Carrier Air-V heater strip Recall

I recieved a letter from Carrier today stating that the heater strips in the Carrier Air-V air conditioning units (manufactured after May 2007) have been recalled due to a fire hazard. (NHTSA Recall # 09E-053)

Carrier will issue a retrofit kit that will be available after December 15, 2009.
They advise that the heater should be disconnected and not used due to the potential fire hazard.

Carrier will provide for a rework at no charge for parts or labor.

Here is a link to a notice that I Goggled: http://www.allworldauto.com/recalls...RIER_AIRV_CEILING_ASSEMBLY_recall_100225.html

John

Will have to watch now to see if the Dometic heat strips also have a problem.

For what it's worth, I read yesterday on one of the RV industry web sites that Carrier has decided to get out of the RV air conditioning business. See story below.

It's too bad, as I heard their units were pretty nice. Guess Dometic is back to being a near lone ranger in this space again. Maybe Coleman branded units are still out there. Not sure who makes them.

Jim

Carrier Transicold to Exit RV Market in Mid-December


http://www.rvbusiness.com/2009/11/carrier-transicold-to-exit-rv-market-in-mid-december/print/
November 2, 2009 by Bob Ashley RV Business News




Air-conditioner manufacturer Carrier Transicold, Farmington, Conn., will stop supplying RV OEMs with units in mid-December.
”We are fulfilling orders through Dec. 18,” said John Shaw, Carrier communcations manager. ”It was the result of an in-depth strategic review of the business. We decided it was the right thing to do.”
The company’s primary product in the RV industry was the AirV air conditioner, but Carrier also provided furnaces and combination AC/furnace units to RV manufacturers.
Shaw said that the RV industry’s current downturn, from which there are signs of recovery, wasn’t totally responsible for the decision.
”There were a lot of factors,” he said. ”It’s a small business for us,” Shaw said, noting that the company will continue to honor its two-year parts and labor warranties at about 400 service centers throughout the U.S.

Any possibility that Carrier will sell off the unit to another party or are they simply discontinuing the business?

I finally got around to calling Carrier for the replacement heat strip. They sent it FedEx and I got it in two days. It only took five minutes to replace. It was about 95 degrees today so the thermostat wouldn't allow it to come on, so I'll have to wait for it to cool down to test it and make sure it works.

John