A. O. Smith Recalls Water Pump Motors Due to Fire Hazard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #08309) was formally reported on June 24, 2008. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. A.O. Smith Electrical Products Co., of Tipp City, Ohio is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 6,750 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The water pumps with the recalled motors are labeled as containing a one-horsepower motor, but actually contain a 3/4-horsepower motor. Under certain conditions, the smaller motor could overheat, posing a fire hazard to… 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 units immediately and contact A. O. Smith to arrange for a free replacement of any pumps with affected motors or any affected replacement motors. — 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. 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 18 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.