Cut and paste from RV Daily, The issue with the popular Suburban Hot Water System licence suspension continues.
As of Friday, there had been no official update from the Australian Gas Association (AGA), only that tests were continuing in order to determine if more than a single hot water system was involved.
Then a letter to gas licence holders in Queensland from the Office of the Chief Inspector, Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate appeared on social media suggesting that the problem had indeed been found in more than one unit. The letter identified the following models and serial numbers in question:
Appliance Models affected Serial numbers affected
Suburban Recreational Vehicle Water Heaters SW6DEA
SW4DEA
SW4DECA
SW6PA
SW6DA
SW4DA
SW6DECA (Dual Fuel)
From 181315552 to 193002648
Manufactured from 4 April 2018 to 1 August 2019
The letter went on to offer instructions to installers and retailers that existing stocks were not to be sold. Any new caravans and motorhomes fitted with the particular system must not be handed over to new owners until the situation is resolved.
Unfortunately, this letter didnt offer any advice to consumers who currently own an RV that is fitted a hot water system with a serial number in the stated range. Given this serial number range represents over a years production, the number of affected caravans and motorhomes is likely to be significant.
This morning, a letter from the Australian distributor for Suburban, Coast to Coast RV, advised their retailers that they had decided that the best course of action moving forward is to initiate a recall of selected Suburban hot water services (SW6PA, SW6DA, SW6DEA, SW4DEA, SW4DECA and SW6DECA) available for sale to the RV industry between 4 April 2018 and 25 September 2019.
The recall will involve an in the field inspection of the hot water service and possible remedial works. Further information regarding this will be included in our next bulletin once the potential remedial works have been finalised. Please note that not all Suburban hot water services will be affected by this recall and well be in a position to release the range of affected serial numbers within the next 24-48 hours.
Further information regarding the recall will be released in the next few days. Suburban and Coast to Coast are currently working with the AGA and relevant regulators to lift the suspension on certificate AGA4624 allowing us to resume supply of Suburban hot water services that are not affected by this recall to the Australian market.
As yet no official recall notice has been issued, however, if you do have a caravan or motorhome fitted with one of the Suburban units within the serial number range, common sense suggests you should do the following:
1. Turn off your hot water system
2. Close the gas isolation valve to the hot water system itself
3. Do not use the hot water system until the situation is resolved
4. Monitor the ACCCs Product Safety Australia website for official recall notices www.productsafety.gov.au
In my opinion, the Australian Gas Association have handled this suspected fault in the most inefficient and dangerous way. I have contacted them several times and just got a Pro Forma reply basically stating they are investigating. There have been no updates to my email query. I did find out through my gas installer NOT THE PATHETIC AGA that my particular model with a prefix of 17xxxxx is not affected. But at no time have the put out an industry-wide warning about which units have a suspected fault. It is apparently all due to one Suburban heater "blowing up" although even that assumption is purely an assumption as AGA wants to keep all secret. If anyone else has a problem where their Suburban water heater "blow up" I strongly suggest they sue the pants of AGA for not informing the public of a potential fault. Try googling Suburban water heater fault +AGA you will find bugger all. I am really annoyed by AGA's lack of professionalism. You will find a report from RV DAaily which tells you nothing about the fault and that is should be solved in the next few days THAT IS A 10 DAY OLD POST... As i said the secrecy around this alleged fault is paramount to negligence
Mike Harding said
03:01 PM Oct 20, 2019
>As i said the secrecy around this alleged fault is paramount to negligence
Having designed many safety critical systems and been involved in the standards process I do not disagree.
My understanding, from the net, is that it is a CO issue?
That they have quoted a range of serial numbers suggests a component fault or (bad) change in the manufacturing process rather than an inherent design issue.
can't complain it was '05 model not a bad innings.
Darjak
As of Friday, there had been no official update from the Australian Gas Association (AGA), only that tests were continuing in order to determine if more than a single hot water system was involved.
Then a letter to gas licence holders in Queensland from the Office of the Chief Inspector, Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate appeared on social media suggesting that the problem had indeed been found in more than one unit. The letter identified the following models and serial numbers in question:
Appliance Models affected Serial numbers affected
Suburban Recreational Vehicle Water Heaters SW6DEA
SW4DEA
SW4DECA
SW6PA
SW6DA
SW4DA
SW6DECA (Dual Fuel)
From 181315552 to 193002648
Manufactured from 4 April 2018 to 1 August 2019
The letter went on to offer instructions to installers and retailers that existing stocks were not to be sold. Any new caravans and motorhomes fitted with the particular system must not be handed over to new owners until the situation is resolved.
Unfortunately, this letter didnt offer any advice to consumers who currently own an RV that is fitted a hot water system with a serial number in the stated range. Given this serial number range represents over a years production, the number of affected caravans and motorhomes is likely to be significant.
This morning, a letter from the Australian distributor for Suburban, Coast to Coast RV, advised their retailers that they had decided that the best course of action moving forward is to initiate a recall of selected Suburban hot water services (SW6PA, SW6DA, SW6DEA, SW4DEA, SW4DECA and SW6DECA) available for sale to the RV industry between 4 April 2018 and 25 September 2019.
The recall will involve an in the field inspection of the hot water service and possible remedial works. Further information regarding this will be included in our next bulletin once the potential remedial works have been finalised. Please note that not all Suburban hot water services will be affected by this recall and well be in a position to release the range of affected serial numbers within the next 24-48 hours.
Further information regarding the recall will be released in the next few days. Suburban and Coast to Coast are currently working with the AGA and relevant regulators to lift the suspension on certificate AGA4624 allowing us to resume supply of Suburban hot water services that are not affected by this recall to the Australian market.
As yet no official recall notice has been issued, however, if you do have a caravan or motorhome fitted with one of the Suburban units within the serial number range, common sense suggests you should do the following:
1. Turn off your hot water system
2. Close the gas isolation valve to the hot water system itself
3. Do not use the hot water system until the situation is resolved
4. Monitor the ACCCs Product Safety Australia website for official recall notices www.productsafety.gov.au
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/safety_warning_to_owners_of_caravans.pdf
>As i said the secrecy around this alleged fault is paramount to negligence
Having designed many safety critical systems and been involved in the standards process I do not disagree.
My understanding, from the net, is that it is a CO issue?
That they have quoted a range of serial numbers suggests a component fault or (bad) change in the manufacturing process rather than an inherent design issue.