Lochinvar Recalls Residential Boilers for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Risk
The flue collector on more than 17,000 units sold under three brand names can crack, allowing toxic CO gas emissions.
The boiler manufacturer Lochinvar has recalled about 17,370 residential condensing boilers, combi boilers, and packaged boiler systems sold in the U.S. under the brand names Lochinvar, A.O. Smith, and State Industries. About 782 units also were sold in Canada.
The boiler’s flue collector, a component that collects and channels flue gases, can crack if exposed to a high-impact event in the burner chamber. That can cause the boiler to emit carbon monoxide (CO), posing a risk of CO poisoning.
A “high-impact event” in the burner chamber “can be the result of abnormal ignition of the burner,” a spokesperson for Lochinvar’s parent company, A.O. Smith, explained.
Lochinvar, based in Lebanon, Tenn., has received no reports of injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but it has received nine reports of broken flue collectors.
The recall applies to units sold from August 2021 through this past summer, with serial numbers within the range of 125325485 through 134830284.
Consumers with the recalled boilers should immediately contact their installer or a qualified technician to schedule a free repair. Those who continue to use their boiler while awaiting repair should have working carbon monoxide alarms outside of sleeping areas and on each floor of their home.
A combi boiler heats a home’s potable hot water supply as well as hot water for space heating. A packaged boiler system includes both the boiler and related plumbing parts.
Details of the Boiler Recall
The recall: It involves about 17,370 Lochinvar, A.O. Smith, and State Industries condensing residential boilers sold in the U.S., and about 782 units sold in Canada.
The risk: The boiler’s flue collector can crack if exposed to a high-impact event in the burner chamber, which can cause the boiler to emit carbon monoxide, posing a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Incidents/injuries: None have been reported, but Lochinvar has received nine reports of broken flue collectors.
Where sold and when: The residential condensing boilers, combi boilers, and packaged boiler systems were sold by independent contractors, plumbers, and plumbing supply vendors and distributors from August 2021 through September 2023 for $4,000 to $10,000, including installation. A limited number were sold to original equipment manufacturers who modify and use the boilers in integrated in-floor heating systems.
The remedy: Consumers with the recalled boilers should immediately contact the installer or a qualified technician to schedule a free repair (see information below). The repair will consist of installing a steel plate that will be affixed to the base of the flue collector to act as reinforcement. Consumers who continue to use the boilers while awaiting repair should have working carbon-monoxide alarms outside of sleeping areas and on each floor of the home.
The boilers were sold under the Lochinvar, A. O. Smith, and State Industries brand names. The brand name is printed on the front of each unit. The model number and serial number can be found on the data plate on the product located on the unit’s rating plate, which is either on the inside or outside of the outer jacket of the unit. The affected serial numbers are within the range of 125325485 through 134830284. Consumers can find a full list of the brands and model numbers on the CPSC recall notice. Or they can check for the recalled boilers’ serial number at waterheaterrecall.com, and select the lookup feature for the flue collector recall.
Consumers with Lochinvar-branded boilers can find a qualified service technician by going to https://www.lochinvar.com/locator/. Those with A.O. Smith or State Industries boilers should contact their installer.
Consumers who don’t know who installed their boiler can contact Lochinvar toll-free at 833-232-9706 or send email to the company at recallinfo@lochinvar.com.
Contact information: For more details on the recall, call Lochinvar toll-free at 833-232-9706 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday, or go to waterheaterrecall.com.
To report a defective product, call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 or go to SaferProducts.gov.
