22E034 – Cracked LP Gas Quick Disconnect Fitting – Mr. Heater 1/4 Quick Connector Set

April 19, 2022 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 22E034000

Cracked LP Gas Quick Disconnect Fitting

A gas leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 22E034

Manufacturer Enerco Group, Inc.

Components EQUIPMENT

Potential Number of Units Affected 4,581

 

Summary

Enerco Group, Inc. (Enerco) is recalling certain Mr. Heater 1/4 Quick Connector Set with Shutoff Valve and Excess Flow Plug-Quick Disconnect; part number F276181 and 1/4 Quick Connector Hose Assemblies, with part numbers F271806 and 71806. The brass LP gas quick disconnect fittings may crack, causing a gas leak.

 

Remedy

Enerco will work with the vehicle manufacturers to replace the quick-disconnect fittings, free of charge. The recall began April 18, 2022. Owners may contact Enerco customer service at 1-800-964-4328.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 


IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL

 

Re: RV Aftermarket Products

 

Valued Enerco/Mr. Heater Customer,

This letter is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Enerco has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain brass female quick disconnects manufactured by one of our related companies which sells the components to RV OEM Manufacturers.

 

We have become aware in the past few weeks that the component may develop cracks in the brass when fastened via the female pipe threads. After an exhaustive effort to identify the problem and the source, we have determined the crack is not being introduced during the manufacturing process within our facility so the issue has escaped our quality inspections. The root cause for this crack has been identified as contamination and/or porosity in the brass from our 2nd tier brass sub-supplier. Our records at this point indicate the relevant window for products that may contain cracks were shipped between July 1, 2021 and April 20, 2022.

 

The affected components are a Mr. Heater 1/4 Quick Connector Set with Shutoff Valve and Excess Flow Plug-Quick Disconnect, Part Number F276181, and a 1/4 Quick Connector Hose Assembly, Part Numbers F271806 and 71806. If a crack develops in a quick disconnect, propane could leak outside the vehicle. A propane leak in the presence of an ignition source could cause a fire outside the vehicle.

 

We have reported this situation to NHTSA and wanted you to be aware that your company is referenced in our NHTSA filing. Our team will reach out in order to coordinate the return of inventory you have in your warehouse. We are working tirelessly on a replacement component that will be available under a new part number and our team will be in touch once that is available.

 

If any consumers contact you about this recall, please direct them to call 1-800-964-4328.

 

If you believe that Enerco has failed to remedy this defect adequately, you may contact NHTSA at: Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator; 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE; Washington, DC 20590. Alternatively, you may call the DOT Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Enerco is required to inform you that it is a violation of federal law for any dealer, distributor or retailer to sell or lease any new quick disconnect covered by this recall notice.

 

We apologize for the inconvenience this causes and are working quickly to develop a new robust design that will overcome any future issues.

 

Jeff Bush, President

ETP InternationaleBay logo, LLC.

 

Products:

F271806 Mr. Heater ¼” Quick Disconnect Hose Assembly
F276181 Mr. Heater Quick Disconnect
71806 Mr. Heater ¼” Quick Disconnect Hose Assembly

 


Amended Chronology (4/26/22)

 

February 15, 2022

Enerco’s affiliate Flex-Tech was contacted by an OEM RV Manufacturer to share information about several samples of cracked quick-disconnects.  This quick-disconnect has been sold in the RV OEM market since approximately January 2018 and in the aftermarket since approximately 2016.   Until this contact from the OEM RV Manufacturer, Enerco was aware of isolated claims of cracking, beginning in July 2021.

 

February 18, 2022

Enerco immediately started investigating the manufacturing process on behalf of Flex-Tech and found variation in the process of inserting the brass male nipple in to the quick disconnect.   Enerco:  (1) Found that UL/CSA spec allows  up to 18.5ft lbs insertion torque; (2) Determined to set torque insertion torque  at 12ft lbs; (3) Trained quality control inspectors to inspect for potential cracks that could have developed in the assembly process; (4) Implemented new plan on 2/21/22

 

April 5, 2022

Meeting at RV OEM on Wed April 5 who  reported consumer warranty claims related to QD cracking in Q3 2021; Q4 2021; Q1 2022

 

April 6-8, 2022

Flex-Tech team went in to several RV OEM facilities and found cracked QD’s in recent shipments (production dates 3/2 to 3/31)

 

April 7-8, 2022

Enerco team spent 2 days at plant reviewing and investigating cracked quick-disconnects from the plants that were brought back.

 

April 8, 2022

Enerco team cannot re-create a crack at any level of insertion torque up to 60 ft lbs.  Enerco reduced insertion torque from 12 ft lbs to 8ft lbs.  Flex-Tech and Enerco purged plant inventory and Flex-Tech re-started production at 8ft lbs insertion torque; to date Flex-Tech  has  not detected cracked quick-disconnects within its facility, and all assemblies are 100% leak tested at 60psi.  Enerco had an outside laboratory perform brass composition tests on recent cracked quick-disconnects as well as un-cracked samples going back to 2018 and found all met the brass material composition specification.

 

April 8-11, 2022

Enerco performed enhanced environmental (accelerated aging) chamber testing of quick-disconnects that were assembled with 8 ft lbs insertion torque and found no cracks.

 

April 12, 2022

Enerco detected porosity, contaminants, and carbon spots when reviewing the surface of cracks in the quick-disconnects.

 

April 11-19, 2022

Enerco continues to perform enhanced environmental chamber testing of quick-disconnects that were assembled at 8ft lbs insertion torque and have found no cracks.  However, on April 19, 2022, Enerco was informed of additional quick-disconnect units that have developed cracks and is continuing to investigate.  Enerco is working with the supplier to re-design a more robust quick-disconnect that will potentially begin production in late May 2022.

 

April 19-20

Enerco verified that 4 quick disconnects were identified that had developed a crack after being assembled with 8ft lbs insertion torque.

 

April 21

Enerco stopped adding quick disconnects to manifold assemblies and removed them from all manifolds within our facilities and replaced with a brass plug. RV OEM customers were notified of this change.

 


1 Affected Product

Equipment

BRANDPART NO.PRODUCTION DATES
ENERCO/ MR. HEATERQUICK CONNECTOR SET

 


18 Associated Documents

Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-22E034-8209.pdf 704.191KB

 


Recall 573 Report – 4/26/2022

RCLRPT-22E034-3008.PDF 215.223KB

 


Recall 573 Report – 4/27/2022

RCLRPT-22E034-6571.PDF 215.59KB

 


Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-22E034-8478.PDF 214.168KB

 


Recall 573 Report – 4/27/2022

RCLRPT-22E034-9309.PDF 215.572KB

 


Miscellaneous Document – Chronology

RMISC-22E034-1660.pdf 87.492KB

 


Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)-FlexTech QD Recall letter 4-18-22

RCMN-22E034-8680.pdf 104.967KB

 


Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)-FlexTech QD Recall letter Update 4-22-22

RCMN-22E034-2417.pdf 106.391KB

 


Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-22E034-2009.pdf 94.08KB

 


Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-22E034-6199.pdf 94.08KB

 


Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2022-2

RCLQRT-22E034-1364.PDF 211.122KB

 


Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2022-3

RCLQRT-22E034-0914.PDF 211.224KB

 


Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2022-3

RCLQRT-22E034-0097.PDF 211.222KB

 


Miscellaneous Document – Amended chronology

RMISC-22E034-5410.pdf 91.365KB

 


Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2022-4

RCLQRT-22E034-0253.PDF 211.312KB

 


Recall Quarterly Report #4, 2023-1

RCLQRT-22E034-8149.PDF 211.413KB

 


Recall Quarterly Report #5, 2023-2

RCLQRT-22E034-4035.PDF 211.515KB

 


Recall Quarterly Report #6, 2023-3

RCLQRT-22E034-8479.PDF 211.748KB

 


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