Recall of the Week: Home improvement books with errors that could cause electrical shock or fire hazards

 

About 951,000 home improvement books published by Oxmoor House Inc. of Birmingham, Ala., are being recalled.

The books contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The recall involves nine home improvement books, as listed below:

• "AmeriSpec Home Repair Handbook" – January 2006

• "Lowe’s Complete Home Improvement and Repair" – September 2005 and December 1999

• "Lowe’s Complete Home Wiring" – May 2008

• "Sunset Basic Home Repairs" – February 1995 and January 1975

• "Sunset Complete Home Wiring" – December 1999

• "Sunset Complete Patio Book" – January 2006, January 1998, and April 1990

• "Sunset Home Repair Handbook" – October 1998 and February 1985

• "Sunset Water Gardens" – January 2004

• "Sunset You Can Build – Wiring" – January 2009

Click here to see the ISBN numbers for these books.

Printed in the United States, the books were sold at home improvement stores and bookstores nationwide from January 1975 through December 2009 for between $13 and $35.

Consumers should immediately stop using these books and contact Oxmoor House for a full refund, the commission advises.

For additional information, contact Oxmoor House at 866-696-7602 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.sunsetrecall.com.

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Comments

[stove pipe]

I recently came across your blog. I thought I would leave my first comment. I have enjoyed your blog. Really a nice post here!

[Brown Cole]

1975? Wow! You can't imagine how many faulty wiring and fires those books have instigated. What's really surprising is it took this long for these books to be flagged for having life threatening errors. The logic is, say you're installing a home security alarm along with aluminum windows, Toronto houses have this by the way, and at the very first sign that things aren't going well you can safely say that the book is wrong. Or other would just call people, who for a living do window installation. Toronto has had it's share of faulty wiring in buildings. What I'm trying to say is, books cannot be blamed for human negligence.
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[AC installation largo]

Ohh really? This could be harmful and dangerous.