CPSC, Firms Announce Recall of On/Off Switches for Rope and Cable Lights
PRODUCT: Cable Light Switches - Light Tech, of Grand Rapids, Mich., is recalling about 350,000 on/off switches that were included in cable lights packages. "Cable lights," also known as rope lights, are lights inside a plastic cord used for decorative lighting. The on/off switches for the cable lights were included as an optional accessory for consumers to attach to the power cords. They consist of a rectangular white plastic box about 1¼ inches long. The box contains a wheel-type switch through the middle that rotates to turn the power on and off.
The switches were included in 36-inch and 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24-foot lengths in power pack kits, which are designed for use with bulk cable lights. The cable lights are clear and have the words "Cable LightsTM" written on the plastic tubing.
Home center stores, including Home Depot, Lowe's, and other lighting showrooms, sold these cable light and power cord kits nationwide from September 1997 through October 2000 for about $12 to $65 for the Cable Lights and $7 to $9 for the power cord kits.
PROBLEM: If the cable lights are plugged in, even if the lights are not lit, the recalled switch on the power cord could allow the cable lights to remain energized. This poses a potential electric shock hazard to consumers.
INCIDENTS/INJURIES: None reported.
WHAT TO DO: Consumers should not install the power switch supplied with the cable lights. If the switch is already installed, stop using the lights immediately and unplug them. Consumers that have cable lights with on/off switches installed should call Light Tech toll-free at (800) 485-3080 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to receive a free replacement power cord.
Cable lights that do not have on/off switches or have a green dot are not included in the recall.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from
unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer
products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product
or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or
CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at
http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. For information on CPSC's fax-on-demand
service, call the above numbers or visit the web site at
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/103.html. To order a press release through
fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine
and enter the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and
recall information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.
