A smoke alarm has one job. Two models sold on Amazon and eBay, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, may not do it. The agency issued warnings on Oct. 29 telling owners to stop using the units, which can fail to sound when smoke or fire is present.
Which alarms
The first is model JZA-540COM, sold under the JuzhiAnn, Yfwsrecinoe and JAEHSKA names from November 2023 through October 2026. About 51,825 were sold. The CPSC knows of seven reports of these alarms failing to alert. The second is model YHW-542COM-R, sold as GuardianSense and KLTseanife from September 2025 through June 2026. Two failures have been reported there, and the agency did not say how many units were sold.
Both are white plastic combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms with a digital display, offered singly or in multipacks. Prices ran from about $11 to $107 for the first and about $18 to $168 for the second. As ever, the detail that matters is the label. On the GuardianSense alarm, the model number and maker are printed on the back, so owners can take one down and compare it with their order history.
The CPSC reported no injuries or deaths. Neither warning describes a fault in the carbon monoxide sensor. The concern is the smoke detection and the audible alert.
No recall, no refund
These are warnings, not recalls. Shenzhen Laijinhe Trading Co., Ltd., trading as Yfwsrecinoe US, sold the first model, made in China. The second was made in China by ShenZhen YuFangWeiShi Technology Co. and sold by Shenzhen Lixiang Xiancai Co., Ltd. The CPSC asked both sides to recall the products and got no response, so there is no company refund or replacement scheme. Owners should not wait for a letter. The agency has not said whether Amazon or eBay pulled the listings.
Why the night matters
Sleeping people cannot see or smell smoke, and the alarm is often the only prompt to get out. The National Fire Protection Association says smoke alarms halve the risk of dying in a home fire. A silent one still looks normal on the ceiling, which is rather the technical reality of the problem. Buyers of cheap multipacks may have several. Homes with young children, older adults, people with limited mobility or hearing loss should check every unit.
The CPSC’s advice is to stop using the alarms and dispose of them, not sell or pass them on. Replacements should be working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level and outside separate sleeping areas, battery-operated or with battery backup, and tested often. The agency says to buy only alarms that meet UL 217 for smoke and UL 2034 for carbon monoxide. Failures can be reported at SaferProducts.gov. Some local fire departments and American Red Cross chapters install alarms free of charge, and the fire department’s non-emergency line is the place to ask.
Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 1, which at least gives the clock change a useful purpose for once. And carbon monoxide, which has no colour or smell, causes headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion. Anyone with those symptoms at home, especially several people at once, should get outside and call 911.
Sources
- Two Smoke Alarms Sold on Amazon and eBay May Stay Silent During a Fire, CPSC Warns
- Two Smoke Alarms Sold on Amazon and eBay May Stay Silent During a Fire, CPSC Warns
- CPSC Warns Consumers to Stop Using Two Smoke and CO Alarms Sold on Amazon and eBay
- CPSC Warns Consumers to Stop Using Two Smoke and CO Alarms Sold on Amazon and eBay
Photo: Georg Pik (Public domain)
