Product Category

Important SCM Surge Protector Warning and Replacement Notice

Important Warning/Notice To: Customers, Distributors, Contractors and Homeowners Re: SCM60 and/or SCM150 Surge Protector Devices (the “SCM Devices”) Supco has undergone a large, comprehensive warning/notification program with its customers, distributors, contractors and homeowners. This notification program has taken place through web based notices from Supco, its customers and contractors, emails, letters and television. Supco would like to take this renewed opportunity to remind you of the following important warning and free replacement program. SUPCO distributed the SCM Devices from 2010 until July, 2014. These SCM Devices were sold with a Three Year Limited Warranty which has expired. There have been claims that the SCM Devices has caused fire damage to some homes on which they were installed. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) has received information from SUPCO and others about the SCM Devices and has concluded that there “is insufficient evidence to support a defect or substantial product hazard determination.” In a second report in September of 2015, the CPSC concluded that there is likely not an inherent defect in the SCM Devices and that failure of the SCM Devices can occur if a floating neutral - from a bad ground bonding during installation - connects to the SCM Device(s). To SUPCO’s knowledge the CPSC has closed its investigation into this matter. In 2016, UL published a notice on its website that the SCM Devices may pose a fire hazard and do not comply with UL’s safety standards. SUPCO played no role in the manufacture or design of the SCM Devices. The manufacturer of the SCM Devices, Sycom Surge, Inc. has researched the issue and concluded that the SCM Devices are not defective and lack of grounding is the cause of these fire incidents. Given the existence of the fire claims associated with the SCM Devices, coupled with the fact that the SCM Devices sold by SUPCO are out of warranty and unlikely to protect HVAC equipment in the event of an electrical surge, SUPCO strongly recommends that all SCM Devices be replaced or removed. SUPCO has been repurchasing customers’ inventory and exchanging SCM devices with different surge protectors for quite some time. However, in the unlikely event any SCM Devices remain in your inventory, please advise SUPCO and we will repurchase the remaining SCM Devices from you for the price you paid. SUPCO has also been assisting contractors and end users in removing and replacing installed SCM Devices and will continue to do so. For any installed SCM Device that has not yet been removed, SUPCO currently distributes another type of surge protector device known as the LBK10. Details about this surge protector can be found at LBK10.com. As part of this replacement/removal effort, SUPCO will provide a free LBK10 device in exchange for each removed SCM Device. At a minimum, SCM150 and SCM60 Devices should be removed from HVAC equipment. PLEASE PASS THIS IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS OF SCM DEVICES IN YOUR CHAIN OF DISTRIBUTION AS WELL AS ANY KNOWN INSTALLERS AND END USERS OF THE SCM DEVICES. Supco customers, we suggest you advise your customers to collect the SCM devices removed and provide them with free LBK10 replacements. Contact SUPCO Customer Service for an RGA form and call tag. SUPCO will then issue a credit to your account or supply you with a commensurate number of LBK10 replacements to replenish your inventory. Homeowners and other end users, please e-mail surge@supco.com for your free replacement LBK10 and a reasonable installation cost reimbursement. If you have any questions, please contact SUPCO’s E.V.P. of Sales, Jim Adcox, at replacement@supco.com or 360-953-1436. For an RGA form and call tag please contact SUPCO Customer Service at surge@supco.com or 800-333-9125. Sincerely: Sealed Unit Parts Co., Inc.