Exploding toilet tanks prompt recall of pressure-assisted flushing systems

Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Complaints about exploding toilet tanks has prompted a recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Flushmate II 501-B pressure-assisted flushing system can burst at weld seams and cause pressure that "can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank, posing impact and laceration hazards to consumers and property damage," the CSPC said in a recall statement.

Flushmate, a division of Illinois-based Sloane Valve Co., said it's received 1,446 reports of bursting systems since 1996, with nearly two dozen associated injuries. The exploding systems have also caused about $710,000 in property damage.

About 1.4 million systems were sold in the United States between 1996 and 2013, for about $108 per unit, and another 17,000 were sold in Canada.

Buyers were told by the CPSC to contact Flushmate at 844-621-7538 or www.flushmate.com for a free replacement unit. They were also advised to immediately turn off water systems and flush the toilet to release any internal pressure.

Recalled products have a 15-character code number visible on a label attached to the unit.

The products were sold by plumbing distributors, as well as by Lowe's and Home Depot. Another model, the Series 503 Flushmate III, was the subject of three recalls, in 2012, 2014 and 2016.