The system can burst at or near the vessel weld seam releasing stored pressure
of ConsumerAffairs
Flushmate of New Hudson, Mich., is recalling about 1.4 millionFlushmate II 501-B pressure-assisted flushing systems sold in the U.S. and Canada.
The system can burst at or near the vessel weld seam, releasing stored pressure. This pressure can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank, posing impact and laceration hazards to consumers and property damage.
The firm has received 1,446 reports in the U.S. and seven reports in Canada of the units included in this recall bursting, resulting in property damage, totaling about $710,000, including 23 injury reports with one requiring foot surgery.
This recall is for Flushmate II 501-B pressure-assisted flushing systems installed inside toilet tanks that were manufactured from September 3, 1996 through December 7, 2013.
The units are rounded oval, black, two-piece vessels made of injection molded plastic.
Recalled units have a date code/serial number that is 15 characters long and is located on the label on top of the Flushmate II 501-B unit. The first six numerals of the serial number are the date code.
The date code range for units included in this recall in MMDDYY format is 090396 (September 3, 1996) through 120713 (December 7, 2013). The model code is 10 characters long and is located on the same product label. The model code starts with M and ends with F.
Units included in this recall were sold individually and installed in toilets manufactured by American Standard, Corona, Crane, Kohler and Mansfield.
The flushing systems, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Home Depot and Lowes stores, toilet manufacturers, distributors and plumbing contractors nationwide and online at www.grainger.com, www.hdsupply.com, www.homedepot.com and other online retailers from September 1996, through December 2015, for about $108 for the units without toilets.
What to do
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Flushmate II 501-B systems, turn off the water supply to the unit and flush the toilet to release the internal pressure. Consumers should contact Flushmate to request a free Flushmate replacement unit and installation by a technician.
Consumers may contact Flushmate toll-free at (844) 621-7538 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday and between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (ET) Saturday, or online at www.flushmate.com and click on 501-B Recall in the blue box on the top of the page for more information.