Take action on caravan gas

Leading caravan appliance manufacturer, Swift Appliance, is urging thousands of caravan and motorhome users in Australia to have their gas cooker inspected for a faulty gas line over the coming months.

The company’s Director Mr Fab Fichera said caravan users with a Swift 500 Series Gas Cooker – manufactured by Swift between 1st of January 2019 and 31st of May 2020 – were at potential risk of serious illness, injury, even death, because of the gas defect.

“The cooker recall has been running for over a year now. Despite the inspection and repair of thousands of cookers, approximately half of the affected cookers are yet to be registered for the recall.

“This is an unacceptable risk among the 800,000 Australians who own or use a registered caravan or motorhome,” Mr Fichera said.

“We know that many caravan users are aware of the recall but have yet to do anything about it.

“We also know that it can be an inconvenience for people to book a caravan or motorhome for an inspection. However, we urge people to make their safety and the safety of others a priority and avoid the risk.

“If you believe your appliance is affected by the recall, we urge you to go online and register your cooker for a service, fix, or upgrade, on the Swift Recall Register.”

Mr Fichera said that although the faults were not widespread, the cooker’s faulty gas lines had already caused serious burns and injuries.

He called on all caravan and motorhome owners who were affected by the recall to have their gas cooker immediately inspected and serviced prior to further use to ensure the appliance was safe.

Mr Fichera said there were four things caravan and RV users should do in response to the recall:

1. CHECK if their cooking appliance is a Swift 500 Series Gas Cooker manufactured from 1st of January 2019 to 31st of May 2020. If it is, they should go online to the Swift Recall Register, provide details of their gas cooker for Swift to arrange a local authorised repairer to conduct an inspection, and if necessary, undertake a repair and/or upgrade to the affected unit.

2. STOP using their Swift 500 Series Gas Cooker appliance manufactured during the period 1st of January 2019 to 31st of May 2020. If caravan and RV users were unsure whether they have a Swift 500 Series Gas Cooker, or the date of its manufacture, they should stop using it until they can confirm what type of cooker they have.

3. TURN OFF the gas supply to the appliance. If they smell gas, they should turn off the gas immediately at the cylinders and ventilate the area.

4. CONTACT an authorised person, licensed plumber, or gas fitter, to check their gas system and all gas appliances for safe and correct operation. A list of service agents is provided on the Swift Appliance Group website – www.swiftappliancegroup.com.au Once the affected cooker is inspected, repaired and deemed to be safe, it can be used for its intended purpose.

“We are taking all the necessary steps to ensure the failures detected within the affected gas cookers are rectified,” Mr Fichera said.

“We are providing a free upgrade of affected only Cooker parts and components to customers impacted by the recall.

“The ACCC is recommending that caravan and RV users, particularly those who travel off-road, should install a gas leak detector inside the cupboard underneath their gas cooker as an extra-safety measure,” he said.

Mr Fichera said that people should also check the warranty to see if their Swift 500 Series Gas Cooker required a service.

“If your cooker is outside the 12-month warranty period by two years, you must take it to a Swift Service Agent or an authorised person, licensed plumber, or gas fitter, to have your cooker serviced,” he said.