Hearth Extinguishing Ball Producer Says Security Company Doesn’t Perceive How Its Product Works

The Thai producer of the Elide Fire Extinguishing Balls, a product that claims to activate mechanically in case of a fireplace and launch fireplace retardant chemical compounds to assist put it out, is pushing again on warnings from U.S. government officials that state its product is unsafe and may result in demise.

Nattapornsit Kaimart, the managing director of Elide Fire in Thailand, informed Gizmodo on Monday that the corporate felt that the Shopper Product Security Fee had misunderstood the aim and performance of its product. Final week, the CPSC warned customers of the danger of harm, burns, smoke inhalation, and demise related to the usage of Elide’s Hearth Extinguishing Balls, stating that the merchandise can fail to extinguish a hearth.

In its warning, the U.S. company urged prospects to cease utilizing and shopping for Elide’s Hearth Extinguishing Balls and take the merchandise they’ve readily available to their native fireplace division or hazardous waste facility for disposal. The CPSC cited the product’s failure to stick to UL 299 and UL 711, requirements regarding dry chemical fireplace extinguishers and ranking of testing of fireplace extinguishers, in its advisory.

Nevertheless, Kaimart stated the reference to those requirements, and evaluating the Hearth Extinguishing Balls to fireplace extinguishers generally, was misguided as a result of Elide’s merchandise aren’t fireplace extinguishers.

“Our product represents a definite class of fireplace extinguishing units and shouldn’t be instantly in contrast with conventional fireplace extinguishers,” Kaimart stated. “This differentiation is key to understanding the distinctive capabilities and supposed use of our product, which can not align with the analysis standards sometimes utilized to traditional fireplace extinguishers.”

Kaimart defined that Elide’s Hearth Combating Balls are designed to be put in at key danger factors, such because the kitchen and above electrical control panels within the dwelling, the place they “activate mechanically and suppress fires with out the necessity for human intervention.” He added that the ball will also be utilized in emergency conditions the place people can throw a ball into the fireplace and cease the fireplace from spreading or put it out.

Moreover, Kaimart stated that it’s unclear whether or not the merchandise the CPSC was referencing had been manufactured by Elide Hearth, stating that the merchandise analyzed could also be counterfeits.

Along with references to UL 299 and UL 711, the CPSC referenced the Elide Hearth Extinguishing Ball’s lack of a stress indicator, closing valve, or nozzle to direct the discharge. Altogether, Kaimart stated this displays a “basic misunderstanding of the product’s class and goal.”

The Elide Hearth government went on to say that the CPSC’s assertion concerning the product’s failure to extinguish a hearth was made “utilizing the testing requirements relevant to conventional fireplace extinguishers, particularly UL 299 and UL 711.”

“Our fireplace extinguishing ball is distinct from conventional fireplace extinguishers; it operates on a unique precept and is designed for various use instances. Importantly, the priority concerning unintentional discharge is unfounded, because the activation mechanism of our product is designed to answer warmth from a hearth, not stress,” Kaimart stated. “This misunderstanding seems to have led to the appliance of inappropriate analysis standards, which don’t precisely replicate the supposed operate and design of our product.”

Gizmodo reached out to the CPSC on Monday for touch upon Elide Hearth’s claims however didn’t instantly obtain a response.