LOS ANGELES, CA — According to a recent announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, defective attic furnaces blamed for scores of home fires around California in the last decade have been recalled. And, according to the commission, this means that tens of thousands of the potentially hazardous units can be repaired or replaced at the expense of the distributors.
The recall — and a pair of recent class-action legal settlements — promise relief for homeowners who have units made by the now-bankrupt Consolidated Industries. Many consumers had balked at paying $2,000 to $3,000 to replace the furnaces, even though they had been warned that the aging units could overheat and touch off fires.
According to a report published in the July 10 issue of the Los Angeles Times, the federal consumer agency recalled about 30,000 units, roughly one-fifth of those made by Consolidated Industries and installed in attics around the state from 1983 to 1995. The Los Angeles Times reported that the consumer agency knew about the problem furnaces, but failed to warn residents. As part of the action, seven companies that distributed Consolidated units in the state will voluntarily repair or replace the gas-fired attic furnaces, sold under at least 30 brand names in parts of Northern and Southern California.