Fire and burn hazards prompt recall of 665,000 Perfect Flame gas grills sold at Lowe's

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission yesterday announced the recall of about 665,000 Perfect Flame gas grills, which were made in China and sold exclusively at Lowe's stores nationwide from September 2005 through May 2009 and in Canada from December 2007 through May 2009.

According to the CPSC, the grills pose fire and burn hazards—burners on the grill can deteriorate and the lids of some models can catch fire. As of the recall date, Perfect Flame had received about 40 reports of fires from the burners deteriorating and about 23 reports of the lids catching fire.

Recalled models include the SLG2006B, SLG2006BN, SLG2006C, SLG2006CN, SLG2007A, SLG2007B, SLG2007BN, SLG2007D, SLG2007DN, and SLG2008A (shown).

Get more details on the Perfect Flame recall and some of the background surrounding it by reading "Fires and Burns Prompt Recall of 665,000 Perfect Flame Grills Sold at Lowe's" on our Safety blog. | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you're planning to grill your turkey for your Thanksgiving and holiday meals, follow our advice for safe grilling. And if you're in the market for a new gas grill, check out our free buyer's guide to gas grills.

Latest news on Chinese drywall

"This is a complicated problem, and we have several studies and other activities underway to help bring the best possible science to bear. The first sets of data released today start to explain differences between Chinese and non-Chinese drywall, but more remains to be learned. We are sharing what we know at this point and are outlining the next steps as we continue to work to answer homeowners' questions about what is causing the effects reported and observed."
 
That's how the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in a press statement released yesterday in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, described its ongoing investigation into Chinese drywall.
 
On its Drywall Information Center, the CPSC says it has received almost 1,900 reports from people in 30 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., "who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of certain metal components in their homes are related to the presence of drywall produced in China." (In the photo, the small gray section directly under the thumb is drywall removed from a home.)
 
Read more about yesterday's news in this post on the Consumer Reports Safety blog and sign up for Chinese-drywall alerts from the CPSC. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook
 
 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ventures into social media

If you've seen the Verizon Wireless ad in which a son pleads with his father to "cool it with the Twitter updates," you realize that at least on the high-tech front, there's not much of a generation gap between today's kids and their parents.

So it makes sense that the stodgy federal government has entered the world of social media. The latest agency to try out Web 2.0 is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is now using YouTube (CPSC Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum is shown), Twitter, and FlickR as ways to raise awareness of safety issues and recalls.

The agency has relied on its Web site, OnSafety blog, and e-mail alerts to spread the word, and ran the "Drive to 1 Million" campaign more than two years ago. Now the CPSC will publish its recall notices, videos, podcasts, and more on the aforementioned social networks. The push began yesterday with a campaign aimed at preventing furniture tip-overs.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: To stay on top of product recalls and other safety-related topics, read the Consumer Reports Safety blog.

CPSC announces recall of Black & Decker GH1000 Grasshog corded electric string trimmers/edgers—again

More than two years ago we reported on the recall of about 202,000 Black & Decker GH1000 Grasshog corded electric string trimmers/edgers. The spool, spool cap, and pieces of trimmer string on the affected machines could come loose during normal use and become a laceration hazard; the GH1000 could also overheat, posing a burn risk, according to the recall notice.

As of the original July 20, 2007, recall date, Towson, Maryland-based Black & Decker had received reports of 707 incidents, with 58 serious injuries that included two people receiving cuts on their legs requiring medical attention. Among the minor injuries, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, were bruises, lacerations, and facial injuries; the manufacturer also received reports of property damage, including two broken windows.

Yesterday, the CPSC reannounced the recall of the same  Grasshogs. Check out "After More Injuries, Black & Decker Again Recalls String Trimmer," on the Consumer Reports Safety blog, for more details on why the CPSC had to reissue the recall of these corded electric string trimmers/edgers. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you’re in the market for a new string trimmer, read our free buying advice and our report on this yard tool, which includes ratings of three dozen gas and electric models (available to subscribers). To stay on top of the latest recalls, see “CPSC Steps Out With Million-Consumer March” and visit the Consumer Reports Safety blog for in-depth news on important product-safety issues.

CPSC announces recall of 113,000 Fiesta Blue Ember gas grills

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada yesterday announced the recall of about 113,000 Fiesta Gas Grills' Blue Ember gas grills. The hose on the gas tank can get to close to the grill's firebox, which poses a fire hazard.

In the U.S., the recall involves models FG50045, FG50057, and FG50069; in Canada, models C1072-30744 and C1072-30754 are part of the recall. Read the recall notice on the CPSC site for the specific serial numbers being recalled.

If you own an affected grill, stop using it immediately and contact Fiesta to obtain a free replacement grease-pan assembly and instructions for installing the pan and the gas tank. For more information, call 866-740-7849 (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday) or send an e-mail to mnorman@fiestagasgrills.com.

Read "After Reported Injuries, Fiesta Again Recalls Blue Ember Grills" on the Consumer Reports Safety blog for all the details on this recall, and follow this advice for safe grilling. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you're in the market for a new outdoor cooker, read our June 2009 report on gas grills (story and ratings available to subscribers) and check out our free buyer's guide to grills.

Latest news on Chinese drywall: Problem spreads nationwide, fire concerns arise

Investigations into problems associated with drywall made in China are continuing and, according to this new post on the Consumer Reports Safety blog, "two fires are being investigated by the [U.S.] Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Florida State Fire Marshal's Office to see if toxic drywall contributed to the blazes."

As we reported earlier this year, problems related to Chinese drywall have spread beyond the Sunshine State, and those issues are not limited to damage to electrical components.

Indeed, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that it has received more than 600 reports from people in 21 states and the District of Columbia who feel the health problems they have or the damage to metal components in their homes are related to drywall made in China. (The map shows affected states.)

Check out the CPSC's Drywall Information Center for the latest news on Chinese Drywall and visit the Consumer Reports Safety blog for more expert safety advice. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Visit the recently updated Kitchen-Planning Guide when you're remodeling your kitchen.

With Perfect Flame SLG2006 and SLG2007 grills, be wary of fire and burn hazards

If you own a Perfect Flame SLG2006 or SLG2007 gas grill (shown), be especially cautious whenever you use the grill. What appeared to be limited fire and burn hazards with some models might be much wider than anyone realized, according to this recent item from the Consumer Reports Safety blog.

Last August, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of the Perfect Flame GAC3615 due to fire and burn hazards. The cooking chamber of those grills can "melt or ignite” according to the recall notice.

But our readers are telling us that’s not the only volatile model. In fact, after our August 13, 2008, "Does the Perfect Flame Grill Recall Go Far Enough?" blog post suggested that the recall was too narrow, we received more than 100 responses from readers whose Perfect Flame SLG2006 or SLG2007 melted or caught on fire.

The number of complaints and severity of the incidents are very concerning to our safety experts, who are collecting additional information they hope will be used to address the hazards with these Perfect Flame grills.

Read the rest of the story on the Consumer Reports Safety blog, which includes precautions to take before using a Perfect Flame SLG2006 or SLG2007 grill. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you're in the market for a new outdoor cooker, read our latest report on gas grills (story and ratings available to subscribers) and check out our free buying advice.

CPSC announces recall of ABTCo., Veranda, and WeatherBest composite decking and railings

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced the recall of 48 million linear feet of ABTCo., Veranda, and WeatherBest composite decking and railings. The materials, made by Nashville-based Louisiana-Pacific, can prematurely deteriorate and break (see photo), posing a serious risk to anyone on a deck made of the recalled decking and railings.

To date, Louisiana-Pacific has received reports that 37 decks have broken, causing 14 injuries that include a broken wrist, a sprained ankle, and minor lacerations and bruises.

The recalled products were sold at the Home Depot and building-product dealers nationwide from January 2005 to August 2008. Colors include Tuscan Walnut/Chestnut, Driftwood Grey/Greystone, Pacific Cedar, and Western Redwood. Veranda is made by several companies; only Louisiana-Pacific-made Veranda has been recalled.

If you own a deck made of the recalled materials, contact the manufacturer for a free inspection; call 888-325-1184 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. If your decking has prematurely deteriorated, Louisiana-Pacific will arrange for free replacement. (To determine whether your decking is subject to the recall, look for tags or stamps at the end of boards. Your invoice can also help the manufacturer's customer-service reps identify the product you own.)

For more details on the recall, go to the CPSC's recall page or the manufacturer's Web site. e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Veranda was one of the materials covered in our last report on decking. Read the story for more information on choosing a decking product and advice on deck-construction safety.

CPSC shouldn't end recall of high-temperature plastic vent-pipe systems, says Consumer Reports Safety blog

A program to replace an estimated 250,000 Plexvent and Ultravent high-temperature plastic vent (HTPV) pipe systems attached to residential furnaces or boilers (shown) is ending May 1, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The HTPV pipes were recalled in February 1998 after it was found they could crack or separate at the joints and leak deadly carbon-monoxide gas.

The CPSC's announcement this week was unusual because most recalls don’t have an expiration date and, says the Consumer Reports Safety blog, they shouldn’t. Read the rest of the story about this recall program.

After March 10 recall of 1.6 million refrigerators, Maytag deals with overwhelming number of consumer calls

On March 10, we covered the recall of 1.6 million refrigerators made by Maytag due to a fire hazard. We've since received comments from readers of our original post complaining about their inability to reach Maytag about the recall and arrange for a free repair, an issue the company is trying to address:

"Due to significantly higher-than-expected call volumes, we experienced system outages on March 10 and March 11," said Jill Saletta, director of external communications for Whirlpool Corporation, which owns Maytag. "This reduced the ability for customers to self-schedule our interactive voice response and Web tools. The Maytag recall team has been responding to the outages by increasing system capacity and adding live call agents. We sincerely regret any inconvenience these issues may have caused consumers. Consumers can contact the recall hotline again today at 866-533-9817 or visit the Web site."

If you continue to have problems regarding this matter, please let us know by posting a comment below.