24-hour Bath Of Nissin Co.,Ltd Official Announcement Sentence

1. Outlines

Hokkaido Consumer Center (April 14, 1997) and Sapporo City Fire Bureau (April 24, 1997) reported fire accidents (two in total) of the circulation type bath water heater manufactured and sold by Nissin Co., Ltd. to the Hokkaido Regional Office of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation.

The results of an test performed for settling accident information on the appropriate accidents by the Hokkaido Regional Office of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation showed that, when it is used in a cold region, it has problems in the circuit design and the durability of a control relay contact and has a risk of the reoccurrence of the similar accidents. Approximately 8000 (estimated value) of the appropriate products were sold in the whole country and approximately 4000 devices of them were already improved by repairing the problem parts and replacing for new components. And the residual approximately 4000 bath water heaters are still used by the general consumer without improving the problem parts at present.

Nissin Co., Ltd. was bankrupt, which made the measures by the announcement impossible so that, to prevent the similar accident from reoccurring, the competent Ministry planned to call attention to the persons, who use this circulation type bath water heater without improving the problem parts, to immediately stop using it and, if the appropriate person wants to use it hereafter, it is required to improve the parts.

(Problems of Product)

As for the electric heater control relay contact for heating this product,the contact is constantly operated in winters in the cold region, however,it has no consideration added thereto so that, when it is used for one year or so in the cold region, the relay contact will fall into the locking** state and be in a continuous energization sate.In that case, the upper cylinder is heated to be melt and may be ignited to the combustibles in the circumference sometimes.
(If the bathwater is continuously heated, an excessive temperature rise prevention device, or a safety device, is operated and simultaneously a circulation pump is stopped, however, the circuit design of this device is that, when the relay contact is locked, the electric heater cannot stop the energization.)

(Note)* Locking:

Due to the wear of the contact and deformation by transition, the facing contact surfaces are mechanically engaged so as to be difficult to detach.

Back to top

2. Outlines of Accidents on Appropriate Circulation Type Bath Water Heater

• 1 March 27, 1997, the accidental product used in a bathroom in the second floor of a house with a shop was burned and inside the bathroom was burned.

  (Information Provider: Sapporo City Fire Bureau)

• 2 April 2, 1997, flame ignited from the accidental product used in a bathroom on the first floor of an apartment house and burned a part of the bathtub.

  (Information Provider: Hokkaido Consumer Center)

Back to top

3. Matters Required Attention

Because Nissin Co., Ltd. was bankrupt, which made the measures by the announcement impossible, the users of this product should respond as follows.

1. （１）If you use the circulation type bath water heater, "Yu-Sen'nin (Model: NB3003)" of Nissin Co., Ltd. whose components (problem parts) were not replaced yet, immediately stop using it, because it has a possibility of causing smoking or ignition from the heater in using and in the worst case, causes a fire.
2. （２）In the future continuous use, improve the contact, etc. by a repairer specialized in electric products.