Dangerous Gas Refrigerators Should Be Handled With Care

Consumers should stop using Servel gas refrigerators manufactured in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s because of the risk of carbon-monoxide poisoning.

There have been at least 14 carbon-monoxide deaths nationwide in the past decade involving these refrigerators, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

In Ontario, Canada, about 60 fatalities have been associated with these refrigerators in the past 20 years.

The old-model refrigerators are used mostly in vacation homes and remote areas where there is no electricity, or where propane gas is a preferred energy source. And they seem to last for years, said a commission spokesman.

If a refrigerator has not been used for some time, the gas burner can be obstructed by dust, dirt or rust, according to the CPSC. Any gas refrigerator with an improperly adjusted or partially plugged burner can produce carbon monoxide in deadly quantities.

The Servel refrigerators that cause the problem are no longer being made and are not associated with the current manufacturer of Servel products.

CPSC has arranged for consumers to receive $100 in exchange for their old Servel refrigerators. Call 1-800-782-7431 for information.

If you insist on keeping one of these refrigerators, move it to an outdoor shelter, shed or garage not connected to the house or cabin.

And to prevent youngsters from getting trapped or suffocating inside, secure or restrict access to the refrigerator. If you discard a refrigerator, remove the door.

Burning desires

Woodstove and fireplace fans: We know you'd like to gather 'round a snug woodstove or in front of the fireplace sometime during this soggy week.

But before you light that fire, check to learn whether there is a ban on burning in your area.

Fines for using woodstoves or fireplaces during a burn ban are $100 for first offenders this winter, up from $25 last season. Repeat violators will be fined $250, up from $100 last year.

The Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency's taped line, 296-5100, notes whether burning is permissible. Sometimes the message tape will note ``burning is permitted subject to normal rules in King, Pierce, Kitsap and Snohomish counties.''

Normal rules means burning dry, seasoned wood inside and following specific rules for outdoor burning. You can receive copies of that information by stopping by area fire departments or by leaving your name and address on the message tape at 296-7330.

The state Department of Ecology's wood-smoke information line, 1-800-523-4636, will send a list of radio stations that report burning bans and a copy of wood-smoke regulations to consumers who leave their names and addresses.

The Washington State Energy Office hotline, 1-800-962-9731, will mail regulations regarding wood and pellet stoves.

The Department of Ecology notes that wood smoke accounts for 20 to 25 percent of this state's air pollution.

Shelby Gilje's Troubleshooter column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in the Scene section of The Times. Do you have a problem? Write to Times Troubleshooter, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. Include copies, not originals, of documents indicating payment, guarantees, contracts and other relevant materials.