FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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1. What furnaces are included in the CPSC program and the Salah Class Action settlement?

2. What is the difference between the CPSC program and the Salah Class Action settlement? Am I eligible to participate in both?

3. Where can I find the brand name, model and serial number of my furnace?

4. How can I tell if my furnace is horizontally-mounted?

5. What does it mean for a furnace to be gas-fired?

6. What is a NOx rod?

7. Why is the corrective action plan necessary? What is wrong with the furnaces affected by this program?

8. What are my options if my furnace qualifies for the CPSC program?

9. What is this going to cost me?

10. May I continue to use my furnace before it is inspected?

11. When will I be contacted for my inspection?

12. I want my furnace repaired/replaced immediately. Can I have my own service provider do the work and get reimbursement?

13. My furnace is not installed in California, but it has the same brand name and model number as some furnaces that are included in the corrective action program. What should I do?

14. I am a California resident, and I have a horizontally-mounted gas-fired furnace, but it is not one of the participating brand names and models. What should I do?

15. I left my information on this website more than four weeks ago, and I still have not heard from an inspector. What should I do?

1. What furnaces are included in the CPSC program the Salah Class Action settlement?

Included in these programs are certain NOx rod-equipped horizontally-mounted gas-fired furnaces manufactured by Consolidated Industries, Inc. for sale in California, and then distributed by other companies under various brand names from 1983-1995. You will need to know the brand name and model number for your furnace to determine whether it qualifies for the programs described in this website. (You also should locate the furnace serial number, if possible, as this information will be useful in processing your claim.) Once you have identified the make and model number of your furnace, click here to determine if your particular furnace is in the program.

2. What is the difference between the CPSC program and the Salah Class Action settlement? Am I eligible to participate in both?

The CPSC program covers NOx rod furnaces that were distributed by any of seven different companies in California: Amana Company, American Standard Inc., Bard Manufacturing, Carrier Corporation, Goettl Air Conditioning Inc., Goodman Manufacturing Company, and Heat Controller, Inc. Under the CPSC program, owners of such furnaces may be entitled to, among other things, free inspections and/or replacement of their furnace (net installation costs).

The Salah class action only involves furnaces distributed by four different companies, who were actually named as defendants in that litigation: Amana Company, American Standard Inc., Bard Manufacturing and Goettl Air Conditioning Inc. Under the settlement, current owners of such furnaces receive the CPSC remedy; in addition, former owners of the furnaces may be eligible for cash compensation for furnaces that were replaced on or before June 29, 2001, other conditions being met.

If your NOX rod furnace was distributed in California by Amana, American Standard, Bard, or Goettl, then you are eligible to participate in both the CPSC program and the class action settlement. If your furnace was distributed by Carrier, Goodman, or Heating Controller, then you only may participate in the CPSC program.

To determine which company distributed your furnace, click here.

3. Where can I find the brand name, model and serial number of my furnace?

The brand name, model and serial number are written on a label on an outside panel of the furnace. If you are facing the front of the furnace, the panel with this information is usually (but not always) located on the upper right side of the furnace. To see pictures depicting a typical label and its location on the furnace, click here.

If you cannot gain access to your furnace, you still may be able to identify the brand name and model number by reviewing any materials that were supplied with the furnace when it was installed in your home. If you purchased your home new, your builder or contractor may have this information (or the development manager, if you live in a development). If you have had your furnace inspected and serviced on an annual basis, as is typically recommended by the manufacturer, then your serviceperson may have this information.

Finally, if you are unable to obtain the brand and model number from any of these sources, you should ask a furnace dealer to send a serviceperson to your home to obtain this information directly from your furnace. Please note that dealers typically charge for such service calls, and you will be solely responsible for the any charges in connection with a service call that you arrange to determine if your furnace is in the program.

4. How can I tell if my furnace is horizontally-mounted?

If your furnace has a brand name and model number that is in the corrective action program, then it is a horizontally-mounted furnace. Horizontally-mounted furnaces typically are wider than they are tall. (If your furnace is taller than it is wide, then it is not in the program.) To see pictures of a horizontally-mounted NOx rod furnaces, click here.

5. What does it mean for a furnace to be gas-fired?

All furnaces use energy of some sort to generate heat. Electricity and gas are the two most common types of energy used by residential furnaces. If your furnace is fueled by gas, then it is gas-fired. If your furnace uses electric heating elements or fuel oil, then it is not included in the program.

6. What is a NOx rod?

A NOx rod is a steel rod that was installed above each burner in the furnaces covered by the voluntary corrective action plan. The steel rods were added to the furnaces sold in California to satisfy air quality regulations in some parts of that state that limit nitrogen oxide emissions.

7. Why is the corrective action plan necessary? What is wrong with the furnaces affected by this program?

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC") believes that the NOx rods in these units may cause furnace deterioration that presents a risk of fire. For more information regarding the CPSC's concerns, you may visit the CPSC web page at www.cpsc.gov.

8. What are my options if my furnace qualifies for the CPSC program?

If your furnace qualifies for the program, then the company that distributed your furnace will arrange for an authorized dealer to inspect your furnace, at no cost to you. If the inspector determines that your furnace is not damaged and/or that any damage is limited to the burners of the furnace, then you will have the following options:

(1) you will be entitled to have a new set of non-NOX rod burners installed in your furnace at no cost to you, or

(2) you may receive a free new replacement furnace (of like capacity), although you will be required to pay any installation costs for the new furnace.

In addition, any heat-related damage found adjacent to your furnace will be repaired at no cost to you. If the burners, upon inspection, are found to have cracked or opened up, then the inspector also will inspect the furnace's heat exchanger. If the inspector determines that the heat exchanger is damaged, then you will be offered the following choice:

(1) the inspector will replace the burners and the heat exchanger at no cost to you, or

(2) you may receive a free new replacement furnace (of like capacity), but you will be responsible for any installation costs for the new furnace.

9. What is this going to cost me?

Inspection of and repairs to qualifying furnaces will be provided to you at no charge (except for any installation costs if you opt to receive a free new replacement furnace). Heat-related damage found adjacent to your furnace will also be repaired at no cost to you. You will be responsible for any charges incurred if the inspector does any additional work on your furnace or heating system that is not covered by this program. Further, you will be responsible for the cost of the inspection if the inspector determines that your furnace is not included in the program (i.e., because you provided an inaccurate brand name or model number).

10. May I continue to use my furnace before it is inspected?

We cannot advise whether you should continue using your furnace until we inspect it. All furnaces (whether or not they contain NOx rods) should be inspected and/or serviced on an annual basis in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. If your furnace has been inspected and/or serviced within the last year, then you may wish to contact your dealer or serviceperson with this question. If you have not consistently maintained and serviced your furnace, then you should discontinue using it until it has been inspected.

11. When will I be contacted for my inspection?

You should be contacted within two to four weeks after providing all the information needed to process your request. This necessary information includes, at minimum: your name, address, your day and evening phone number, the brand name of your furnace, and the model number of your furnace. If you do not provide complete or accurate information, processing of your request may be delayed.

12. I want my furnace repaired/replaced immediately. Can I have my own service provider do the work and get reimbursement?

You will not be eligible for reimbursement under the voluntary corrective action program for any work on your furnace (including any inspection, repair or replacement) that you arrange to have done independently. In order to receive the free inspection, repair and/or replacement of your furnace (net installation costs), you must provide the information requested on this website and wait for the inspector to contact you.

13. My furnace is not installed in California, but it has the same brand name and model number as some furnaces that are included in the corrective action program. What should I do?

A small number of NOx rod-containing furnaces were sold to consumers outside the state of California. If you have such a furnace, it is not included in the corrective action program. However, we encourage you to provide us with information about your furnace. It will be forwarded to the company that distributed your furnace, and that company will contact you to discuss your options. To provide information about your furnace, click here.

14. I am a California resident, and I have a horizontally-mounted gas-fired furnace, but it is not one of the participating brand names and models. What should I do?

A large number of NOx rod furnaces that were manufactured by Consolidated were distributed by companies that are not participating in this corrective action plan. If you believe that you have such a furnace, you may wish to contact the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) and/or discuss your situation with your authorized furnace dealer or repairperson.

15. I left my information on this website more than four weeks ago, and I still have not heard from an inspector. What should I do?

We are very sorry for the delay. Please click here to leave additional information, and we will arrange for someone to contact you as soon as possible.