Safety notice has been issued concerning dangers of using cabinet heaters due to gas leakage
Fire safety personnel/inspectors are urged to alert residents in their districts that a safety notice has been issued concerning approximately 3,000 LPG-fired cabinet heaters that may present a safety hazard due to gas leakage.
Cosy-Glo Model 177 and Valorette Model 378 are manufactured by Valor International Ltd. in England. They have been involved in five known fire/explosion incidents, according to a news release that was issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The cabinet heaters were imported and sold between 1980 and 1982 by Valor America Heating Inc., an independent U.S. firm that has gone out of business. The heaters, which have been sold primarily in Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, were designed to be used with a 20-pound LPG (liquified petroleum gas) cylinder stored inside the cabinet. (All available LPG cylinders are intended for outdoor use.)
Not only is LPG dangerous when it is exposed to heat or flame, thus creating a potential fire and explosion hazard, but the gas may also vent into the environment due to expansion if the tank is overfilled. The olefinic impurities of LPG may result in a narcotic effect or the gas may act as an asphyxiant.
If this type of heater is installed and being fired by an LPG cylinder, it should be shut down, and the local gas company should be contacted to connect the heater to an outside gas source.
If a fire involving LPG should occur, carbon dioxide, dry chemical, or water spray should be used as the extinguishing agent.
Cabinet heaters are small heating units that operate like a type of space heater. They can be installed in or on the wall, or they can be placed on the floor of a room, explained Larry Hirschman, a compliance officer with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
