SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20230206-A24DD-2147350908. Severity: No Incident, No Injury. Product: Eccotemp i12-LP (Eccotemp i12-LP). Incident: Eccotemp i12-LP tankless hot water heater. This unit has a product design defect that allows cold air in through the included venting chimney causing the unit to freeze up even when installed within a temperature controlled room. The cold air enters the chimney vent and sinks down into the heat exchanger causing it to freeze as there is nothing to prevent the air from entering. This causes the unit to burst, potentially spraying hot water while also flooding the room in which it is installed. This, in turn, creates other hazards such as potential electrocution and electrical fire. Manufacturer does not mention in literature that units should not be installed where subject to freezing. Retailers continue to sell this unit in states where freezing temperatures are common. Manufacturer's fix is to "winterize" the unit shutting off water to it and draining any time temperatures drop below freezing even though the unit is required to be installed indoors and the structure is heated. This, in effect, makes the units useless in Wisconsin 8 out of 12 months of the year. The manufacturer refused warranty on the project, refused to provide a re-engineered product, and offered the solution to fix it using [REDACTED]!. These units should be recalled and not allowed to be sold for permanent installation in any state that is subject to freezing temperatures.