RECALL: Child Cabinet Locks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2010 Release #11-056

Firm's Recall Hotline: (866) 725-4407 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

The First Years® Recalls American Red Cross® Cabinet Swing Locks; Latches Can Fail to Prevent Access by Children

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: The First Years American Red Cross Cabinet Swing Locks
Units: About 41,300
Importer: Learning Curve Brands Inc. d/b/a The First Years, of Oak Brook, Ill.
Hazard: The installed latches can break and children could gain access to contents of a cabinet, posing the risk of exposure to hazardous items.
Incidents/Injuries: The First Years has received seven reports of latches breaking. No injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves The First Years American Red Cross cabinet swing locks with item number Y7181. The latches are mounted on cabinets or drawers to help prevent young children from gaining access and were sold two per blister card. An America Red Cross logo and "cabinet swing lock" is printed on the package. "American Red Cross" is molded onto the front of the lock. A date code is printed on the bottom of the back of the package and on the back side of each latch just above the connection point.
Sold at: Toys R Us, Babies R Us and other retail stores nationwide and on the Internet from September 2008 through September 2010 for about $4 per pair.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the latches from cabinets, record the date code on the back of each latch and contact The First Years to obtain a $5 coupon toward the purchase of another Learning Curve product. When removing the latches, consumers should take special care to store hazardous items out of reach of children.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact The First Years toll-free at (866) 725-4407 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.recalls.thefirstyears.com

The Inside Dirt on Oil Heater Tune Ups

They're Not the Same as Other Heating System Tune Ups!

Horizon Services' customers throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland rave about our EXCLUSIVE 21-Point Pre-Season Furnace Tune-Up. Over the summer, while it's inactive, your heater can accumulate dirt and dust. This can dramatically reduce your heating system's efficiency and is the leading cause of heating system breakdowns and malfunctions.

An annual tune-up of your heating system -- before the winter season kicks in -- is, undoubtedly, the smartest thing that you can do to minimize the likelihood of furnace breakdowns and keep your heating bills low. A tune-up can also extend the life of your heating system. And at just $89 for gas, electric and most furnaces and $189 for oil furnaces, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind and energy savings all winter long.

One of the most frequent questions we get at Horizon Services is: "Why does an oil heater tune up cost more than an electric heater or gas heater tune up?" There are several reasons:

1. Oil heaters are more complex than gas and electric heaters.


2. Oil heaters produce more soot and residue than other heaters.


3. Oil heaters tend to attract and retain more dirt and dust than other heaters.


4. While it usually takes about an hour to clean and tune up a gas or electric heater, it usually takes twice as long for an oil heater.


5. In order to give an oil heater the proper cleaning, it needs to be taken apart to have dirt and debris removed. There is more disassembly and reassembly required than with electric and gas heaters.


6. Oil heaters have several additional components that need to be replaced which are part of our tune up cost. These include the oil filter, the oil nozzle and the pump strainer.


7. Since an oil furnace is a very sensitive piece of equipment, it is important to have the air flow checked to ensure it is disbursing equally. Having too much air flow going into the unit will cause a lot of the heat to go up into the chimney without heating your home. Having too little air flow going into the unit can potentially cause a soot backup in your home.

Horizon Services backs up our Oil Heater Tune Up Offer with the best guarantee in the business: If your oil heater breaks down after our tune-up or if your heating bills rise this winter, we will refund your $189 or credit it to the necessary repair...NO QUESTIONS ASKED. If you have oil heat in your home, you can't beat that with a stick!


Related Information from Horizon Services...

• Horizon Heating Repair Services
• Horizon Heating/Cooling Installation & Replacement
• Horizon's 21-Point Pre-Season Furnace Tune Up Offer
• A Precision Tune-Up is Your Air Conditioner's Best Friend!

VP Biden unveils plan to score homes for energy efficiency

Just read an article in USA Today's GreenHouse blog about a coming program to test and improve energy efficiency in American homes:

"With the new Home Energy Score, consumers will find out how their home compares with others and how much money they could save by adding insulation, sealing air leaks or doing other upgrades. Nine U.S. communities will test the score, similar to a miles-per-gallon label for cars, before it's rolled out nationally next summer."

"Consumers will be able to seek up to $25,000 in federally insured, PowerSaver loans at or below market rates. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development expects up to 24,000 households will qualify for loans averaging $12,500 during the two-year pilot program, which starts early next year."

I'm hopeful that the SF Bay Area will be one of the nine U.S. communities in the pilot starting next year. I received the news from Recurve, of San Francisco. So maybe we will be selected.

Peggy