June 2008
Consumer Reports Judges the Signet 90 Not Acceptable
It started out like any other test in the grill lab. The Broil King Signet 90 986784LP gas grill was under our industrial
ventilation hood. On previous days, the Signet 90 had been tested for evenness and low-temperature grilling. Next was the
six-minute flare-up test. We preheated the Broil King and put on six steaks.
Many gas grills flare up when loaded with fatty foods. Most top-rated grills flare up momentarily and then stop. Others, like the Signet 90, flare up quite a bit. The Signet 90 also made a popping sound, and our testers saw black smoke coming from under the lid.
So the testers turned off the propane tank and pulled it out of the cabinet under the grill. As they did, molten metal dripped down onto the area beneath the grill, just missing one tester's hand. The grill's firebox had melted.
We tested two more Signet 90 grills. (We bought all three Signet 90 grills we tested online). During this subsequent testing, the testers removed the propane tank from underneath the grill before they started cooking as an added precaution. At the end of the flare-up test, they found that the firebox of one grill had melted and the firebox of the other grill had started to crack and deform.
We believe that the Broil King Signet 90 is dangerous and poses a safety risk and have judged it Not Acceptable.
In the wake of our testing of the Signet 90, we contacted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and asked the agency to investigate. Since the Signet 90 is sold mainly in Canada, we also contacted Health Canada, the appropriate government agency. We also contacted Onward Manufacturing, the Canadian manufacturer of the grill. The company conducted its own new tests and told us that one grill perforated and deformed and a second deformed. As a result, the company said it is developing a free retrofit kit to resolve the firebox problem. We hope to test the kit when it becomes available.
Onward also told us it would contact the CPSC as well as dealers who sell the Signet 90. Onward said it would ask dealers not to sell the Signet 90 until it has been retrofitted. Consumers who already own a Signet 90 and have sent in warranty information will automatically get the kit. For more information, contact Onward at 866-434-7455 or kit@omcbbq.com.
The Signet 90 carries certification marks indicating that it complies with applicable safety standards. But the standards don't address what happened during our cooking tests. We will be working to get the standards reexamined and strengthened.
UPDATE: On April 30, 2008, Onward recalled three models of gas grills, including the Signet 90. Signet, Sovereign, and Sovereign XL grills with model numbers starting with 986, 987 or 988 and serial numbers starting with X, Y, or Z are affected by the recall. The company's action is expected to be followed shortly by an announcement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. For more information, read this item on our Safety blog.
And on May 5, 2008, the CPSC issued a recall of 4,800 Signet, Sovereign, and Sovereign XL series gas grills made by Onward Manufacturing. Read about the recall on our Safety blog.
Many gas grills flare up when loaded with fatty foods. Most top-rated grills flare up momentarily and then stop. Others, like the Signet 90, flare up quite a bit. The Signet 90 also made a popping sound, and our testers saw black smoke coming from under the lid.
So the testers turned off the propane tank and pulled it out of the cabinet under the grill. As they did, molten metal dripped down onto the area beneath the grill, just missing one tester's hand. The grill's firebox had melted.
We tested two more Signet 90 grills. (We bought all three Signet 90 grills we tested online). During this subsequent testing, the testers removed the propane tank from underneath the grill before they started cooking as an added precaution. At the end of the flare-up test, they found that the firebox of one grill had melted and the firebox of the other grill had started to crack and deform.
We believe that the Broil King Signet 90 is dangerous and poses a safety risk and have judged it Not Acceptable.
In the wake of our testing of the Signet 90, we contacted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and asked the agency to investigate. Since the Signet 90 is sold mainly in Canada, we also contacted Health Canada, the appropriate government agency. We also contacted Onward Manufacturing, the Canadian manufacturer of the grill. The company conducted its own new tests and told us that one grill perforated and deformed and a second deformed. As a result, the company said it is developing a free retrofit kit to resolve the firebox problem. We hope to test the kit when it becomes available.
Onward also told us it would contact the CPSC as well as dealers who sell the Signet 90. Onward said it would ask dealers not to sell the Signet 90 until it has been retrofitted. Consumers who already own a Signet 90 and have sent in warranty information will automatically get the kit. For more information, contact Onward at 866-434-7455 or kit@omcbbq.com.
The Signet 90 carries certification marks indicating that it complies with applicable safety standards. But the standards don't address what happened during our cooking tests. We will be working to get the standards reexamined and strengthened.
UPDATE: On April 30, 2008, Onward recalled three models of gas grills, including the Signet 90. Signet, Sovereign, and Sovereign XL grills with model numbers starting with 986, 987 or 988 and serial numbers starting with X, Y, or Z are affected by the recall. The company's action is expected to be followed shortly by an announcement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. For more information, read this item on our Safety blog.
And on May 5, 2008, the CPSC issued a recall of 4,800 Signet, Sovereign, and Sovereign XL series gas grills made by Onward Manufacturing. Read about the recall on our Safety blog.
