CPSC Announces Recall of Propane Plaque Heaters

[hausdok]

On December 20th 2005, CPSC, along with CFM Corporation, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, recalled about 10,200 Legacy model propane infrared plaque heaters for a defect that constitutes a carbon monoxide poisoning hazard.

As of the time of the CPSC release, the manufacturer had notified all owners of these units and they were reported to have been returned to the manufacturer and no incidents or injuries had been reported. However, since it's possible that a few might have been missed in the recall, inspectors finding them should advise the homeowner to stop using the heater immediately and contact CFM to arrange for a refund of the purchase price or replacement of the product with an equivalent unit.

The heaters are propane infrared plaque space heaters sold after September 1, 2005 that were manufactured by Chant Kitchen Equipment, of Guandong, China. They are rectangular in shape with white casings and can be mounted on walls or stand on the floor. The name "Legacy" is centered on the front of each unit immediately below the grill.

The manufacturer reported that a non-specification gasket had been used around the heating plaques in these units that could allow carbon monoxide to leak into the area in which the heater is being used.

The units affected are model numbers: RMC-LI6LP, RMC-LI10LP, RMC-LI10LPT, RMC-LI18LP-F, RMC-LI18LPT-F, RMC-LI30LP-F and RMC-LI30LPT-F. The model number is located on the right side panel of the unit. All of the heaters were listed by the Canadian Standards Association and sold by hardware retailers and HVAC dealers in the U.S. from September 2005 through November 2005 for between $156 and $290.

For more information, contact CFM Corporation toll-free at (866) 333-4833 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.cfmcorp.com or contact the retailer from which the unit was purchased.

To view the original CPSC recall, including photos of the units involved, click here.