"Trane" and "American Standard" brand accessory electric heaters
CPSC Recall #04-122 — April 19, 2004
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 04-122 |
| Recall Date | April 19, 2004 |
| Remedy Type | Inspect, Repair |
| Units Affected | About 37,000 |
| Manufacturer | American Standard Companies, of Piscataway, N.J. |
| Importer | American Standard Companies, of Piscataway, N.J. |
| Manufactured In | United States |
Where It Was Sold
| Independent Trane or American Standard dealers nationwide for about $140. |
Product
"Trane" and "American Standard" brand accessory electric heaters
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), American Standard Companies, of Piscataway, N.J., is voluntarily recalling "Trane" and "American Standard" brand accessory electric heaters. Overheating of the wiring in the accessory heater can lead to wall thermostat fires.Name of product: "Trane" and "American Standard" brand accessory electric heatersUnits: About 37,000Manufacturer/Importer: American Standard Companies, of Piscataway, N.J.Hazard: Overheating of the wiring in the accessory heater can lead to wall thermostat fires.Incidents/Injuries: There have been four reports of thermostat fires. Two of the fires resulted in several thousand dollars in property damage. No injuries have been reported.Description: The 240-volt accessory heaters are used to provide supplemental heat in the heat pump or electric heating system. The accessory heater - model number BAYHTR1415BRKAC manufactured between April 14, 2003 and February 6, 2004 - is located inside the air handler cabinet usually found in the basement, attic, equipment closet or crawlspace of a consumer's home. The horizontally or vertically installed air handler is a painted metal cabinet with the Trane or American Standard name plate on its front. Air handler model numbers are found on the outside of the air handler door. Consumers with one of the recalled units are being directly contacted by the independent dealer that installed it. If you had a Trane or American Standard heat pump or electric heating system installed between April 2003 and February 2004, and have not yet been contacted by your installer, write down your air handler model number and call your installer to see whether your air handler could contain a recalled heater. You may also visit the firm's website to see whether your air handler could contain one of the recalled heaters and, if so, call your installer. To avoid electric shock, do not open the air handler door. Only a professional installer should open the air handler door to determine if you have a recalled accessory heater.Sold at: Independent Trane or American Standard dealers nationwide for about $140.Manufactured in: U.S.A.Remedy: Consumers who have not yet been contacted by independent dealers should immediately contact their installer to determine if they have a recalled unit. Consumers may arrange for a free inspection and repair through their installer.Consumer Contact: Consumers should contact their local Trane or American Standard installer, or visit www.trane.com or www.americanstandardair.com for the name of an installer near them. Consumers can call the firm toll-free at (888) 556-0125 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.
Hazard
Overheating of the wiring in the accessory heater can lead to wall thermostat fires.
Incidents & Injuries
There have been four reports of thermostat fires. Two of the fires resulted in several thousand dollars in property damage. No injuries have been reported.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers who have not yet been contacted by independent dealers should immediately contact their installer to determine if they have a recalled unit. Consumers may arrange for a free inspection and repair through their installer.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Inspect, Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Inspect, Repair) at no cost to you.
If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.