CPSC, Honeywell Sensing and Controls Announce Recall of Thermal Switches

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #05548) was formally reported on March 8, 2005. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Honeywell Sensing and Controls, of Freeport, Ill. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 113,500, including about 12,200 that were installed in buildings units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: When these switches are used in fire or HVAC dampers and heat detectors, they could fail to operate, causing the damper not to close or causing the heat detector not to alarm, if there is a fire. 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: Honeywell Sensing and Controls will provide a free replacement switch. — 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 21 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.