispenser can leak onto internal wiring, posing a fire hazard - 135 reported fires.

Whirlpool & Kenmore Dishwashers - 2004 - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2005.  162,000 dishwashers sold in 2004 and 2005 - motor wiring can overheat - fire hazard - three reports of overheated motors.

GE Dishwashers - 2004 - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2005.  74,300 dishwashers - a connector can short-circuit and overheat - fire hazard.  29 reports of overheated connectors - one fire reported.

GE, Hotpoint Dishwashers - pdf  (CPSC)  Announced in 2000 - 3.1 million dishwashers - a slide switch can melt and ignite - fire hazard. Also, see GE web page on their recall program:  Dishwasher Recall - GE Appliances

Whirlpool, Kenmore Dishwashers - pdf  (CPSC)  Announced in 1996 - 500,000 dishwashers - wiring in door latch may overheat and catch fire.

Sears Kenmore Dishwashers - pdf  (CPSC)  Announced in 1993 - 400,000 dishwashers - dishwasher's timer may catch fire.

Maytag Dishwashers - pdf  (CPSC)  Announced in 1995 - 553,000 dishwashers - electrical component can overheat - fire hazard. 

Whirlpool Dishwashers - pdf  (CPSC)  Announced in 1988 - 75,000 dishwashers - pushbutton selector switch could catch fire.

4.  Hardboard Composite Siding - Class Action

Hardboard Composite Siding - Helpful Web Sites  A list of web sites from different manufactures of the siding that are involved in the class action law suit, describing the procedures for making a claim.  Also, there are web sites of different companies and organizations that will give assistance, usually for a fee, to help the consumer file a claim.

5.  Polybutylene (PB) Plumbing  - Class Action

Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center  PB pipe is a non-rigid, sometimes curved, usually gray (or possibly silver or black) plastic pipe used in water supply plumbing systems.  This product is involved in a $950 million class action suit due to leakage problems.

Brief Description of PB Plumbing Problem  Enclosed is a brief three page description of the Polybutylene Pipe (PB) water leakage class action law suit and how to identify the pipe.

6.  Electrical:  Circuit Breakers, Meter Boxes, Surge Arresters

AFCI Circuit Breakers Used in New Bedroom Circuits - Schneider Electric

GFCI Circuit Breakers Used with Hot Tubs - Siemens or Murray two Pole

Electric Meter Boxes with Arcing Problems - Square D Company

Surge Arrester used in Circuit Breaker Boards - Square D Company

7.  Fireplaces:  Decorative Gas, Dampers

Marco Decorative Gas Fireplace - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 1998, revised in 2002 - 22,000 gas decorative fireplaces - interior vent pipe separates - can start fire inside the wall - 22 fires involving these fireplaces. 

Fireplace Technologies LockTop Damper - pdf (CPSC)  Announced 1995 - 36,000 dampers - mounted on top of chimney - dampers might close if chimney fire occurs - can force smoke & carbon monoxide back into house.

8.  Flue Vents (HTPV) for Gas Furnaces

HTPV Vent Pipes - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 1998.  250,000 High Temperature Plastic Vent systems for natural gas or propane furnaces - joints can crack or separate  - carbon monoxide hazard.  Horizontal systems - named "Plexvent" or "Ultravent" - gray or black in color.

HTPV Vent Pipes on Goodman Furnaces - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 1998.  About 8,000 Goodman mid-efficiency gas furnaces have been vented with the HTPV pipe - joints can crack or separate  - carbon monoxide hazard.

9.  Furnaces - Gas & Electric

Coleman / Red T / Unitary / York Gas Furnace for Manufactured Homes - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2004.  226,000 gas furnaces, sold between 1995 and 2000 for manufactured homes- furnace can overheat, causing heat-exchanger cracking and burn-through - 27 reported fires.

ICP, International Comfort Products - Gas Pack - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2005.  28,700 gas pack units, sold between 2000 and 2003 - control board can ignite - three reports of property damage.

American Standard & Trane - Gas Pack - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2005.  18,200 gas pack units, sold in 2003 and 2004 - may have a crack in the gas valve body - fire/explosion hazard - 5 reports of cracked valves.

Rheem - Electric Furnace - pdf (CPSC) Announced in 1999.  135,000 Rheem electric furnaces and air handlers, sold between 1992 and 1995 - heating elements can disintegrate - fire hazard - 16 reported fires, one major fire.

10.  Garage Door Openers

Non-Reversing Openers - pdf (CPSC)  Safety alert.  Approximately 4 children are killed each year, and others suffer brain damage or serious injuries, when a garage door fails to stop and reverse its direction upon contact.

Stanley, Power Lift, Fimbel, EZ Lift - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 1991, revised in 2002.  5,000 units with defective circuit boards - door may close without warning & the reversal safety feature is inoperable - entrapment hazard.

11.  In-Wall Heaters - Electric

Cadet & Encore Electric Heaters - pdf (CPSC) 

Cadet & Encore Electirc Heaters - Lawsuit Settlement - pdf (CPSC)

Announced in 2000, 2002, and revised 2004.  1.9 million in-wall electric heaters sold between 1978 to 2000 - can overheat and catch fire - the heater and the grill can become energized - 320 reports of problems - four deaths and two serious burn injuries.

Square D & Nelco Electric Heaters - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 1996.  80,000 heaters sold between 1970 and 1986 - fan can become jammed causing coils to overheat - fire hazard - 50 complaints with 14 claims of property damage.

12.  Microwave / Hood Combinations

Whirlpool, KitchenAid, & Kenmore Microwave-Hood - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2001.  1.8 million microwave-hood combinations sold between 1998 and 2001 - these units can overheat and catch fire - seven fires reported with extensive property damage.

13.  Miscellaneous Products

Kohler Shower Doors - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2001.  41,000 Kohler Helios and Sterling Freestyle shower door models sold between 1997 and 2001 - door hinges can fail, allowing doors to fall - cut & abrasion hazard.

14.  Ranges - Gas & Electric

GE, Hotpoint, Kenmore, & Americana - Electric Range & Wall Ovens - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2004.  28,300 electric ranges and wall ovens, manufatured by GE, sold in 2004 - faulty wiring can melt, causing oven to short circuit - shock hazard.

Crosley & Magic Chef Electric Ranges - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2001.  13,000 Crosley and Magic Chef Electric Ranges sold between 2000 and 2001 - indicator light can spark and flame - fire hazard - fifteen reports of flames.

GE 36" & 42" Gas Ranges - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2005.  6,600 GE Monogram 36" and 48" Professional Gas Ranges - electrical arcing between wiring and gas supply tubes - fire hazard - six incidents of fire in control area.

Maytag & Magic Chef Gas Ranges - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2001.  14,800 Maytag and Magic Chef Gas Ranges sold between 1999 and 2000 - vent flue insulation can be out of position, allowing burning or scorching of cabinets - fire hazard.

Amana-Maytag - Gas Range - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2001.  50,000 Amana gas ranges, sold in 2001 and 2002 - during broil and self-clean the oven can emitted high levels of carbon monoxide - CO hazard.

15.  Water Heaters - Gas

Control Valve for Gas Water Heaters - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2005.  178,000 gas water heater control valves manufactured by Robertshaw, and installed in American Proline, Bradford White, GE, GSW, Hotpoint, Jetglas, John Wood, Lochinvar, Premier Plus, Powerflex, Rheem, Richmond, Ruud, Vanguard, Whirlpool, and U.S. Craftmaster, sold in 2005 - possible gas leak from valve - explosion / fire hazard.

Temperature Control for Gas Water Heaters - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2004.  88,000 gas water heater temperature controls manufactured by White-Rodgers for AO Smith, Apollo, Crosley, Energysense, Freedom, Intertherm, Kenmore, Maytag, Mission, Myers, Penfield, President, Reliance, Sentry, or State, sold between 2002 and 2004 - control can open gradually causing soot to buildup on burner - fire hazard - 12 reports of soot, eight of these caused minor fire damage.

Burners  for Gas Water Heaters - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2001.  16,000 natural gas water heater burners manufactured by American, for American Proline, Envirotemp, Mor-Flo, Powerflex, Premier Plus, or US Craftmaster, sold in 2001 - burners can produce excess carbon monoxide - increased potential for CO hazard.

AO Smith - 30 & 40 gal. - Gas Water Heater - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 1991, revised in 2003.  29,000 AO Smith gas water heaters, sold in 1991 - flue baffles are oversized - increased potential for CO hazard.

Bradford White - 75 gal. - Power Vent Water Heater - pdf (CPSC)  Announced in 2002.  1,220 75-gallon water heaters, sold in 2002 - flue gas baffles may cause excessive carbon monoxide - increased potential for CO hazard.