NITE Alert_71

1. Reasons for the emergency order being issued

• With these 7 models, the control box installed as a safety device broke down relatively shortly after purchasing due to a solder fracture, and gas ignition consequently failed. The design easily allows alterations to bypass the control box, which is also the safety mechanism, to ignite the gas. However, such an alteration will allow gas combustion to continue even if the power supply to the exhaust fan is interrupted. The result is imperfect combustion and the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• The products subject to the order are confirmed to be defective for the following reasons; (1) the safety devices, which are critical to safe operation of gas appliances, can easily breakdown, while the unit can be easily altered to bypass the safety device to allow ignition; (2) with the exception of one case, no alterations were found in any of the products of 11 other manufacturers who also produce forced exhaust type gas water heaters.
• Although aware of the risk of alteration, Paloma neglected to provide appropriate information to prevent accidents, and failed to instruct and alert consumers to the risk.
• The installation of more than 200 altered heater units are confirmed throughout country. These are believed to pose an imminent serious hazard to consumer's lives and health.

For these reasons, METI has issued an emergency order to Paloma Industries Ltd., based on Article 則82 of the Consumer Products Safety Law.

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1. Product detail

Fore more information;
National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE)
Product Safety Technology Center, Product Safety Investigation Division