The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with White-Rodgers
of St. Louis, Mo, announced a voluntary recall of programmable thermostats - about
180,000 in the United States and 8,300 in Canada. The programmable thermostats
constantly charge the backup AA batteries used to power the thermostat’s clock.
This can cause the batteries to leak, resulting in a fire hazard. White-Rodgers
is aware of three incidents involving minor property damage. No injuries have
been reported.
The
recalled thermostats were manufactured in China and distributed by more than 40
utility companies to consumers nationwide who took part in energy conservation
programs and by various HVAC wholesalers for about $150. These thermostats were
able to be controlled by power companies in homes that took part in
energy-demand-reduction programs.
This
recall involves all White-Rodgers programmable thermostats with model numbers
1F88-XXX and 1F85RF-275, and date codes beginning with 05, 06, 07, 08, 09 and
1001 through 1039. The model number is printed on the thermostat’s front
pull-down panel door. The date code is located inside the removable front
cover. White-Rodgers and/or the utility company’s name and logo are printed on
the front of the thermostat.
Consumers
should immediately remove the two AA batteries from the thermostat and contact
White-Rodgers for a free repair kit. If battery removal causes changes in
furnace operation, contact White-Rodgers. It is illegal to resell or attempt to
resell a recalled consumer product.
For
additional information, contact White-Rodgers toll-free at 888/624-1901 between
7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site atwww.regcen.com/Thermostat.
To
view pictures of the recalled models, go towww.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11096.html. The Health Canada release can
be viewedhere.
White-Rodgers Recalls Thermostats Due To Fire Hazard
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