The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health
Canada, in cooperation with New Hudson, Mich.-based Flushmate, a division of
Sloan Valve Co., announced a voluntary recall of the Flushmate III pressure-assist
flushing system. The system can burst at or near the vessel weld seam, releasing
stored pressure. This pressure can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank,
posing impact or laceration hazards to consumers and property damage.
Flushmate has received 304 reports
of the product bursting, resulting in property damage and 14 impact or
laceration injuries.
About 2.3 million were sold in the
United States and 9,400 in Canada at
Home Depot and Lowe's stores, distributors and plumbing contractors nationwide,
and sold to toilet manufacturers including American Standard, Crane, Eljer,
Gerber, Kohler, Mansfield and St. Thomas.
This recall is for Series 503
Flushmate III pressure-assist flushing systems installed inside toilet tanks.
The recalled systems were manufactured from October 1997 to February 2008. The
units are rectangular, black, two-piece vessels made of injection-molded
plastic. The date code/serial number is 16 characters long and is located on
the label on the top of the Flushmate III. The first six numerals of the serial
number are the date code. The date code range for this recall begins with
101497 (October 14, 1997) and continues through 022908 (February 29, 2008).
Consumers should immediately turn
off the water supply to the recalled Flushmate III unit and stop using the
system. Consumers should contact the firm to determine if their Flushmate III
serial number is included in the recall and to request a free repair kit.
For more information, contact
Flushmate at 800/303-5123 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday,
or visit the firm's website atwww.flushmate.comandrecall.flushmate.com.
To see pictures of the recalled
products, go towww.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12201.htmlorcpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1633.
Source: Consumer Product
Safety Commission
