Several importers and distributors have issued a recall of low lead ball gas valves because they can crack and cause gas to leak. The result could be a fire and/or explosion causing serious burns, other personal injures and wrongful death.
Attorney Fred Pritzker and his recall lawsuit team recently won over $40 million for clients injured by another product. They are investigating this gas valve recall.
You can contact Fred for a free consultation here.
Below is the recall announcement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Name of Product: Low Lead Ball Valve/Shut-Off Gas Valves
Units: About 163,000
Importer/Distributor: Aqualine, of Corona, Calif.; AY McDonald Manufacturing Co., of Dubuque, Iowa; FNW, of Portland, Ore.; Hodes Co., of Kansas City, Mo.; Legend, of Auburn Hills, Mich; Leonard Valve, of Cranston, R.I. and Mueller of Memphis, Tenn.
Manufacturer: Fu San Machinery Co. Ltd., of Taiwan
Hazard: The valves can crack and cause gas to leak. This poses fire and explosion hazards.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall involves seven brands of sweat and threaded, low lead ball valves used in flammable gas piping systems used in commercial or residential settings. They are brass shut-off valves assembled with pipe lines of ¾ inch and 1 inch and have a date code 1103 through 1112, in YYMM format, where YY is the year and MM is the month. The date code is located under the valve handle. The pipe size is marked on the body of the valve. Fu San’s logo and the “O” marking designated for low lead valves are marked on the valves’ neck under where the handle assembles. The word “Taiwan” appears on the handle as a country of origin marking.
Sold by: Fu San Machinery directly to seven distributors nationwide from April 2011 through January 2012 for between $13 and $20.
Remedy: Consumers should turn off the gas supply until a replacement gas valve has been professionally installed. [Note: if someone has been injured or killed in a gas fire or explosion, you should contact an attorney and not contact Danville Sales.] Consumers should contact Danville Sales which, on behalf of Fu San Machinery, will provide compensation of $300 to reimburse customers for costs incurred to remove and return the valve and for purchasing and installing a replacement valve. The affected valve should be returned to the Danville Sales Office for Fu San Machinery with a photo depicting the valve in the gas line before removal and showing the date code on the valve, along with the address and details of the location where the valve was installed. The requested information, the recalled valve, and the consumer name and address should be sent to the address in the Consumer Contact paragraph. Upon receipt, Fu San will reimburse customers in the amount of $300.
Consumer Contact: Danville Sales Office for Fu San Machinery, 1101 N. Kings Hwy, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034; toll-free at (855) 779-9200, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday
The valves were sold under the following brand names and model numbers:
- Aqualine | BBV-075-LF | ¾ inch Threaded
- Aqualine | BBV-075S-LF | ¾ inch Sweat
- Aqualine | BBV-100-LF | 1 inch Threaded
- Aqualine | BBV-100S-LF | 1 inch Sweat
- AY McDonald | 72032S | ¾ inch Sweat
- AY McDonald | 72032T | ¾ inch Threaded
- FNW | FNWX410AF | ¾ inch Threaded
- FNW | FNWX410AG | 1 inch Threaded
- FNW | FNWX411F | ¾ inch Sweat
- FNW | FNWX411G | 1 inch Sweat
- Hodes Co. | 40-642 | 1 inch Threaded
- Hodes Co. | 40-662 | 1 inch Threaded
- Hodes Co. | 40-677 | ¾ inch Sweat
- Hodes Co. | 40-687 | ¾ inch Sweat
- Hodes Co. | 40-678 | 1 inch Sweat
- Hodes Co. | 40-688 | 1 inch Sweat
- Legend | T1002NL | 1 inch Threaded
- Leonard Valve | 83503 | ¾ inch Sweat
- Leonard Valve | 83504 | 1 inch Sweat
- Leonard Valve | 83538 | ¾ inch Threaded
- Leonard Valve | 83539 | 1 inch Threaded
- Mueller 107-844NL | ¾ inch Sweat
