Simpson Dura Vent Damper Recall

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2010
Release #10-176 Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 860-7908
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Simpson Dura-Vent Recalls Fireplace Dampers Due to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: DuraTech Anchor Plate with Damper and DuraChimney II Anchor Plate with Damper

Units: About 500

Manufacturer: Simpson Dura-Vent Company Inc., of Vacaville, Calif.

Hazard: When the consumer attempts to open/close the damper, it can become stuck in its current position. In addition, some of the dampers were assembled backwards and are set to the closed position when the consumer attempts to open the damper. Both pose risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to the consumer.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves DuraTech Anchor Plates with Dampers and DuraChimney II Anchor Plates with Dampers. The products are intended for use as a starter section for chimneys in fireplace applications. The dampers allow the chimney to be closed when the fireplace is not in use. Each damper is a short sheet metal vent pipe fitted with a circular damper plate within the vent pipe, and attached to a square anchor plate. The damper plate rotates around an axis rod to control the flow of air through the vent pipe. The damper plates have a weight attached to one side, and a chain attached to the other side. When installed in a fireplace application, the square anchor plate is generally not visible.

The DuraTech Anchor Plate with Damper was manufactured in five sizes, as follows:
Dura-Vent Product Description Dura-Vent Product Number
10" diameter DuraTech Damper 99142
12" diameter DuraTech Damper 99242
14" diameter DuraTech Damper 99342
16" diameter DuraTech Damper 99442
18" diameter DuraTech Damper 99542

The DuraChimney II Anchor Plate with Damper was manufactured in four sizes, as follows:
Dura-Vent Product Description Dura-Vent Product Number
10" diameter DuraChimney Damper 10DCA-APD
12" diameter DuraChimney Damper 12DCA-APD
14" diameter DuraChimney Damper 14DCA-APD
16" diameter DuraChimney Damper 16DCA-APD

Sold by: Dura-Vent distributors to fireplace/chimney contractors and by installers to home builders nationwide from January 2007 through May 2008 for between $100 to $150, depending on the model and size.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should ensure that their damper is in the open position when the fireplace is in use. Consumers or distributors with defective fireplace dampers should contact Dura-Vent to schedule a free repair. The remaining unrepaired recalled dampers were distributed in Washington and California. Consumers and distributors whose dampers were previously inspected and repaired do not need to schedule an additional inspection.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, consumers can contact Simpson Dura-Vent at (866) 860-7908 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.duravent.com

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CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC’s Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.