2.3 Million Flushmate® III Systems Being Recalled
Almost all are in the United States, with 9,400 in Canada. New Hudson, Mich.-based FLUSHMATE has received 304 reports of the product bursting, resulting in damage and 14 injuries, according to CPSC.
New Hudson, Mich.-based FLUSHMATE is voluntarily recalling 2,330,600 Flushmate® III pressure-assist flushing systems in the United States and another 9,400 units in Canada because they can burst at or near the vessel weld seam, which can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The company as of June 21 had received 304 reports of the product bursting, causing property damage and 14 impact or laceration injuries.
According to the company, its systems are components inside specially designed toilets and cannot be retrofitted into standard gravity-fed toilets. The systems harness pressure from the water line to complete the flush in a low-consumption toilet and are used "in virtually every market, from hotels to schools to commercial buildings and in your home," the company states on its website.
FLUSHMATE is a division of the plumbing products company Sloan Valve Company (Franklin Park, Ill.) The Series 503 Flushmate III units being recalled were manufactured from October 1997 to February 2008 and made of injection-molded plastic. The date codes included in the recall begin with 101497 (Oct. 14, 1997) and continue through 022908 (Feb. 29, 2008). They were sold at Home Depot and Lowe's stores and by distributors and plumbing contractors nationwide for about $108 and also sold to toilet manufacturers, including American Standard, Crane, Eljer, Gerber, Kohler, Mansfield, and St. Thomas.
FLUSHMATE is offer a free repair kit to consumers who visit http://flushmate.com/recall/ and confirm with their serial numbers that their systems are included in the recall. The company's recall hotline (800-303-5123) is open between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EDT weekdays.