By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Goodman Manufacturing Co., of Houston, Texas, are urging consumers who haven’t yet responded to the previously announced 1998 recall to do so immediately.

After October 1, 2009, the remedy consumers receive will be reduced.

The recall included about 10,000 Plexvent and Ultravent HTPV pipe systems attached to certain Goodman furnaces manufactured from October 1988 to July 1994. See the commission’s news release for information on the models and brands involved.

The HTPV pipe used for these vents could be susceptible to corrosion, cracking, and joint separation, which could result in the release of carbon monoxide into living areas, posing a danger to consumers, according to the commission.

Consumers with valid claims initiated on or before October 1, 2009, with remediation completed and required documentation submitted by January 1, 2010, will receive one of the following:

• A new, professionally installed venting system free of charge.

• A new, high-efficiency Goodman furnace and suitable vent for the manufacturer’s price of just the furnace, with no charge for labor, associated materials, or dealer markup.

Consumers who register after October 1, 2009 and who choose to repair their systems will be responsible for up-front payment of parts, labor, and permits, and will be responsible for arranging to have the work performed. See the commission’s news release for details.

Consumers can find out whether they have a recalled HTPV pipe system by checking the vent pipes attached to their natural gas furnace. Vent pipes in this recall:

• Are plastic.

• Are gray or black.

• Have “Plexvent,” “Plexvent II,” or “Ultravent” stamped on the vent pipe or printed on stickers placed on pieces used to connect the vent pipes.

• Are located on furnaces and the pipes go through the sidewalls of structures.

Other plastic vent pipes, such as white PVC, are not included in the recall.

Owners of Goodman furnaces that are vented with HTPV pipe should immediately call Goodman at 800-394-8084 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

For more information on recalled consumer products, see www.recalls.gov.

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