WASHINGTON, D.C. – About 30,000 furnaces sold in California are being recalled because they pose a substantial fire risk, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC had issued a safety alert concerning these furnaces in September 2000. At the time of its recall notice, the CPSC had received 50 reports of fires that have been associated with these horizontal furnaces manufactured by Consolidated Industries Inc.
The company manufactured 140,000 of these gas-fired horizontal furnaces; about 110,000 of them were manufactured and distributed under the Premier/Consolidated labels and are not covered by this recall program.
The recalled units have steel “NOx” rods installed above the burners; the units are commonly called “NOx rod furnaces.” The furnaces were sold under the labels of Amana Company, L.P., of Amana, Iowa; Bard Manufacturing, of Bryan, Ohio; Carrier Corporation, of Syracuse, N.Y.; Goettl Air Conditioning Inc., of Phoenix, Ariz.; Goodman Manufacturing Company L.P., of Houston, Texas; Heat Controller Inc., of Jackson, Mich.; and The Trane Company, a division of American Standard Inc., of Tyler, Texas. The units were sold in California through home, hardware, and specialty stores and independent contractors from January 1983 through December 1992 for about $2,000.
Additional information, including the model numbers of the recalled furnaces, is available at the Web site www.furnaceinspect.com/. Consumers may also call the toll-free line (877) 347-6456 at anytime. The recall program offers free inspection and repair of the furnaces and offers the options of obtaining a free new furnace (not including installation costs). Information about private litigation involving Consolidated/Premier may be obtained by calling (408) 808-1410 or visiting the Web site at www.white-macdonald.com.