CPSC, American Household Inc., (Formerly Sunbeam Corp.) Announce Recall of Star ME-1 Dry Fire Sprinklers, Administrative Lawsuit Settlement

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #03116) was formally reported on April 25, 2003. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Chemetron Corporation, an inactive subsidiary of AHI, of Boca Raton, Fla. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 60,000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: These sprinklers are defective and are likely to fail to operate in a fire, thereby exposing consumers to the risk of death or serious injury. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: AHI's sprinkler replacement reimbursement program has concluded. CPSC previously announced that Mealane Corporation voluntarily agreed to recall Star ME-1 sprinklers manufactured from 1961 through 19… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 23 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.