Recall of pressure-flush toilets impacts elderly housing complex

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 4/18/19

By JOHN HOWELL Flush the toilet and it sounds like a jet taking off. That's one feature of the toilets at the 481 units of elderly housing run by the Warwick Housing Authority. There could be another in the 26 units of the newest complex, Shawomet

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Recall of pressure-flush toilets impacts elderly housing complex

Posted

Flush the toilet and it sounds like a jet taking off.

That’s one feature of the toilets at the 481 units of elderly housing run by the Warwick Housing Authority. There could be another in the 26 units of the newest complex, Shawomet Terrace on West Shore Road.

The Shawomet Terrace units are outfitted with the Flushmate II 501-B model. According to Consumer Reports, that model has burst at installations around the country, causing the toilet tank to shatter and, in some cases, lacerating users.

The Consumer Reports story said there have been 1,453 reports of bursting units in the U.S. and Canada, resulting in 23 injuries.

Until a Shawomet Terrace tenant picked up on the story, the housing authority was not aware of the potentially faulty Flushmates, Michael Lyckland, housing authority director, said Wednesday. The authority checked into the story verifying that Flushmate has issued a recall of 501-B units manufactured from Sept. 3, 1996, to Dec. 7, 2013. The Shawomet Terrace units came as part of the toilets when the complex opened nine years ago.

Lyckland said the Flushmate units in other senior housing complexes run by the authority are older and are not part of the recall.

Lyckland said they are playing it safe, however.

“We’re double checking on the models,” he said.

As housing authority offices are at Shawomet, office toilets likewise are outfitted with the 501-B units.

“They’re noisy,” Lyckland said.

Lyckland said Flushmates give a “power flush with little water.” He also said because of the pressurized flush, there are fewer backups and clogged toilets.

Lycklund said the 501-B units would be replaced once replacements kits are received.

The Flushmates use compressed air to flush, which accounts for their loud whooshing sound.

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  • oldfogee

    Simple solution to a serious situation. "If you see something SAY something !"

    Thursday, April 18, 2019 Report this

  • oldfogee

    When I contacted Sloan Valve / Flushmate Div. it was the serial number that identified the recall not the model 501-B. My unit is 503 MODEL not the 501-B that was in the first recall.

    The Consumer Report mentioned that this is the second recall of the FLUSHMATE.

    Thursday, April 18, 2019 Report this