Flushmate Pressure-Assist Flushing System Recall Expanded

Roughly 360,000 Flushmate pressure assist flushing systems have been added to a prior recall, after reports were received of the systems causing toilets to burst, posing an impact and laceration hazard for consumers.

A Flushmate recall expansion was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on January 23, following at least three reports of the systems building too much pressure and exploding inside the tank of the toilet. The thre incidents follow dozens of others that were reported before the first recall.

The recalled flushing systems are designed to be installed in the toilet tanks and apply additional pressure to the toilets flushing. The systems have been recalled due to the potential for the vessel weld seam to burst on the tanks when the stored pressure becomes too high, consequently causing the system to burst and blow the lid off the tank or shatter the tank itself.

The recall includes Series 503 Flushmate III Pressure Assist flushing systems installed in toilet tanks manufactured from March 2008 through June 2009. Affected systems have a 16 character long code/serial number which displays the date in MMDDYY format. The first 6 characters indicate the date range of the units. Affected date codes range between 030108 and 063009. The following brand names are included in this recall; American Standard, Crane, Ecotech, Eljer, Gerber, Kohler, Mancesa, Mansfield, Orion, St. Thomas, Universal Rundle, Vitra, Vitromex, and Western Pottery.

The affected systems were manufactured in the United States under Flushmate, of New Hudson, Michigan, a division of Sloan Valve Company where they were sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s and other various toilet manufacturers, distributors, and plumbing contractors nationwide from 2008 through 2009 for about $108.

The action is an expansion of a recall for 2.3 million Flushmate III pressure assisted flushing systems that was announced by the CPSC in June of 2012. The initial recall had received 304 reports of the Flushmate systems exploding causing dozens of laceration injuries to customers.

The CPSC recommends customers stop using the systems immediately and turn off the water supply to the unit, flush the toilet to release remaining internal pressure and contact Flushmate at 800-303-5123 or visit them online at www.flushmate.com and navigate to the “Flushmate III Recall” link for information on how to receive a free repair kit.