Triangle Tube announces water heater recall

WASHINGTON — Triangle Tube/Phase III and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in early September announced a voluntary recall of about 3,000 Delta Performance or Delta Performance Plus Series Combination Water Heaters.

The burner plate and flue hood seal on the water heaters can fail due to an improper seal causing a leak of flue gases and carbon monoxide. This poses the risk of CO poisoning to consumers inside the house, according to the announcement.

Triangle Tube has received one report of a flue leak with the recalled combination water heater during installation. No injuries have been reported.

"After several years in service, the integrity of the original seal at the burner plate and flue hood on all Delta Performance and Performance Plus combination heaters has come into question," Douglas S. Dodds, vice president/sales, wrote to his manufacturers reps and wholesalers. "As a precaution, Triangle Tube has determined that they may require an upgrade.

"We have created a retrofit kit to be installed on all units in the field to ensure a proper seal at the flue hood and burner plate," he wrote. "Kit instructions and a completion form are enclosed. Once a kit has been installed, and we receive a completed form, we will mail the contractor a check for $150."

The Triangle Tube retrofit part number is PGRKIT40, Dodds said, and he urged the wholesalers to order as many as they need.

Dodds also sent a recall letter to all homeowners of record who own the water heaters.

The recalled Delta Performance or Delta Performance Plus Series Combination Water Heaters operate on natural or propane gas. The water heaters are white and rectangular. "Triangle Tube" is written on the silver-colored control panel. " Delta" is printed on the front of the water heater.

The burner is located under a white or gray cover that protrudes outward at the bottom front of the heater. The model and serial numbers are located on the rating plate on either the front or the right side of the water heater.

The recalled units are Models PG-25, PG-30, PG-35, PG-40, PG-45, PG PLUS-25, PG PLUS-30, PG PLUS-35, PG PLUS-40 and PG PLUS-45, with serial numbers 1148 to 6203.

Wholesalers sold the water heaters to independent plumbing and heating contractors from August 2001 to January 2006 for about $3,500.

"We believe that this program is an important step in our commitment to product quality and safety," Dodds said.

Additional information is available by calling Triangle Tube at 800/ 856- 6271 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or by visiting www.triangletube.com