CPSC, Schneider Electric North American Division Announce Recall of
AFCIs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firms
below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately
unless otherwise instructed.
Name of product: Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI)
Units: About 700,000
Manufacturer: Schneider Electric North American Division, of Palatine,
Ill.
Hazard: An AFCI is an electrical circuit protection device (circuit
breaker) that detects electrical arcs from cracked, broken or damaged
electrical insulation and shuts off power to the circuit before the
arcing leads to a fire. An electronic component failure inside the
AFCIs can cause the devices to not detect an electrical arc. Although
the AFCIs will function as regular circuit breakers, they may not
detect an arc fault, posing a safety risk to consumers. Clarifying
Statement
Incidents/Injuries: Schneider Electric is investigating one reported
fire during a new home construction that may be related to this
problem. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled Square D QOŽ and HomelineŽ Arc Fault
Interrupter circuit breakers are used with 15- and 20-amp branch
circuits. They are required to be installed in bedroom circuits in
accordance with the 2002 National Electrical Code. The recalled units
were manufactured after March 1, 2004, and have a blue test button.
The AFCI circuit breakers have one of the following date codes - CN,
DN, EN, FN, GN, HN, or JN - stamped in red on the breaker label
located just above the wiring terminal. The recalled units also have
one of the following catalog numbers printed on a label on the front
of the breaker: QO115AFI, QO115AFIC, QO120AFI, QO120AFIC, QOB115AFI,
QOB120AFI, HOM115AFI, HOM115AFIC, HOM120AFI, HOM120AFIC, QO115VHAFI,
QO120VHAFI, QOB115VHAFI, or QOB120VHAFI.
Sold at: Electrical distributors and retailers sold the AFCIs between
March 2004 and September 2004 for between $30 and $130.
Manufactured in: Mexico
Remedy: Installed AFCIs will be replaced free of charge through
electrical contractors. Consumers can return uninstalled AFCIs to the
retailers or distributor from whom the unit was purchased for a free
replacement unit.
Consumer Contact: Consumer should call Schneider Electric toll-free at
(877) 202-9046 between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday
or log on to the company's Website at
www.us.squared.com/recallafci