Amber Willard
GLENDALE -- For the residents of a home whose attic was destroyed by a
furnace fire, the news came too late of a statewide warning about
problems with the brand.
Last month, a faulty horizontal furnace caused $25,000 damage to a
home in the 1600 block of Las Flores Drive, fire officials said.
Now fire and city officials have created information sheets for
residents, warning of the faulty furnaces as well as a problem with
furnace and boiler vent pipes.
The pipes -- high-temperature plastic vents, or HTPVs -- have been
recalled because they can crack and leak carbon monoxide, which can be
deadly, officials said. The pipes being recalled are gray or black
plastic and are labeled Plexvent, Plexvent II or Ultravent.
"These are on newer furnaces and boilers," Glendale Fire Marshal Steve
Howard said of the pipes.
The faulty horizontal furnaces, made by Consolidated Industries and
formerly Premier Furnace Co., were manufactured between 1983 and 1994.
They were installed mostly in attics and crawl spaces, Howard said.
"Over time, the furnace metal breaks down and the wood it's mounted on
dries out and catches fire," Howard said.
For information about the pipe recall, call (800) 758-3688.
For information about the furnaces, call (800) 638-2772.
Fact sheets about both problems are available at all Glendale fire
stations, the city's Building and Safety Department at 633 E. Broadway
and the Fire Prevention Bureau at 420 W. Harvard St.
