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Home Improvement Books Recalled by Oxmoor House Due to Faulty Wiring Instructions; Shock and Fire Hazards to Consumers

Reported: October 1, 2010 Initiated: October 1, 2010 #11701 About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010) units

Oxmoor House, Inc., of Birmingham, Ala. issued this CPSC recall on October 1, 2010. Classified as Moderate severity. Approximately About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010) units are affected. The recall was issued because: The books contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly ins…. This recall notice is sourced from official CPSC enforcement records. Below you will find the complete product description, hazard information, remedy instructions, and related recalls from the same manufacturer or product category.

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #11701) was formally reported on October 1, 2010. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Oxmoor House, Inc., of Birmingham, Ala. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010) 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: The books contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers. 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 these books and contact Oxmoor House for a full refund. — 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 16 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.

Recall Distribution by Severity Class

Severity1Class I (Critical)Class II (Moderate)Class III (Low)
Recall Distribution by Severity Class

Severity

Moderate

Units Affected

About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010)

Related Recalls

6

6 from same agency

Product Description

The recall involves the following 17 home improvement books. These titles are out of print and were last sold by retailers in 2005. However, they are likely still on bookshelves in consumers' homes. Title ISBN-10 ISBN-13 Publication Date Fix-It Maps: Replacing Switches and Receptacles 0-376-07007-2 978-0-376-07007-4 January 2000 Southern Living Basic Home Repairs 0-376-09052-9 978-0-376-09052-2 January 1999 Southern Living Basic Wiring (2nd Ed.) Southern Living Basic Home Wiring Illustrated (1st Ed.) 0-376-09054-5 0-376-09041-3 978-0-376-09054-6 978-0-376-0-90416 January 1999 June 1992 Southern Living Bathrooms Planning & Remodeling 0-376-09055-3 978-0-376-09055-3 January 1999 Southern Living Home Lighting 0-376-09062-6 978-0-376-09062-1 January 1999 Southern Living Kitchens Planning & Remodeling 0-376-09067-7 978-0-376-09067-6 January 2000 Sunset Basic Wiring (3rd Ed.) Sunset Basic Home Wiring Illustrated (1st & 2nd Ed.) 0-376-01584-5 0-376-01095-9 0-376-01092-4 978-0-376-01584-6 978-0-376-01095-7 978-0-376-01092-6 March 1995 1987 1977 Southern Living Complete Patio 0-376-09081-2 0-376-09044-8 978-0-376-09081-2 978-0-376-09044-7 January 2000 September 1992 Sunset Bathrooms Planning & Remodeling 0-376-01329-X 0-376-01294-3 0-376-01293-5 0-376-01326-5 0-376-01323-0 0-376-01322-2 0-376-01321-4 978-0-376-01329-3 978-0-376-01294-4 978-0-376-01293-7 978-0-376-01326-2 978-0-376-01323-1 978-0-376-01322-4 978-0-376-01321-7 January 2000 April 1994 October 1983 September 1980 1975 1969 1963 Sunset Home Lighting 0-376-01308-7 978-0-376-01308-8 January 1998 Sunset Home Lighting Handbook 0-376-01313-3 0-376-01312-5 978-0-376-01313-2 978-0-376-01312-5 May 1988 October 1982 Sunset Home Remodeling Illustrated 0-376-01288-9 978-0-376-01288-3 September 1987 Sunset Kitchens Planning & Remodeling 0-376-01347-8 0-376-01346-X 0-376-01345-1 0-376-01335-4 0-376-01334-6 0-376-01333-8 Not Available Not Available 978-0-376-01347-7 978-0-376-01346-0 978-0-376-01345-3 978-0-376-01335-4 978-0-376-01334-7 978-0-376-01333-0 Not Available Not Available January 2000 April 1994 October 1983 1976 1974 1967 1962 1955 Sunset Basic Home Repair Handbook (HC edition) 0-376-01275-7 978-0-376-01275-3 August 1987

Reason for Recall

The books contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately stop using these books and contact Oxmoor House for a full refund.

Details

Units Affected
About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010)

Recall Profile

Structured summary of the CPSC recall record
Attribute Value
Agency U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Severity class Moderate
Status Active
Recall number 11701
Date reported October 1, 2010
Date initiated October 1, 2010
Recalling firm Oxmoor House, Inc., of Birmingham, Ala.
Units affected About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010)
Distribution Not disclosed

Profile values are sourced directly from the official CPSC enforcement record. Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Scale of Impact

About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010) units affected — million-unit bracket.

Regional (<10K units)
Multi-state (10K – 100K units)
Large-scale (100K – 1M units)
Massive (≥1M units) ✓ This recall

Bracket cutoffs follow federal recall-disclosure conventions; bar widths scale linearly within each bracket. Source: PlainRecalls analysis of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission filings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What product was recalled?
The recall involves the following 17 home improvement books. These titles are out of print and were last sold by retailers in 2005. However, they are likely still on bookshelves in consumers' homes. Title ISBN-10 ISBN-13 Publication Date Fix-It Maps: Replacing Switches and Receptacles 0-376-07007-2 978-0-376-07007-4 January 2000 Southern Living Basic Home Repairs 0-376-09052-9 978-0-376-09052-2 January 1999 Southern Living Basic Wiring (2nd Ed.) Southern Living Basic Home Wiring Illustrated (1st Ed.) 0-376-09054-5 0-376-09041-3 978-0-376-09054-6 978-0-376-0-90416 January 1999 June 1992 Southern Living Bathrooms Planning & Remodeling 0-376-09055-3 978-0-376-09055-3 January 1999 Southern Living Home Lighting 0-376-09062-6 978-0-376-09062-1 January 1999 Southern Living Kitchens Planning & Remodeling 0-376-09067-7 978-0-376-09067-6 January 2000 Sunset Basic Wiring (3rd Ed.) Sunset Basic Home Wiring Illustrated (1st & 2nd Ed.) 0-376-01584-5 0-376-01095-9 0-376-01092-4 978-0-376-01584-6 978-0-376-01095-7 978-0-376-01092-6 March 1995 1987 1977 Southern Living Complete Patio 0-376-09081-2 0-376-09044-8 978-0-376-09081-2 978-0-376-09044-7 January 2000 September 1992 Sunset Bathrooms Planning & Remodeling 0-376-01329-X 0-376-01294-3 0-376-01293-5 0-376-01326-5 0-376-01323-0 0-376-01322-2 0-376-01321-4 978-0-376-01329-3 978-0-376-01294-4 978-0-376-01293-7 978-0-376-01326-2 978-0-376-01323-1 978-0-376-01322-4 978-0-376-01321-7 January 2000 April 1994 October 1983 September 1980 1975 1969 1963 Sunset Home Lighting 0-376-01308-7 978-0-376-01308-8 January 1998 Sunset Home Lighting Handbook 0-376-01313-3 0-376-01312-5 978-0-376-01313-2 978-0-376-01312-5 May 1988 October 1982 Sunset Home Remodeling Illustrated 0-376-01288-9 978-0-376-01288-3 September 1987 Sunset Kitchens Planning & Remodeling 0-376-01347-8 0-376-01346-X 0-376-01345-1 0-376-01335-4 0-376-01334-6 0-376-01333-8 Not Available Not Available 978-0-376-01347-7 978-0-376-01346-0 978-0-376-01345-3 978-0-376-01335-4 978-0-376-01334-7 978-0-376-01333-0 Not Available Not Available January 2000 April 1994 October 1983 1976 1974 1967 1962 1955 Sunset Basic Home Repair Handbook (HC edition) 0-376-01275-7 978-0-376-01275-3 August 1987. Recalled by Oxmoor House, Inc., of Birmingham, Ala.. Units affected: About 540,000 (About 951,000 home improvement books with similar faulty wiring instructions were recalled in January 2010).
Why was this product recalled?
The books contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers.
What should consumers do?
Consumers should immediately stop using these books and contact Oxmoor House for a full refund.
Which agency issued this recall?
This recall was issued by the CPSC on October 1, 2010. Severity: Moderate. Recall number: 11701.
How do I check if my product is affected by a recall?
Check the product description and recall number (11701) against your product. Visit the official CPSC website for the most current information. You can also use our Recall Checker tool to search by product name or brand.
How do I report an injury from a recalled product?
Report injuries to the issuing agency: CPSC at SaferProducts.gov, NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem, or FDA via MedWatch. Document the product (photos, model/serial numbers, purchase receipts) and seek medical attention. Injury reports help agencies track hazard patterns and may strengthen enforcement actions.

Recall Context

Product recalls are issued when a manufacturer, distributor, or federal agency determines that a product poses a safety risk to consumers. This recall is classified as moderate severity, indicating the product may cause temporary or medically reversible health consequences. Across PlainRecalls, we track 83,000+ recalls from FDA, CPSC, and NHTSA to help consumers stay informed and act quickly when safety issues arise.

Nearby Recalls in This Category

Other recalls in the same product category — useful for spotting patterns across the same defect class or manufacturer.

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Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: FDA, CPSC, NHTSA, USDA FSIS federal recall databases.

  • Source: FDA — Food and Drug Administration, openFDA Enforcement API (food, drug, and medical device recalls)
  • Source: CPSC — Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls API (consumer product recalls and hazards)
  • Source: NHTSA — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Recalls API (vehicle safety recalls)
  • Source: USDA FSIS — Food Safety and Inspection Service (meat, poultry, and egg product recalls)

Recall information is sourced from official federal agency databases. Always verify recall details with the issuing agency for the most current status. This information is for research and awareness purposes only.

All federal data sources used on this page

Source: Federal recall agencies (FDA, CPSC, NHTSA, USDA FSIS) Aggregated multi-agency recall feeds · 2024 Recall data normalized across federal agency feeds; severity classifications follow each agency's own taxonomy (FDA Class I/II/III; CPSC, NHTSA, USDA FSIS).