Fire Sprinkler Heads Are Target of Recall

Millions of fire sprinklers in buildings across America are being replaced because they might not work properly during fires, the manufacturer said Wednesday.

Central Sprinkler Co., which is owned by Tyco International Ltd., is providing free replacements for the sprinklers, said L. Dennis Kozlowski, Tyco’s chief executive. The company discovered the older sprinkler heads have O-ring seals that can corrode, he said.

“These are not defective heads, and this deterioration takes place over a very long period of time,” Kozlowski said.

Tyco will provide free replacements for all the recalled sprinklers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The first sprinklers replaced will be the oldest, those showing signs of damage or those in buildings such as nursing homes and hospitals.

The recall includes 167,000 additional sprinklers sold by Gem Sprinkler Co. and Star Sprinkler Inc., which also are owned by Tyco, the safety commission said.

The recalled fire sprinkler heads have the words “Central” or “Star,” the letters “CSC,” the letter “G” in a triangle, or a star-shaped symbol stamped on either the metal frame or the flower-shaped metal piece at one end of the sprinkler head.

People seeking more information should call Central Sprinkler at (800) 871-3492.

Building owners, however, shouldn’t shut off their sprinkler systems because of this recall, said Joseph Hirschmugl, a spokesman for Chicago-based Underwriters Laboratories, which provides safety certifications and has been testing the recalled sprinklers.

The recall includes more than 30 million sprinklers, many of which are of the GB--or glass-bulb--model or variety, USA Today reported Wednesday.

Last year, Underwriters Laboratories, the country’s largest testing organization, found that some glass-bulb sprinklers produced by Lansdale, Pa.-based Central Sprinkler leaked and failed to work at required water pressures. The testing organization recommended at the time that the sprinklers be replaced.

A San Francisco law firm has filed three suits in California and elsewhere seeking class-action status on behalf of those who live in buildings with the devices.

About 15% of the 135 sample sprinkler heads tested did not operate at a water pressure of 5 pounds per square inch, the pressure at which sprinklers are required to operate in order to earn an Underwriters Laboratories listing. The heads also failed to operate at 7 psi, the pressure required by National Fire Protection Assn. standards.