Goodman Recalls Amana, Trane, and American Standard Package Terminal Air Conditioners

Plain-English summary

Goodman Company, L.P. is recalling approximately 875,000 package terminal air conditioners/heat pumps (PTACs) sold under the Amana, Trane, and American Standard brand names. The recalled units were manufactured between January 1996 and March 2003 for Amana, and between January 1996 and August 2002 for Trane and American Standard. These units use electric heaters rated at 3.5 kilowatts or greater and are primarily installed in commercial and institutional settings such as hotels, hospitals, schools, and apartment complexes, though a small number are owned by individual homeowners.

The recall is due to a fire hazard. If the air filter becomes clogged due to lack of maintenance, airflow is severely restricted, causing internal temperatures to rise. This can cause two safety switches to stop working during the product's expected life. If the blower wheel then stops while the unit is operating in heating mode, a fire can develop. Goodman has received 29 confirmed reports of units overheating, including eight instances where the unit ignited and caused minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Owners should immediately inspect and clean the air conditioner/heat pump filters to remove any imminent hazard and continue cleaning them every 30 days. Commercial and institutional owners should install a free replacement thermal safety limit switch themselves, while individual homeowners can receive a free repair. To obtain the free replacement switch or repair, owners should contact the Goodman Hotline at (800) 729-6122 or submit a PTAC Recall Information Form at www.regcen.com/PTAC.

The recalled product

Product

Package Terminal Air Conditioner/Heat Pump (PTAC)

Manufacturer

Goodman Company, L.P., of Houston, Texas

Category

Consumer Product — HVAC Equipment

Hazard

• fire

Affected units

875,000

Distribution

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