The U. S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, along with Health Canada and White-Rodgers, has announced a recall of 188,000 programmable thermostats because of risk of fire. The thermostats contain AA backup batteries for the clock which are constantly being recharged The recharging process can cause them to leak which can result in a fire. Three such instances have been reported but so far, losses have been limited to minor property damage.
PR Newswire has described the recalled thermostats as:
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. These thermostats were able to be controlled by power companies in homes that took part in energy demand reduction programs.
Consumers who have these thermostats are advised to immediately remove the batteries and to contact White-Rodgers for a free repair kit:
- Call White-Rodgers toll-free at (888) 624-1901 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.
- Visit the firm’s website at www.regcen.com/Thermostat.
If the removal of the batteries causes any change in furnace function, you should contact White-Rodgers but if a representative is not available, contact your local utility company.
Bret Hanna of Wrona DuBois in Utah, focuses exclusively on litigating plaintiffs’ medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has represented clients in state and federal courts, in mediations, and in administrative proceedings in Michigan and Utah since 1991.
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