May 2006
First Alert recalls smoke, CO alarms
A rapid loss of battery power has prompted First Alert to recall nearly 146,000 of its smoke and combination smoke/carbon
monoxide alarms, including a model tested by Consumer Reports. If the batteries become depleted, the alarm won't sound in the event of a fire or if deadly carbon monoxide is present.
The recall involves two models, the SA500 and SCO500, and is limited to those units made before March 3, 2006. Department, home, and hardware stores sold the alarms from June 2005 through March 2006 for $45 to $75. Both the model number and date of manufacture appear on the back of the alarm. "First Alert" and "ONELINK" appear on front of the device. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 52,400 of the alarms are actually in consumers' hands.
Consumer Reports tested the SCO500 model in the September 2005 report on CO alarms (available to subscribers). It is an interconnecting smoke and carbon-monoxide detection alarm that automatically triggers other alarms in the home
via radio waves. The SCO500 was the first battery-powered interconnecting alarm. Before that, such models had to be hard-wired
into a home's electrical or security systems.
When the power is low, the alarm emits a chirping sound to indicate the batteries need to be replaced. If a new set of batteries isn't installed before power runs out, the alarm won't work. First Alert Inc., has received 329 reports of premature loss of battery power. There have not been any reports of injuries, incidents, or alarms failing to detect smoke or carbon monoxide, the CPSC says. Our engineers didn't encounter any precipitous falloff in battery power among the samples we tested.
What to do
Contact First Alert Inc./BRK Brands Inc., at 800-323-9005 or go to www.firstalert.com to receive a free replacement alarm. Until the new unit arrives, check the battery strength weekly by pressing the "test" button. If the alarm signals a low-battery alert, consumers should immediately replace the batteries. Consumers should not remove their alarms until they have received a replacement. The company is sending owners a prepaid mailer in which to return the recalled units.
A rapid loss of battery power has prompted First Alert to recall nearly 146,000 of its smoke and combination smoke/carbon
monoxide alarms, including a model tested by Consumer Reports. If the batteries become depleted, the alarm won't sound in the event of a fire or if deadly carbon monoxide is present.The recall involves two models, the SA500 and SCO500, and is limited to those units made before March 3, 2006. Department, home, and hardware stores sold the alarms from June 2005 through March 2006 for $45 to $75. Both the model number and date of manufacture appear on the back of the alarm. "First Alert" and "ONELINK" appear on front of the device. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 52,400 of the alarms are actually in consumers' hands.
Consumer Reports tested the SCO500 model in the September 2005 report on CO alarms (available to subscribers). It is an interconnecting smoke and carbon-monoxide detection alarm that automatically triggers other alarms in the home
via radio waves. The SCO500 was the first battery-powered interconnecting alarm. Before that, such models had to be hard-wired
into a home's electrical or security systems.When the power is low, the alarm emits a chirping sound to indicate the batteries need to be replaced. If a new set of batteries isn't installed before power runs out, the alarm won't work. First Alert Inc., has received 329 reports of premature loss of battery power. There have not been any reports of injuries, incidents, or alarms failing to detect smoke or carbon monoxide, the CPSC says. Our engineers didn't encounter any precipitous falloff in battery power among the samples we tested.
What to do
Contact First Alert Inc./BRK Brands Inc., at 800-323-9005 or go to www.firstalert.com to receive a free replacement alarm. Until the new unit arrives, check the battery strength weekly by pressing the "test" button. If the alarm signals a low-battery alert, consumers should immediately replace the batteries. Consumers should not remove their alarms until they have received a replacement. The company is sending owners a prepaid mailer in which to return the recalled units.
