Safety Vacuum Release System Recalled by Vacless Systems Inc. for a Repair/Replace Program to Prevent Entrapment

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #11101) was formally reported on January 19, 2011. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Vacless Systems Inc., of Sylmar, Calif. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 1,600 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: Improper plastic material found inside the recalled product has been attributed to vacuum release failures which create an entrapment hazard to swimmers and bathers. 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 immediately stop using their pool or spa. Distributors and dealers are directly notifying consumers of the recall and the Vacless SVRS repair program. Pool owners/operators who have … — 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 15 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.