Plumbing product manufacturer, Flushmate, has recalled more than 350,000 Series 503 Flushmate III Pressure Assist toilet-flushing systems. The flushing system may explode, shattering the tank and causing injuries and property damage.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall on January 23. The recalled Flushmate III systems–rectangular, black, two-piece vessels made of injection molded plastic–were installed in toilet tanks manufactured from March 2008 through June 2009. Flushmate III systems manufactured from October 1997 through February 2008 were previously recalled. The date code and 16-character serial number is on the label on top of the Flushmate III. The first six digits of the serial number are the date code. Date codes for the unites in this recall are in MMDDYY format: 030108 (March 1, 2008) through 063009 (June 30, 2009). The date code range for previously recalled systems is October 14, 1997 (101497) through February 29, 2008 (022908).
The recalled units were installed in toilets manufactured by American Standard, Crane, Ecotech, Eljer, Gerber, Kohler, Mancesa, Mansfield, Orion, St. Thomas, Universal Rundle, Vitra, Vitromex, and Western Pottery, and the toilets were sold through The Home Depot, Lowe’s, and retailers and plumbing supply businesses in the U.S. and Canada.
The CPSC says that Flushmate has received three reports of units involved in this recall bursting and causing property damage; to date, no reports of injury have been received.
Consumers should immediately stop using any toilet with a recalled Flushmate III system. Turn off the water supply, flush the toilet to release the internal pressure, and contact the company for a free repair kit. Contact Flushmate by phone, toll free, at 800. 303.5123, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., ET Saturday. Â Flushmate may also be reached online at www.flushmate.com; click on “Flushmate III Recall” at the top left of the page.
