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Goodman Furnace Heating Vent Safety High Temperature Plastic Vent HTPV Recall By Goodman Manufacturing - CPSC Safety Recall Notice
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• Goodman Furnace HTPV recall
• Goodman safety recalls
• US CPSC safety recall notice for Goodman high temperature plastic vent on heating equipment

This document provides residential heating furnace safety information about the Goodman Furnace Heating Vent Safety High Temperature Plastic Vent HTPV Recall By Goodman Manufacturing. This is a serious safety hazard because it risks release of dangerous, potentially fatal carbon monoxide gas in buildings if this defective furnace vent has not been replaced. Readers of this document should also see HEAT EXCHANGER LEAKS.

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[If you can provide us with a photo of the Goodman HTPV that was the subject of this recall, please Contact Us.]

For Immediate Release               Contact: Jane Francis
February 24, 1998                   (301) 504-0580 Ext. 1187
Release # 98-073

CPSC, Goodman Announce Recall to Replace HTPV Pipes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Since August 1996, Goodman Manufacturing Company, L.P., of Houston, Texas, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), has been conducting a program to replace high-temperature plastic vent (HTPV) pipe used to vent about 8,000 Goodman mid-efficiency gas furnaces. The HTPV pipe used in these vents could be susceptible to corrosion, cracking and joint separation, which could result in the release of carbon monoxide into living areas, presenting a deadly threat to consumers.

Although Goodman did not manufacture HTPV pipe, some models of Goodman furnaces were vented using HTPV material produced by other companies. Goodman voluntarily undertook its replacement program to help ensure the safety and comfort of its gas-appliance customers and has already replaced many HTPV systems.

For each Goodman furnace that is horizontally vented with HTPV pipe, Goodman will continue to arrange for replacement of the vent with a new, approved vent at no charge. Alternatively at the homeowner's option, Goodman will continue to replace the entire furnace and vent with a brand new, high-efficiency Goodman furnace and suitable vent for only the manufacturer's price for the new furnace itself, with no charge for labor, associated materials or dealer markup.

Owners of Goodman furnaces that are vented with HTPV pipe should contact their local heating contractor for more information or call Goodman at (800) 394-8084.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury and for information on CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To order a press release through fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and enter the release number.

Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov or via Internet gopher services at gopher.cpsc.gov. Consumers can report product hazards to info@cpsc.gov. To establish a link from your web site to this press release on CPSC's web site, create a link to the following address: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml98/98073.html.

022498,CPSC, Goodman Announce Recall to Replace HTPV Pipes

TECHNICAL NOTES on the Plastic Heating Vent Safety Concern:

Ontario, 1-2 yrs ago, 3 mfgs:

• Plexvent
• Celvent (selvent?)
• Ultravent

Coming apart at cemented joint and also general pipe cracking on plastic vents used on mid-range efficiency gas furnaces and boilers.

They had an 8/96 deadline to replace all units - as the entire unit incl. vent was listed as an entire unit, couldn't just replace the vent so replaced a bunch of entire systems. Thousands done that way.

Dlass action lawsuit against manufacturers, Ontario New Home Warranty Program, &c

Each mfg had to get its unit re-listed, some went to stainless steel vents, most went to a new plastic with an exterior additional induced draft fan so even if cracks inside, flue gases won't leak into the house. Opinion: some fans defeat the efficiency by exhausting heat from the house. Some thoughts that are adding complexity - second
fan, but it's probably interlocked so will shut down heat if fan fails.

2/7/97 tc Daniel Friedman with Giddings at CPSC:

Flexco, Hardin Cooley, mid effic. furnaces and boilers, GE Resin - Ultratemp - failed in 2-6 years; AGA certified
furnaces and boilers - he estimates in US they are in 350,000 homes - boilers in Northeast and Furnaces in more temperate areas.

• at first boiler mfgs supplied the vent with the heater
• later the mtl was "specified" but not included with the heater

The Fix for these Plastic Heater Vents:

• Stainless steel and power vent
• Ontario first observed the failures - before in US
• a second-generation - 1993-4 - pipe performed better but has no data to prove it's long term performance is ok - UL has changed its standards. Radel -- is a replacement pipe.

How to Identify the problem Plastic Heating Vents:

• Plex-vent is marked - the revised mix is Plex-vent-2 - both are black
• Ultra-vent - see date code on the pipe - gray pipe - new is post 8/93
• CEL-vent - black pipe - revised mix is Celvent-2

CPSC sees fewer field failures with the new stuff - but no long term data yet. Says the second-generation plastic is no longer specified by the heater mfgs.

• Chevron Sued GE
• Consumer class action ongoing in Tennessee

He (Giddings) sent ASHI a letter 9/96 - to Paterkevich - will re-fax to me got a mumbled reply from some unknown ASHI guy

Typical cost to cure defective or unsafe plastic heating vent pipes is $400-$600.

Other information sources on the plastic heater vent safety recall:

• Carson Dunlop tech notes
• the CPSC letter to ASHI
• GAMA - Gas Appliance Mfgs Assoc - or maybe AGA or Dan's reference - Doug DeWerth
• UL had meetings in June '94 on problems with plastic vent piping and the UL Standard 1738 - what were the pre and post revision standard texts?
• Don Fugler, at Canadian Mtg Assoc CMHC - Research and QA - per Steve Bliss at the Journal of Light Construction?
• Don Fugler, CMHC Canadian Home Mortgage Corp? - 613-748-2658 in Ottowa - ?? what's this note about

2/8/97 Actions Taken by DF

• ASHI Reporter article (done)
• Internet article(done)
• JLC Article - poss extra exposure in tract homes (done)
• get info first from varied sources and review my notes with CPSC &C

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