Weil-McLain and CPSC recall Ultra Series boilers for CO hazard

WASHINGTON — WeilMcLain and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in November announced a voluntary recall of Weil-McLain Ultra Series gas boilers. About 16,000 of the units are in use. The CPSC said that consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

These boilers were manufactured for use with natural gas but could have a blue tag incorrectly indicating to installers that they are intended for use with liquid propane gas. If an installer connects one of the boilers to LP gas without installing a propane conversion kit, carbon monoxide can build up due to incomplete combustion, posing a risk of CO poisoning.

Weil-McLain said it is aware of one incident where two consumers reported CO poisoning when the boiler installed in their home was connected to LP gas.

The recall involves Weil-McLain Ultra 80, Ultra 105, Ultra 155, Ultra 230 and Ultra 310 condensing, high-efficiency, gas-fired boilers. The user's manual and installation manual have "Ultra Gas-Fired Water Boiler" on the cover. The boilers are wrapped in a glossy silver/flat black jacket and either stand on the floor or are wall-mounted. The serial numbers range from CP5071716 through CP5327000. When the panel on the front of the boiler is removed, a bar-coded label with the serial number is located on the lower right hand side of the boiler itself. "Weil-McLain" is written on the front panel of the boilers.

Plumbing and heating wholesalers sold the boilers to plumbers and contractors nationwide from May 2005 through July 2006 for between $4,000 and $7,000.

Dave Dolan, Weil-McLain's vice president/marketing, said contractors can obtain a propane conversion kit from the company's Michigan City, Ind., headquarters by calling the firm's Technical Services Department at 219/879-6561. Technical Services will ship the orifices.

"If a change-out is necessary on an installed boiler that is affected by this notice, a contractor should change the orifice and fill out the orifice conversion report form, and they will be compensated for one hour of labor and their travel rate," Dolan said. "If no changeout is needed after they have inspected the boiler, they should fill out an orifice conversion report form, and they will receive a check for 30 minutes of labor plus their travel time."

The company is most interested in capturing the CP number, WeilMcLain's serial number, for all the boilers inspected, Dolan said.

If a dealer has any questions he should contact his Weil-McLain sales rep or sales office, call the company's technical service line or contact his local distributor, Dolan said

Consumers are being told that if they have a Weil-McLain Ultra series boiler installed for use with propane and have not already been contacted by their installer, they should contact the contractor for a free safety inspection. If the boiler was not installed with a propane conversion kit, one will be installed at the time of the inspection at no charge to the consumer.

Heating professionals can contact Weil-McLain Technical Services at 219/879-6561 for more information. Weil-McLain can also be contacted toll-free at 866/426-6172 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CST Monday through Friday, or on the Web at www.weil-mclain.com.