Exploding Toilet Recall Again

DO YOU HAVE A PRESSURE ASSISTED TOILET IN YOUR HOME?

Flushmate warns consumers to stop using Flushmate III Pressure-Assisted Flushing System immediately.

When you lift the lid of your toilet tank, do you see this? If you do see this flushing system, stop using your toilet now.

Flushmate says on their website that “The system can burst at or near the vessel weld seam releasing stored pressure. This pressure can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank, posing impact and laceration hazards to consumers and property damage”.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns consumers to stop using the Flushmate III Pressure-Assisted Flushing System “Due to Impact and Laceration Hazards.” In June of 2012, Flushmate issued a voluntary recall of their flush assist system and in January 2014, they expanded the recall. The first recall included 2.3 million units and the second recall is over 300 thousand units.

If you have one of these, please stop using it, even if it seems to be working perfectly. Flushmate recommends that you turn off the water supply to the toilet, flush it to release any pressure, and contact them through their Flushmate recall page for a free repair kit.

The latest recall units were sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s. The previous recall was for the same unit and was sold at The Home Depot and Lowe’s stores, distributors and plumbing contractors nationwide for about $108, and sold to toilet manufacturers including American Standard, Crane, Eljer, Gerber, Kohler, Mansfield and St. Thomas.

It is easy to find out if you have one of these. Lift the lid of the tank and look on the label located on top of the unit. The first six numbers of the serial number is the date code. “The date code range for this recall begins with 101497 (October 14, 1997) and continues through 063009 (June 30, 2009).”

You can verify the serial number here or call the Flushmate Recall Hotline toll-free at (800) 303-5123 Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM ET and Saturday between 8:00 AM and 6:30 PM ET.

Flushmate has a free repair kit for you and there is a video on their website with instructions. They say it takes about 20 minutes to make the repair. They also have a PDF of FAQs.

Contact us, a licensed, bonded, and insured Tampa plumber if you would like to remove the toilet, replace the toilet, or to install the repair parts for your toilet. Cost of plumber is not included in recall.