RECALL: Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves

(from CPSC) ** Please note: 2Patriots Property Inspection, Inc. provides this recall statement as general information only. Posting of this recall does not state or imply that any of our clients have the mentioned recall product. If you own this product - or have questions about it, please contact the manufacturer directly. Contact information is provided below.

Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves for Large Water Heaters Recalled by Watts Regulator Due to
Rupture and Burn Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: One-inch 140X-9 Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves
Units: About 900
Manufacturer: Watts Regulator Co., of North Andover, Mass.

Hazard: The relief valve can fail to reduce pressure and avert failure or rupture of the water heater tank and associated valves, posing rupture and burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves the one-inch 140X-9 Temperature and Pressure Relief valves, which are typically used in large water heaters for commercial buildings or possibly for large homes. The valves bear item codes 0259844 (75 psi/210°F); 0259924 (100 psi/210°F); 0259708 (150 psi/210°F); 0259925 (125 psi/210°F); and 0259930 (150 psi/210°F). The affected date codes are 0641R through 0930R. The date code is printed after the model number “M15” on a green metal tag fastened to the pressure relief valve.

Sold by: Authorized distributors nationwide from October 2006 through July 2009 for between $250 and $280. The valves were typically sold as replacement parts for large water heaters used in commercial locations or possibly large homes.

Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers should immediately contact Watts Regulator to schedule a free repair.
Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Watts Regulator toll-free at (888) 272-4649 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.watts.com/

RECALL: Window Covering Safety Council Recalls to Repair All Roman and Roll-Up Blinds Due to Risk of Strangulation

(from CPSC)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are announcing today a voluntary recall to repair all Roman shades and roll-up blinds to prevent the risk of strangulation to young children. This recall involves millions of Roman and roll-up blinds. About five million Roman shades and about three million roll-up blinds are sold each year.

CPSC has received reports of five deaths and 16 near strangulations, since 2006, in Roman shades and three deaths, since 2001, in roll-up blinds. Strangulations in Roman shades can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. Strangulations in roll-up blinds can occur if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.

“Over the past 15 years, CPSC has been investigating window covering hazards and working with the WCSC to ensure the safety of window coverings. We commend the WCSC for providing consumers with repair kits that make window coverings safer and look forward to future steps to eliminate these hazards,” said Inez Tenenbaum, CPSC Chairman.

Over the years, CPSC has been investigating deaths associated with different types of window coverings and has worked with the WCSC to address the hazards posed by them. In 1994 and in 2000, CPSC and WCSC announced recalls to repair horizontal blinds to prevent strangulation hazards posed by pull cord and inner cord loops. As a result of CPSC investigations, the industry has modified its products and provides free repair kits for existing horizontal blinds and other window coverings. In October 2009, CPSC issued a new safety alert to warn parents about the dangers associated with window coverings.

Consumers that have Roman or roll-up shades in their homes should contact the WCSC immediately at www.windowcoverings.org or by calling (800) 506-4636 anytime to receive a free repair kit.

To help prevent child strangulation in window coverings, CPSC and the WCSC urge parents and caregivers to follow these guidelines:

Examine all shades and blinds in the home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC and the WCSC recommend the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.

Do not place cribs, beds, and furniture close to the windows because children can climb on them and gain access to the cords.

Make loose cords inaccessible.

If the window shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cord taut.

---
CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.


To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Tips to Make Your Holiday a Safe One! (from the CPC)

Trees:

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.

• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

• When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

Lights:
• Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.

• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets. Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.

• Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord. Make sure the extension cord is rated for the intended use.

• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

• Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.

• Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores).

• Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

• For added electric shock protection, plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCIs can be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician.

Decorations:
• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.

• Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

• In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.

• Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.

Fireplaces:
• Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.

• Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

If you are viewing this as an email, make sure to visit the blog directly  and bookmark it. You will be able to view and read all the tips and safety recalls.