ASI's  Air Conditioning Consumer Alerts and Warnings

ASI's HVAC Products

Air Conditioning Units

Gas Furnaces

Oil Furnaces

Electric Furnaces

Heat Pumps

Geo Thermal Heat Pumps

Thermostats

Water Heaters


ASI's HVAC Services

Air Conditioner Repairs

Furnace Repairs

Heat Pump Repairs

Maintenance Services

Heating Repair Services

Air Conditioning Installations

Heating Installations


Service Request Links

Request a Service Call

Request a Free Estimate

Request Maintenance

Air Conditioning Systems Consumer Safety Alerts, Manufacturer Recalls and other Warnings are Brought to You By Ameri-Serv, Inc.

Go to http://www.cpsc.gov to find more information from their searchable database: Just search for your brand name and model number to see if anything comes up. There is an endless amount of information available but we will post the most recent alerts on our website and try to hold onto those that effect homeowners most.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goodman Company Reannounces Recall of Air Conditioner/Heat Pump Units Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.

Name of Product: Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner/Heat Pump (PTACs) Units

Units: About 30,000; previously recalled in August 2008

Manufacturer: Goodman Company, LP, of Houston, Texas

Hazard: The power cords on the PTACs can overheat, posing a burn or fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Goodman has received eleven reports of smoke or fire associated with the PTAC’s power cords. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recall includes 5.0 kW Amana-brand, Comfort-Aire-brand and Century-brand Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner units with model numbers PTxxx3x50xx (Amana) and EKTxxx-150x (Comfort-Aire and Century) and serial numbers 0702112056 through 0804237539. The model and serial numbers are located on the control board plate found under the PTAC unit’s front cover.

Sold at: Goodman and heating and cooling equipment dealers nationwide from February 2007 through June 2008 for between $700 and $1,000.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should contact Goodman to receive a free replacement power cord. Commercial and institutional owners will be contacted directly and will install the power cord.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPSC, Goodman Company, L.P. Announce Recall of Amana, Trane, and American Standard Brand Package Terminal Air Conditioners/Heat Pumps

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below.

Name of product: Package Terminal Air Conditioner/Heat Pump (PTAC)

Units: About 875,000

Manufacturer: Goodman Company, L.P., of Houston, Texas

Hazard: Fire hazard resulting from this chain of events: filter becomes clogged due to lack of maintenance, severely restricting airflow and resulting in elevated internal temperature; this may cause two safety switches to stop working during the product's expected life; if the blower wheel then stops when the product is operated in the heating mode, a fire hazard can develop.

Incidents/Injuries: Goodman received 29 confirmed reports of units overheating, including eight instances where the PTAC ignited and, in some cases, caused minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: These PTACs are owned mainly by commercial and institutional organizations and are used in the lodging industry, apartments, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, schools, and government buildings. A small number of the recalled units are owned by individual homeowners. The PTACs are beige in color and are intended for through-the-wall installation. Goodman manufactured all of the recalled units, which were sold under the Amana, Trane, and American Standard brand names. Goodman and Trane/American Standard are separate, unrelated entities. The recalled PTACs consist of Amana brand units manufactured from January 1996 through March 2003, and Trane and American Standard brand units manufactured from January 1996 through August 2002, that use electric heaters rated at 3.5 kilowatts (kW) or greater.


The serial and model numbers are below the operating controls under the front cover assembly. To check the serial and model numbers, remove the front cover by pulling it from the bottom straight out until the clips release, then lifting it up. For some units, it is first necessary to remove two ¼" screws (in the filter compartment) that secure the front cover.

Sold to: Amana, Trane, and American Standard representatives sold the PTACs to hotels/motels, hospitals, assisted living facilities, schools, and apartment complexes. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning distributors and resellers sold the units to commercial customers and, in some cases, homeowners. The recalled units were sold throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada between January 1996 and March 2003.

Manufactured in: U.S.A.

Remedy: Free thermal safety limit switch. Commercial and institutional owners will install the replacement switch themselves. Individual homeowners can get a free repair. Contact the Goodman Hotline to receive the free replacement thermal safety switch. Inspect and clean the air conditioner/heat pump filters immediately to remove any imminent hazard. Continue to clean these filters every 30 days in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations which can be found at www.regcen.com/PTAC

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Air Conditioners Recalled

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 19) -- Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), today announced it is voluntarily recalling two models of room air conditioners produced between 1962 and 1964.

The company said engineering tests on several of the 14 to 16-year-old units had revealed the deterioration of a terminal board insulator which could cause an electrical short that might ignite adjacent combustible material.

Three fires last May involving these unit models in an apartment complex in Anaheim, Calif., were reported by the company to CPSC. There were no reported injuries related to those fires.

The product involved is a 6,000 BTU air conditioner sold under the Carrier "Weathermaker" brand name and identified by the mode1 number 51GA0661 or 51GB0661. The model number will be found on a metallic plate behind the unit's decorative front grille, which can be snapped out easily.

The units generally would be used to cool a single small room, such as a bedroom, and, in most instances, would be installed in a window. The units are about 16 1/2 inches high, 22 inches wide, 11 1/4 inches deep and weigh 100 pounds. They were sold throughout the continental U.S. during the years 1962-65 at a retail price of $185 to $210.

Carrier said the company had produced a total of 21,591 such units, that they are now well beyond their normally expected product life, and that age, moisture and heat contributed to the deterioration of the electrical terminal board. The company estimates that as many as 2,782 units or as few as 628, might still be in service.

Consumers having units as identified for the recall are urged to disconnect the air conditioner from the electrical outlet and to cease using it immediately. They should telephone their nearest Carrier room air conditioning dealer, as listed in the Yellow Pages Directory. Units will be repaired at no cost to the consumers.

Consumers who require additional information should write to Carrier Air Conditioning, Carrier Parkway, Syracuse, N.Y. 13221 or phone the company's Consumer Relations Department at 315/432-7651.

To verify brand names and model numbers, consumers may contact CPSC's toll-free Hotline at 800/638-2772.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPSC, Electrolux Home Products Announce Recall of Air Conditioning/Heating Units

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of product: Room Air Conditioning and Heating Units

Units: 5,800

Manufacturer/Importer: Electrolux Home Products Inc., of Cleveland, Ohio

Hazard: The heating coil in the units can be damaged during assembly, causing an electrical short and overheating, which poses a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Electrolux has received two reports of incidents, though there have been no injuries.

Description: The recalled air conditioning/heating units are installed "thru-the-wall" and include the Frigidaire FAH12EM21 model and Carrier models 52FED31201AA.. The model numbers can be found on a serial plate on the side of the unit. The beige AC/heating units are about 14" high, 24" wide, and 20" in depth.

Sold by: Independent dealer, builders, and remodelers between June 2003 and September 2003 for about $500.

Manufactured in: United States.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the units immediately and contact Electrolux for a free inspection and repair, if needed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SC, The Trane Company and American Standard Inc. Announce Recall of Home Heating and Air Conditioning Components

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Trane Company, of Tyler, Texas, a division of American Standard Inc., is voluntarily recalling 9,900 accessory electric heaters. These heaters are used to provide supplemental heat in heat pump or electric heating systems. Whether in the cooling, fan, heating or off mode, incorrectly routed wires can cause the accessory heater to continually cycle on and off. Excessive heat could catch nearby combustibles on fire.

Trane and American Standard are aware of four reports of heaters continually running. No property damage or injuries were reported.

These auxiliary electric heaters were sold as a component in various models of Trane and American Standard brand air handlers for heating and air conditioning systems. The air handler is the indoor component of the consumer's air conditioning or heating system. The air handler is a painted metal cabinet, which has the Trane or American Standard nameplate on its front. The nameplate provides a list of accessory electric heater model numbers that could be installed in that air handler. The model numbers for the recalled units are BAYHTR1419A and B.

The model numbers for air handlers that may contain the recalled heater units are:

Independent installers of Trane and American Standard equipment sold these accessory heaters nationwide from October 1997 through May 1999 for between $250 and $400.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPSC, Trane Company Announce Recall of Voyager Heating and Air Conditioning Systems

PRODUCT: Combination Gas Furnace and Electric Air Conditioning Units - The Trane Company, of Tyler, Texas, a division of American Standard Companies Inc., is voluntarily recalling 967 Voyager Series Combination Gas Furnace and Electric Air Conditioning Units, which are installed in schools and commercial applications. The Voyager series of light commercial rooftop air conditioners with electric cooling and gas-fired heat exchangers have 120,000 to 135,00 BTU heating capacity and three to five ton cooling capacity in horizontal and downflow configurations. The Voyager series has been manufactured by Trane since 1988 and is distributed under the Trane® and American Standard® brand names. The recalled units were manufactured between June 1, 2000 and August 16, 2000 and have serial numbers beginning with R21 though and including R33. The recalled products include the following model designations:

YCD036C1H_ _ _	YCD060CWH_ _ _
YCD048C1H_ _ _	YCH060C1H_ _ _
YCH048C1H_ _ _	YCH060C3H_ _ _
YCD060C1H_ _ _	YCH060C4H_ _ _
YCD060C1H_ _ _	YCD060C3H_ _ _
YCD060C4H_ _ _

A name plate bearing each unit's model and serial number is located on the outside sheet metal at the end of the unit where the propeller fan is visible on top, directly to the left of the exposed outdoor coils.

PROBLEM: One of the three internal flue gas tubes extending from the heat exchanger can separate from the heat exchanger. This could allow flue gases, including carbon monoxide, to enter the building airstream. This could result in serious injury or death to building occupants.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPSC, Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. Announce Recall to Repair Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners

Product: Packaged Terminal Air Conditioning (PTAC) units. The PTAC units are mainly used in hotels, schools and nursing homes.

Units: About 26,400 PTAC units and about 1,600 replacement heater assemblies used in repairs.

Manufacturer: Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., of San Antonio, Texas.

Hazard: The rotary dial switch on these units can be positioned between the high and low speed fan setting. This can cause the units to overheat and possibly catch fire.

Incidents/Injuries: Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. has received 60 reports of units overheating, including nine reports of fires resulting in property damage. One incident at a nursing home resulted in a resident suffering smoke inhalation.

Description: The recall includes all PTAC units in the P series with dates of manufacture between November 1, 2002 and December 31, 2003. The model and serial numbers are written on the nameplate, found behind the plastic front cover, directly below the control panel. Units with serial number LBLP00001 through LCMP9999 are included in the recall. Also included in the recall are "P Series" units that were serviced between June 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003, in which service included the field replacement of the heater assembly. The Friedrich "P Series" PTAC is a light beige color with the "FRIEDRICH" logo on the panel door.

Sold to: Commercial customers, such as property owners or construction and air conditioning contractors by Friedrich or its manufacturer's representatives directly. They also were sold through local, regional and national HVAC distributors primarily to commercial customers. These PTAC units were sold throughout the U.S. between November 2002 and December 2003 for about $500 to $600.

Manufactured in: U.S.A.

Remedy: Owners of these units should contact Friedrich Air Conditioning Co. for instructions on receiving a free repair. Until the repair is made, consumers should not use the PTACs in the heating mode.