Thousands of Kidde smoke detectors are being recalled because of a defect in certain models that prevents the detectors from being able to do their job.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of the PI2010 and PI9010 models as they are apparently unable to detect the presence of smoke.
The recall notes that the affected models are easy to identify, as they have a pill shape across the front. If your smoke detector fits this description, the CPSC instructs you to remove it and check the back for the model name. Should it be a PI2010 or PI9010, inspect the inside of the unit for a yellow cap.
Those that have the yellow cap could be affected by the manufacturing error, compromising the ability of the sensor to detect smoke and running a risk that consumers would not be alerted in the case of a fire. The affected units can be replaced by visiting Kidde’s site. All other smoke detectors should be fully functioning.
The CPSC estimates that over 450,000 units of the affected models have been sold in the U.S., and an additional 40,000 in Canada. There have been no reports of incidents or injuries to date.