Schneider Electric Recalls About 1.6 Mln Electrical Panels

(RTTNews) - Schneider Electric USA Inc. is recalling about 1.6 million units of Electrical Panels for potential risk of thermal burn and fire hazards, a statement by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showed. These included about 289,000 units sold in Canada.

The company said the load center can overheat to pose thermal burn and fire hazards. It has received one report of an incident of a loose wire. However, no injuries or fires have been reported involving the recalled product.

The recall involves 70 types of indoor, outdoor and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Square D QO Plug-on-Neutral Load Centers, also known as, Load Centers, Breaker Boxes, Electrical Panels, that were installed in homes, recreational vehicles, or commercial establishments, including restaurants, manufacturing facilities and warehouses, commercial lighting and others.

The circuit breaker boxes were sold in gray and come in various sizes (square and rectangular). The recalled circuit breaker boxes were manufactured between February 2020 and January 2022, with date codes between 200561 and 220233. Circuit breaker boxes with covers that were manufactured between December 2019 and March 2022 are also included in this recall.

The recalled electrical panels were manufactured in the U.S. by Lexington, Kentucky-based Schneider Electric USA Inc.

The electrical panels were sold at authorized Schneider Electric distributors and home improvement and hardware stores nationwide and online including Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menard's from February 2020 through January 2022 for between $90 and $1,660.

The company has advised all purchasers, installers and consumers to immediately contact Schneider Electric to arrange to have the recalled load centers inspected by trained electricians to determine if replacement or repair is required. This inspection and any resulting replacement or repair is free of charge.

The company added that consumers should contact Schneider Electric for a free repair or replacement for uninstalled products. They can find the catalog number and date code on indoor load centers inside the door of the panel.

The company warned consumers who continue to use the load centers while awaiting the free repair to have working smoke alarms in their homes.