Craigslist and Recalled Products

ABC News has reported that Craigslist is allowing users to post ads in an attempt to sell recalled products. It is against the law to knowingly sell recalled items.  Please be careful when purchasing any manufactured item, whether from Craigslist, Ebay, or any other forum where products are offered on an “as is” condition.  Before you buy do a little homework; it might save you a lot of pain in the future.  Get the name of the manufacturer, model and serial numbers.  Go to the manufacturer’s website and check for a recall on the item.  If you can’t find the item, check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website; www.cpsc.gov to see if they have any recalls for the product.  By law, manufacturers are required to report defects to the CPSC as soon as they learn about a problem.  If you find a recalled product – STAY AWAY FROM IT!  Remember, products are recalled because there is the possibility of personal injury or property damage or both.  In either case, working through a serious injury or property damage can be expensive and time consuming.

What’s Going on With Carrier and Goodman?

 

For a number of years, the Carrier Corporation has been manufacturing air conditioning equipment and selling their products all over the world.  Virtually everyone in the HVAC industry and a large part of the consuming public is familiar with the Carrier name.  To a lesser extent, the Goodman Company has also been manufacturing air conditioning equipment.  Although the Goodman Company is not was well known as Carrier, the two companies manufacture some of the same products.  Case in point: packaged terminal air conditioning units or PTACs as they are more commonly known.  These are units that are commonly found in motel rooms.  Recently, both companies recalled some of their PTAC units, Carrier on December 22, 2015 and Goodman on February 17, 2016.  But, the most troubling commonality is that the recalls are for the same problem.  That is, both companies recalled their products because their PTACS were equipped with line cords that could overheat and pose a burn hazard to consumers.  The only reason that line cords overheat is because they are sized too small for the unit’s load; i.e. the unit is drawing more current than the line cord can handle.  How does that happen?  This problem is not something that has been recently discovered.  It is not something that belongs to new technology innovations.  Any company that has been manufacturing an electrical device for any length of time has to know full well what the consequences are of undersized wiring for a specific load.  So, again how do companies like Carrier and Goodman get it wrong?  If the problem can’t be in the lack of knowledge, it has to be in the manufacturing process.  Maybe it’s time for some worker retraining.

Product Recalls

Ford Ranger:

The Ford Motor Company has recalled nearly 400, 000 year model 2004-2006 Ford Ranger vehicles manufactured between March 24, 2003 and May 4, 2006.  Ford has learned that if the driver’s side front air bag is deployed, the inflator can also rupture.  This recall is part of the Takata air bag problem.  In the event of a rupture, metal fragments cause serious injury and possibly death to the driver and passengers.  Ford will notify owners and will replace the inflators free of charge.  The recall was expected to begin on March 7, 2016.  For additional information, owners can contact Ford by calling 1-866-436-7332 and referring to recall number 16S03.

Propane Gas:

Now that the winter is coming to an end, most homeowners and businesses will begin to use their furnaces less and less.  But, before that happens, there is an ironic twist that consumers should know about.  Approximately 118,000,000 gallons of propane had been recalled due to insufficient odorization.  That is, the gas contains an insufficient level of odorant to help alert consumers of a gas leak.  Failure to detect a gas leak can result in fire and explosion hazards.  The propane gas has been distributed in the following states: Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Utah.  Consumers should contact their gas supplier or Crescent Point Energy Corporation to arrange for an inspection of their equipment.  Crescent Point Energy can be contacted by calling 1-866-421-4266.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission has assigned a recall number of 16-101 dated February 12, 2016.

Gas Station Hose Swivel Sets:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that Franklin Fueling Systems has recalled approximately 9000 gas station hose swivel fitting sets. The swivel fitting can separate allowing fuel to spill creating a fire and explosion hazard.  The swivel fittings have been stamped with date codes for both ¾ and 1 inch hose diameters.  For ¾ inch hoses, the date code range is M1615 to M3515.  For 1 inch hoses, the date code range is M2215 to M4115.  Fueling stations should immediately stop using the recalled hose/fitting set and contact Franklin Fueling Systems to receive a full refund or a replacement hose/swivel fitting set.  Franklin Fueling Systems can be contacted by calling 1-800-984-6266.

Solar Anyone?

I just completed a refresher course in solar design.  Discussed mounting of solar panels on roofs and on ground.  Also discussed conversion of direct current to alternating current using string inverters and micro inverters.  Reviewed NEC code and TVA policy on connecting to grid (lots of requirements).  Ready to tackle any solar projects now.