What the warning covers
The warning covers about 51,825 combination smoke and CO alarms, model JZA-540COM, sold under three brand names. They are white plastic units with a digital display, sold singly or in multipacks through large online marketplaces between November 2023 and October 2026. The CPSC is aware of seven reports of the alarms failing to sound in the presence of smoke or fire. The seller, based in China, had not responded to the agency's request for a recall.
The advice is direct: stop using the alarms, dispose of them, install working smoke and CO alarms, and do not sell or give the units away. Incidents can be reported to the CPSC through SaferProducts.gov.
Choosing a replacement
The CPSC recommends smoke alarms and CO detectors on every level of the home and outside separate sleeping areas, battery-powered or with battery backup, tested often, and meeting the UL 217 standard for smoke alarms and UL 2034 for CO alarms. The standard numbers are printed on the packaging and on the back of the unit. A low price and a long list of features online say nothing about whether the alarm actually works.
Whatever replaces these units, think about how the alarms are powered. Hardwired, interconnected alarms with battery backup sound together, so an alarm near a basement boiler or a ground-floor fireplace also sounds on the bedroom floor. Many homes in the region have older, separate battery units, and replacing a recalled one is a good moment to consider whether interconnection makes sense for the house.
Why the fireplace makes this urgent
From November through March, wood fireplaces and stoves across the region burn more hours than at any other time. Most chimney fires start when creosote, the dark residue that builds up inside a flue, catches from a hot fire. Some are loud, with a roaring sound and dense smoke. Many are quiet and smolder unnoticed. In either case, a working smoke alarm in the rooms near the fireplace and on the floors above is often the first warning.
Smoke from a fireplace can also spill into the house when the flue is partly blocked or the damper is not fully open. A combination alarm that stays silent in those conditions removes the warning that something is wrong.
Signs that a fire in the chimney may already have happened are worth knowing too: flakes of puffy, honeycombed creosote on the roof or in the firebox, a warped damper or cap, cracked flue tiles, or a smoky smell that was not there before. Any of these calls for an inspection before the next fire, because a chimney fire can crack the liner and leave a path for heat to reach the house framing.
Alarms and maintenance go together
Alarms warn; sweeping prevents. Having the flue swept when deposits build up, and inspected once a year as NFPA 211 calls for, keeps creosote from reaching the point where a fire in the chimney becomes likely.
Want a professional look? See our chimney sweeping service, or call (844) 468-2410 for a free written estimate.
