Over a million ac thermostats recalled

USA: White-Rodgers, a division of Emerson Climate Technologies has issued a recall of over a million air conditioning and heating thermostats after concerns of a potential fire risk.

Made in China, the Home Heating and Cooling thermostats were sold in the USA and Canada under a number of trade name brands.

White-Rodgers has found that the alkaline batteries used in the thermostat can leak onto the circuit board posing a fire hazard. The company has received seven reports of burn damage to the thermostat, including two involving minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves four models of White-Rodgers digital thermostats. The thermostats are white with blue lighted screens and have one of the following names printed on the front of them:  COMFORTSENTRY, DICO, Emerson, Frigidaire, Maytag, Nutone, Partners Choice, Rheem, Ruud, Unico, Water Furnace, Westinghouse, White-Rodgers or Zonefirst.

The thermostats are said to  have a battery door on the top left corner. There are three or four buttons to the right and also below the thermostat screen. Recalled thermostats do not show a battery icon on the left side of the blue lighted screen.

It includes models 1F80-04xx, 1F83-04xx, 1F85-04xx and 1F86-04xx. The model numbers for the affected thermostats are shown on a sticker on the back of the thermostat or on the thermostat mounting plate.  However, the battery door location and buttons allow the thermostats to be identified without having to remove the thermostat to check the model number sticker.

It is estimated that around 740,000 of the thermostats have been sold in the in the USA and 403,000 in Canada.

They were sold by hvac equipment manufacturers and distributors and at hardware retailers between January 2006 and December 2013 for about $30 to $70.

For further information contact White-Rodgers toll-free at (888) 624-1901 from 7am to 6pm CT Monday through Friday or online at www.white-rodgers.com and click on “White-Rodgers 1F8x-04xx Thermostat Recall” at the lower left corner of the homepage.