The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereCPSC·02533·Announced 2002-04-10

CPSC Recalls Seahorse and Bradford & White Outdoor Gas Water Heaters

Gas-Fired Products Inc. is recalling about 1,325 outdoor gas water heaters due to a potential fire hazard caused by heat exchanger blockages.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a fire hazard with reported incidents of property damage, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' under the Severe category.

Plain-English summary

Gas-Fired Products Inc. is recalling approximately 1,300 Seahorse® and 25 "Bradford & White" outdoor gas-powered water heaters. The recall involves specific model numbers for both brands, including WH60-N1, WH60-N3, WH60-N5, WH60-L1, WH60-L3, WH60-L5, WHT60-N1, WHT60-N3, WHT60-N5, WHT60-L1, WHT60-L3, WHT60-L5 for Seahorse®, and HE-15N and HE-15X for "Bradford & White".

The recall is being issued because the heat exchanger in these units could become blocked over time. This blockage creates a potential ventilation and cracking problem, which poses a fire hazard if nearby combustible materials ignite. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the manufacturer have received reports of two incidents involving minor property damage, but no injuries have been reported.

These water heaters were sold nationwide by retailers and by public gas companies in North Carolina and South Carolina between August 1992 and November 2000 for approximately $900. Consumers should stop using the water heaters immediately and contact the recall hotline toll-free at (800) 438-4936 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, to receive a free repair kit. Most consumers were sent direct mail notification of this recall.

The recalled product

Product
Seahorse® and "Bradford & White" Outdoor Gas-Powered Water Heaters
Manufacturer
Gas-Fired Products Inc., of Charlotte, N.C.
Category
Consumer Product — Water Heaters
Hazard
Affected units
1,300

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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