Barbara's Beat: Hard-wired smoke alarms fail to warn of fire
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Friday, August 15, 2014

Hard-wired smoke alarms fail to warn of fire

 Smoke Detectors Recalled

Recall Summary
Name of product: ESL and Interlogix brand 400/500 series smoke detectors
Hazard:
Radio frequency interference can cause the smoke detectors to fail to alert consumers of a fire.
Units

About 141,000 in U.S. and 13,000 in Canada
Description
This recall involves thirty-three models of the 400 and 500 series Edwards (ESL)-branded and Interlogix smoke detectors hard-wired into a security system. Edwards and Interlogix smoke detectors are identical. The 2-wire or 4-wire detectors are round, white and measure 6 inches across by 2 inches high. 

The smoke detectors were made for professional installation and used primarily in commercial buildings, schools, hotels/motels, apartments, dormitories and homes as part of the fire alarm system. Recalled units have date codes 13084 through 14059 with the first two digits representing the year, for example: 13 for 2013 and 14 for 2014; and the last three digits representing the day of the year, for example: 084 is the 84th day of 2013, which is March 25, 2013. The initials ESL, the date code and one of the following model numbers are printed on a label on the back of the detector’s cover and on the product’s packaging.
400 series: 429AT, 429C, 429CAD, 429CRT, 429CST, 429CT, 429CTAD, 449AT, 449C, 449CRT, 449CSRH, 449CSRT, 449CST, 449CSTE, 449CT and 449CTE.
500 Series: 511C, 518C, 521B, 521BXT, 521B-10PKDMP, 521B-10PKG, 521BXT-10PKG, 521BXT-DMP-10PKG, 528B, 528CRXT, 541C, 541C-10PKG, 541CXT, 541CXT-10PK and 548C.
Incidents/Injuries 
None.
Remedy
Customers should immediately contact their security or fire system provider to determine if any of their units are included in the recall. If so, they will receive free replacement and free installation of new smoke detectors. 

Consumers should not take the alarms out of service until the replacement alarm has been installed. Only professional installers should remove and replace these units.
Sold at
Alarm system, security equipment and electrical equipment contractors, dealers and installers for use in fire alarm systems for commercial buildings, hotels/motels, apartments, dormitories and homes from March 2013 to February 2014. 

The cost of the individual detectors varies between $30 and $50. The cost of the integrated alarm or security systems varies greatly.
Importers
UTC Fire and Security Americas Corporation Inc, of Arden Hills, Minn. owns the Interlogix assets. Edwards assets were acquired by Walter Kidde Portable Equipment Inc., of Mebane, N.C., in January 2014. Both importers are units of United Technologies Corp., of Hartford, Conn.
Manufacturer
Fyrnetics Limited of Hong Kong, China.
Manufactured in
China

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