Leading Fire Extinguisher maker Kidde has just issued a massive recall on all of their fire extinguishers with plastic handles due to failure to discharge and nozzle detachment.
According to the official recall, “The fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge and can fail to activate during a fire emergency. In addition, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard.”
There have been nearly 400 reports of extinguishers malfunctioning resulting in 16 injuries and one death over the past few years.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall covers nearly 40 million Kidde extinguishers in 134 different models that were manufactured between January 1, 1973 and August 15, 2017, including models that were previously recalled in March 2009 and February 2015. The extinguishers were sold in red, white and silver, and are either ABC- or BC-rated (you can see the full list of recalled model numbers here).
Consumers can visit Kidde’s recall page here to request a free replacement extinguisher made with metal parts.