Will Consumers Find Out About The Navien Heater Recall, Due To Carbon Monoxide Risk?

Earlier this week the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the voluntary recall of 13,000 tankless waters heaters. These heaters pose a threat of leaking carbon monoxide, a lethal colorless, odorless gas.

But we have to wonder, how many people are aware of this recall? And how many people could be victims of  carbon monoxide poisoning from these Korean-made heaters, which were distributed by Navien America Inc. of Irvine, Calif.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12074.html

The Navien water heaters pose a hazard because “an unstable connection can cause the water heater’s vent collar to separate or detach if pressure is applied,” according to the CPCS’s press release.  “A detached vent collar poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to the consumer,” the CPCS said.

Although there have been no reports in injuries yet, these heaters pose a serious danger. 

Today we Googled “Navien heater recall” to see how much press coverage the recall got. Although almost 200 stories came up in that search. That may sound like a lot, but most of them buried the heater recall as part of roundups of many other product recalls.

It’s too bad the CPCS doesn’t have a more comprehensive method of distributing news about its recalls, especially one involving such a potentially dangerous product, the Navien heaters. 

Let’s hope word does spread and these 13,000 heaters are found and returned.