CPSC, AnnounceGE Security Inc. Retrofit/Recall of Smoke Detector Systems

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #05526) was formally reported on December 22, 2004. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. GE Security Inc., of Austin, Texas is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate Approximately 246,800 smoke detectors units are affected, a scale large enough to require multi-state distribution tracking.

The documented reason for this recall is: The smoke alarms can fail to activate during a fire or emergency, if installed in combination with certain control panels. 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: Consumers should contact their system installer or service provider to arrange for a free repair or replacement to make the smoke detectors and control panel systems compatible. — 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 6 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 22 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.