Flushmate has received 1,446 reports in the United States of the recalled toilets bursting, resulting in about $710,000 in property damage, including 23 injury reports with 1 requiring foot surgery.
The recall involves about 1.4 million of the Flushmate II 501-B pressure-assisted flushing systems.
The system can burst at or near the vessel weld seam releasing stored pressure. This pressure can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank, posing impact and laceration hazards to consumers and property damage.
They were sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores, toilet manufacturers, distributors and plumbing contractors nationwide and online at www.grainger.com, www.hdsupply.com, www.homedepot.com and other online retailers from September 1996 through December 2015 for about $108 for the units without toilets.
The Flushmate II 501-B pressure-assisted flushing systems were installed inside toilet tanks. They were manufactured from September 3, 1996 through December 7, 2013.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Flushmate II 501-B systems, turn off the water supply to the unit and flush the toilet to release the internal pressure.
For more information, contact Flushmate toll-free at 844-621-7538 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, or online at www.flushmate.com and click on “501-B Recall” in the blue box on the top of the page.