Fire and Burn Hazards Prompt Nite Lite Recall

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #06109) was formally reported on March 8, 2006. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. American Tack & Hardware Co. Inc. (AmerTac), of Saddle River, N.J. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 35.000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: An electrical short circuit in the nite lite can cause it to overheat and smolder or melt, which can burn consumers or result in 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: Consumers should stop using the recalled nite lites immediately. If the units are plugged into the wall, turn off the power at the circuit box and remove the light from the wall socket and contact th… — 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 20 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.