ANSUL® Recalls Fire Extinguisher that Could Fail to Operate

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Ansul Incorporated, of Marinette, Wis., is voluntarily recalling about 154,000 K-GUARD®, SENTRY® and FLAG FIRE® Model Fire Extinguishers. If the fire extinguisher is dropped horizontally from a height of approximately 2 to 3 feet, the pick-up tube could crack at the threads between the pick-up tube adaptor and the stainless steel tube. If a pick-up tube is cracked, the extinguisher can fail to discharge properly when activated, which can put users at risk during a fire.

Name of Product: K-GUARD®, SENTRY® and FLAG FIRE® Model Fire Extinguishers

Units: About 154,000

Manufacturer: Ansul Incorporated, of Marinette, Wis.

Hazard: If the fire extinguisher is dropped horizontally from a height of approximately 2 to 3 feet, the pick-up tube could crack at the threads between the pick-up tube adaptor and the stainless steel tube. If a pick-up tube is cracked, the extinguisher can fail to discharge properly when activated, which can put users at risk during a fire.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recall involves K-GUARD® Wet Chemical, FLAG FIRE® KITCHEN ONE® Wet Chemical, FLAG FIRE® Water and SENTRY® Water Fire Extinguishers manufactured and shipped between May 2003 and September 9, 2005. The recall program involves pick-up tube replacements in the following extinguishers:

Model numbers can be found on the fire extinguisher labels. Affected models meet the following criteria: The year 2004 or 2005 is stamped on the hanger hook attachment on the shell. For 2003 models, information on specific serial numbers included in the recall can be found at www.ansul.com for the K-GUARD Wet Chemical and SENTRY Water extinguishers, or at www.pyrochem.com for the FLAG FIRE and KITCHEN ONE Wet Chemical extinguishers. Contact the firm to determine if your extinguisher is included in this replacement program.

Sold by: Ansul Incorporated, through its authorized fire equipment distributors, from May 2003 through September 2005. Extinguishers were sold by distributors to their end users for about $150 to $225 each for the kitchen units and for about $100 each for the water units.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Pick-up tube replacements will be performed during routine annual maintenance. The pick-up tube assembly is inside the extinguisher and cannot be visually inspected without de-pressurizing and disassembling the extinguisher. This work should only be done by an authorized ANSUL® distributor. Owners concerned about an extinguisher prior to the scheduled maintenance, due to signs of physical damage such as dents or scratches, should contact their authorized ANSUL® distributor to request a free replacement.

Consumer Contact: For more information, call your ANSUL® or PYRO-CHEM® distributor or Ansul Incorporated's and PYRO-CHEM's Quality Assurance Department at (800) 906-3575 (US/Canada) or (715) 732-3575 (Outside US/Canada) between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. Alternatively, you can find additional information by visiting the ANSUL® Web site at www.ansul.com or the PYRO-CHEM® Web site at www.pyrochem.com.

Pick-up tube replacements will be performed during routine annual maintenance. The pick-up tube assembly is inside the extinguisher and cannot be visually inspected without de-pressurizing and disassembling the extinguisher. This work should only be done by an authorized ANSUL® distributor. Owners concerned about an extinguisher prior to the scheduled maintenance, due to signs of physical damage such as dents or scratches, should contact their authorized ANSUL® distributor to request a free replacement.

None reported.