Kidde, a major manufacturer of fire extinguishers, has recalled more than 40 million fire extinguishers used in homes, vehicles and boats. The reason? The extinguishers can become clogged, fail to discharge or have nozzle detachment during a fire emergency.
There are 134 models and the manufacture dates go as far back as 1973 and until as recently as August 2017. All of the models can be found on the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice website. The extinguishers were sold in red, white and silver and are all either ABC-or BC-rated. You can find the model number on the fire extinguisher’s label. You should also note that this recall includes fire extinguishers previously recalled in March 2009 and February 2015.
What You Can Do
If you have an extinguisher listed in the recall, contact Kidde to request a free replacement as well as instructions for returning the recalled unit. You can reach Kidde toll-free at 855-271-0773 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday. Or, you can visit kiddie.com for more information.
This is also a good time to check your fire extinguisher to make sure it’s not expired (typically fire extinguishers begin to lose their effectiveness around 12 years), and it’s in good working order. If either of these scenarios fit your current extinguisher, it’s time to get a new one.
Check out this Eriesense blog story on fire extinguishers to find out why you need one, how to use it and how it can help prevent a major disaster in your home or apartment.
