RECALL - Kidde fire extinguishers

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Crap I have 4 fire extinguishers 2 at the bench and 1 at each exit. I have three that are on the recall.
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Thanks for the update.
 
None of mine were on the list.

I was hoping to get free replacements for the two that recently passed into the "red zone".
 
UPDATE 12/7/2017
Replacement fire extinguisher was delivered today by FedEx from Kidde. Instructions were inside to package the old affected extinguisher in the cardboard box. Shipping label for return postage was inside. NOTE: Don't discard the box or throw away the styrofoam peanuts, as it's needed for the return shipping. IMO, they handled the recall very professionally.
Merry Christmas to all :D
 
They finally responded to me:
Thank you for participating in Kidde’s fire extinguisher replacement program. Customer safety is our priority and we are pleased by the strong response to our recall announcement. However, due to high demand the most comparable replacement for your unit is backordered.

We regret any inconvenience this has caused and are working diligently to fulfill your order as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your patience.
Click to expand...
 
Artofgolf said:
UPDATE 12/7/2017
Replacement fire extinguisher was delivered today by FedEx from Kidde. Instructions were inside to package the old affected extinguisher in the cardboard box. Shipping label for return postage was inside. NOTE: Don't discard the box or throw away the styrofoam peanuts, as it's needed for the return shipping. IMO, they handled the recall very professionally.
Merry Christmas to all :D
Click to expand...

I received mine today (12/11) and the old one is packaged and ready go go back tomorrow.
 
The one extinguisher I have was on the list. Thanks to the OP for posting this - there's essentially no chance I would have learned of the recall without this thread.
 
My old one from home goes back tomorrow. I am still waiting to hear about shipping for the 9 from church.

Kidde is "celebrating" its 100th anniversary this year. It looks like they are a subsidiary of UTC Fire & Security Corporation, and neither is publicly traded. Somebody is really taking it on the chin.
 
Has anyone else had problems with this recall?

I have 4 Kidde extinguishers. On Nov. 12, 2017, I called in and gave all the numbers to the guy on the phone for the three I had at hand at the time. He said they're on the recall list, took my info, gave me a customer id# and told me to call if not there in 10-12 days.
Thanksgiving happened, and I finally got around to calling in the fourth extinguisher numbers and asking about the other three.
Long story short, she said the fourth wasn't on the recall. When I asked about the others I had called in she said my customer id# for the first three was missing my phone number and email address, and that's why I had heard nothing since November. My name and physical address, however, were on record.

B.S... I gave him that info on the first call.

This is unacceptable. If he's right, I still have dangerous plastic shrapnel valves. If she's right, I have no faith in their recall system.
Amerex, with all metal valves, will likely be my response to this nonsense...
 
Got my replacements the other day.
1 was discharged in the box!:)
Called them and they are sending a replacement for it.
Probably more fire extinguishers than they have shipped ever before.
(recall goes back 10+ years, mine were about 13 years old)
 
Today, 12/30/17, the replacements for the 3 extinguishers I first called about turned up on my porch. :thumbup:

Dudedog said:
Got my replacements the other day.
...Probably more fire extinguishers than they have shipped ever before.
(recall goes back 10+ years, mine were about 13 years old)
Click to expand...

I am relieved to find that the second operator I spoke with was the one who was wrong.
My heart truly does go out to the Kidde company for the standup way they are dealing with this issue.

I don't have inside data on the scope of this failure, but I bet it is a minuscule percentage that is causing them to eat a lot of perfectly safe units.
Having confidence in emergency equipment is essential :uhoh:

Good job, Kidde :)
 
My home replacement came rather quickly. till waiting for the nine (yes, 9) from church that were recalled. However, these were larger units than the one for home, and that might account for the delay.
 
mmorris said:
I don't have inside data on the scope of this failure, but I bet it is a minuscule percentage that is causing them to eat a lot of perfectly safe units.
Click to expand...
I have a very small set of data points for the issue. I had 3 units that were on the recall list. Since they were small extinguishers, I had replaced them a few years ago with larger volume extinguishers. The 3 were sitting in my basement.

So, when the details of the recall was announced, I thought I would test to see if the 3 I had would actually fail as described. I took them down to the woods and tried them. All of them had the pressure gauge still in the green.

The first one wouldn't work at all. You press down the trigger and ... nothing, not even a trickle of powder. That's one fire that would have continued to burn.

The second one worked well. I got a good spray out it that went for a good distance. Most of the powder stuck to the ground and plants, but the cloud that formed from the remainder was interesting - it just sort-of hung there and slowly drifted further into the woods like it was "The Blob". ;)

The third one also didn't work. You could press the trigger over and over, and some powder would fall out with each trigger pull. In other words, that's the second fire that would have continued to burn.

So, as I said, this is a minuscule set of data, but it indicates a 67% failure rate is possible! The bottom line is, if anyone here has one of the extinguishers that is on the recall list, either take them up on the replacement or replace it yourself. I would not trust a single one of them to work when you need it.
 
I own 2 extinguishers. Both are on the list. I'm happy that the one kin the boat was listed, it's pretty rough after a few years on the water, and I was planning to replace it anyway.

As an EHS professional and having dealt with a few systems, I have learned to love Kidde. They are much more helpful than the guys at Amerex...or it may be the dummy I was on the phone with.
 
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I work as a test Captain for a marine engine manufacturer.

We turned up more than 40 units on the recall list!

Last I heard, our safety manager was trying to make it a bulk transaction, as they wanted each unit boxxed and shipped individually.
 
Mal H said:
... I thought I would test to see if the 3 I had would actually fail as described. I took them down to the woods and tried them. All of them had the pressure gauge still in the green.

The first one wouldn't work at all. You press down the trigger and ... nothing, not even a trickle of powder. That's one fire that would have continued to burn.

The second one worked well.

The third one also didn't work. You could press the trigger over and over, and some powder would fall out with each trigger pull. In other words, that's the second fire that would have continued to burn.

... I would not trust a single one of them to work when you need it.
Click to expand...

I understand that the "trust" comment was relative to the old units under recall, but many times I have wondered how to determine the condition of a dry extinguisher.
My understanding of the recall basis was the possible physical failure of the plastic valve resulting in plastic shrapnel injuries.
Failure to discharge correctly without valve failure (with correct pressure indicated) is a different issue, in my mind.
So, for those who are professionally involved in signing off on the inspection tag, what tests can be performed other than a simple pressure reading?
 
mmorris said:
My understanding of the recall basis was the possible physical failure of the plastic valve resulting in plastic shrapnel injuries.
Click to expand...
There was more to it than that. According to the CPSC, the main reason for the recall was the failure to operate in the case of a fire emergency. The explosive valve part was a secondary reason for the recall:
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/k...-due-to-failure-to-discharge-and#.Wfr3FggcNkQ

After my little test, I have the same bit of wonder as you. How do I know my other extinguishers won't fail in the same way even though they all have pressure gauges indicating good pressure? You're not supposed to test extinguishers as that can lead to a leak. It's a question I would also like to know the answer to.
 
Thanks for that, Mal H... I had not seen the info you provided.

... from that link: "About 37.8 million" :what:

Yes, I also knew that "testing" a dry extinguisher is about as effective as testing a match
("it worked fine the last time I used it":))
Well, you would see the pressure decrease as a result of the powder-induced leak.

I am interested in what they found as a cause for the clogging, and what (if anything) they changed in the replacement units.
 
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Well foof. Out of 5 extinguishers, the one is the car is the only one that ISN'T recalled. :(
 
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