Kidde recall
Soundings TradeOnlyToday Magazine
More than 40 million Kidde fire extinguishers equipped with plastic handles, some on the market for more than 40 years, have been recalled, BoatUS is warning.
“The fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge and can fail to activate during a fire emergency,” said the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The nozzle also can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard, the CPSC said.
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is urging recreational boat owners to check their boats for the recalled extinguishers and get a free metal-handled replacement by going to the CPSC recall website.
In the recall, Kidde also acknowledged that the free replacement push-button extinguisher being sent to personal watercraft owners is similar in size to the recalled model but may not fit in the same location as the old fire extinguisher.
“This may require a slightly different mounting orientation or location,” BoatUS Foundation boating safety assistant director Ted Sensenbrenner said in a statement.
The recall affects both plastic-handle and push-button Pindicator Kidde fire extinguishers, including 134, ABC- or BC-rated models manufactured between Jan. 1, 1973, and Aug. 15, 2017.
The extinguishers are red, white or silver and were sold in the United States and Canada through a wide range of retailers from Montgomery Ward to Amazon. The CPSC recall website shows how to easily identify the affected extinguishers.
Originally published here.