Russound Catches Fire
in Customers Home
A Russound CAV6.6 whole-house audio controller installed in my home started on fire and except for a fluke of timing and some quick work with a fire extinguisher, could have burned down my house and killed my family. I was truly surprised that relatively expensive home electronics like the Russound CAV could burst into flames. With all the regulation and focus on safety these days, I thought units of this type from well known manufacturers like Russound were virtually fireproof.
Little did I know that I would have a bigger surprise when I learned Russound’s reaction to my fire. As you can see the quote below from an email sent by Russound’s Vice President Joe Brouillet, they do not want you to hear my story, but here it is anyhow.
Sincerely,
Douglas McKalip
. . . . I also want to advise you that if you publish and distribute, in any manner, any defamatory information about Russound, we will take whatever action deemed necessary to defend and protect our reputation . . . .Joe Brouillet
Vice-President
Russound
Russound CAV6.6 whole house audio controller and the little boy that was sleeping 20 feet away when it burst into flames.
Click below to see the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall of the Russound CAV6.6.
http://www.russound.com/cav/RussoundCAV6.pdf
(Looks like Russound removed any evidence of the CAV recall from their site.)
Click below to see the CAV recall on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) site.
This is what happened to my Russound CAV6.6
This is my story and my experience with Russound product and dealing with VP Joe Brouillet and the rest of the management at the Russound corporation. I have incorporated responses from people and organizations mentioned here. This page is a search for information as well as a presentation of information, so feel free to email me if you have any insight why consumer electronics can catch fire or no consumer can tell whether their products are safe from looking at the safety markings on the product. Over the years I have had several people contact me about similar fires but in every case they had already sent the unit back or worried about losing their job because their management told them to pretend it did not happen.
We assume our safety is provided for by our high government standards and good corporate citizens that sell us ‘safe products’. It is not quite that simple and there is a gray area where near total fire safety is affordably attainable but sometimes is not. Having spent my whole life in the consumer electronics industry and knowing what lengths some manufacturers will go to assure our safety it is very disappointing that some manufacturers will cut corners at the cost of the customers safety.
We believe that an extra layer of safety is provided by testing organizations like TUV Rheinland but have to wonder out loud why someone would approve a product that allows electronic components that can create a tiny fire in close proximity to large quantities of very flammable plastics that can cause big fires.
My CAV6.6 had several safety markings on it, but try finding out for yourself if you can find out if that means your product is safe. My unit says UL 6500 on the side, but UL cannot tell me what that means beyond the fact they did not test the unit. They do make the information available for purchase for $725.00.
Please be aware that ItsOnFire.Org and Douglas McKalip has no affiliation with any of the companies listed, including Russound and TUV Rheinland.