Summary Statement
Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) Rated 15 or 20 Amps, 125 volts manufactured between Jan. and August 2003 poses an electric shock hazard.
(SafetyAlerts)
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) notifies consumers, electricians,
contractors and manufacturers that the GFCI described below does
not meet current UL requirements and may pose a fire or electric
shock hazard to users. UL encourages users to stop using the GFCI
immediately and return it to the place of purchase. This information
below supersedes UL's Sept. 16, 2003 public notice.
Name of product: Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Rated
15 or 20 Amps, 125 volts.
Units: More than 135,000.
Manufacturer: Shanghai Meihao Electric, Inc of Shanghai, China.
The GFCIs are sold under the product name of The Designers Edge,
People International Business Inc., Preferred Industries and USI
Electric, Inc. UL believes the product may have been sold under
other names as well.
Date of manufacture: January 2003 to August 2003.
Hazard: The GFCI may not trip when a ground fault is present, resulting
in a risk of electric shock. The GFCI may pose a fire hazard when
subjected to a voltage surge commonly associated with a lightning
strike.
Identification:
On the GFCI: There will be a File Number and the date code "2003
X," with the "X" representing a number from 1 to
30. Checking the file number and date code is the best way to determine
if the product in your home is subject to this public notice.
On the packaging: The Company Name and Part Number (see below)
| Company Name | File Number | Part Number |
| Preferred Industries | E220379 | GFCILO-15, GFCILO-20 |
| Shanghai Meihao Electric, Inc | E220379 | MH15, MH20, MH20B |
| People International | E220379 | LT15, LT20 |
| The Designers Edge | E178961 | L-3200, L-3202 |
| USI Electric Inc. | E197052 | GF-715X, GF-716X, GF-720X, GF-721X series ICON-8158 and ICON-8208, USI-91XX and USI-92XX series (X will equal any number 0-9) |
The UL Listing Mark and the UL Mark for Canada may appear on the product and packaging. The UL Listing Mark and UL Mark for Canada is not authorized and the product is not considered Listed by UL or, its affiliate, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC).
Consumer Contact:
| Shanghai
Meihao Electric, Inc. |
58
Shane Road Jiangqiao Town Jiading Borough Shanghai China |
Tel:
+86 021-59143130 Fax: + 86 021-59143700 |
|
| The Designers Edge | 11730
N.E. 12th Street Bellevue, WA |
Tel:
+1-425-637-9601 Fax: +1-425-637-9603 |
www.designersedge.com |
| People
International Business Inc. |
Suite
#300 12304 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025 |
||
| Preferred Industries | 2001
NW 25th Avenue Pompano Beach, FL 33069 |
Tel: +1-954-972-9833 | |
| USI Electric, Inc. | 7-A,
Gwynns Mill Court Owings Mills, MD, 21117 |
Tel:
+1-800-390-4321 Fax: +1-410-363-2218 |
www.usielectric.com |
Sold at:
Electrical distributors and home centers since January 2003.
Remedy: If you believe that you may have a GFCI identified in this
notice, return it to the place of purchase. If the GFCI is already
installed in your home, stop using it immediately, contact a qualified
electrician to verify the marking and date code, and have it replaced
with a similarly rated UL Listed GFCI.
For technical inquiries from manufacturers, retailers, distributors
and inspection authorities, please contact: Donald Ackerman, Field
Reports Department, Tel: +1-847-664-2907 E-mail: Donald.H.Ackerman@us.ul.com.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit
organization that has evaluated products, materials and systems
in the interest of public safety for 108 years. More than 17 billion
UL Marks appear on products each year, and more than 18,000 types
of products are tested at UL's five U.S. laboratories. Worldwide,
the UL family of companies and its network of service providers
include more than 47 laboratory, testing and certification facilities.
