EcoTech Marine has issued a voluntary recall on their original battery cable which connects the Vortech Driver to the EcoTech Marine Battery Back Up. EcoTech has found that the Wireless Wave Driver may experience an electrical fault condition which can cause the cable connecting the driver to the battery to act as a “fuse” and [...]
EcoTech Marine has issued a voluntary recall on their original battery cable which connects the Vortech Driver to the EcoTech Marine Battery Back Up. EcoTech has found that the Wireless Wave Driver may experience an electrical fault condition which can cause the cable connecting the driver to the battery to act as a “fuse” and overheat. To solve this issue, EcoTech has incorporated an actual fuse into the cable, which can be seen in the bottom image in the lower right hand corner.
Top: Old cable Bottom: New cable with integrated fuse
I spoke with President Tim Marks on this issue just yesterday and I must applaud him and the EcoTech crew for their preemptive measures. We have yet to hear of any hazards or fires from this issue, and the odds of anything ocurring are infinitesimal; but if there is anything we’ve learned over the past two years, it’s that fat tail events do happen. This issue has only been found to occur with the Wireless Wave Driver, however, the recall will cover all cables regardless of driver model.
To receive your new cable head over to EcoTech’s website and fill out this recall form. If you purchased an IceCap battery back up you will need to contact them directly–the free cable replacement will only be for those with the EcoTech back up. If you’ve got an IceCap back up and you want one now, don’t fret. EcoTech will also be offering new cables for $1.50–yes, a buck and fifty cents. You can order them from their parts store here.
Update (7/14): IceCap has stated to customers who have contacted them on the issue, that they will not be “handling the recall at this time.” But that, “It could change in the future…” Our suggestion? Pony up the $1.50.
Check out the full recall letter that was sent out yesterday.
Dear Customers:
EcoTech Marine has issued a voluntary recall on the Battery Backup cable for the EcoTech Marine Battery Backup. This recall also affects the cables supplied with the IceCap Battery Backup for the VorTech propeller pump, however IceCap, Inc. will be handling the recall of the cables for their accessory independently of us and we recommend that you contact them directly regarding a recall of their cables. It is important to note that this issue only affects those Battery Backup cables that are used with VorTech propeller pumps powered by the Wireless Wave Driver (WWD) driver but this recall will cover all Battery Backup cables regardless of which driver is connected with the cable.
VorTech pumps operating with the WWD may experience an electrical fault condition. In these cases, a battery backup could supply more current than the connection cable can handle which could cause the cable to heat up to an unsafe level. Therefore, there is a voluntary recall on the connection cable for the EcoTech Marine Battery Backup (image 1.1 shown below) for the VorTech propeller pump. Note the same issue will occur with the IceCap Battery Backup cable for the VorTech propeller pumps sold in United States and Canada. This will apply to Battery Backups used with all the following models of EcoTech Marine VorTech pumps:
- All MP40w Pumps equipped with the WWD
- Any MP40 and MP20 pumps that have been upgraded to the WWDNote: this issue does not affect the use of the Battery Backup connection cable when used with MP10, MP10 ES, MP10w ES, MP20, MP40w ES, or any model VorTech pump that does not use a WWD driver. However, anyone that has purchased an EcoTech Marine Battery Backup will be eligible to participate in this recall regardless of what model VorTech propeller pump they are using.
To correct this problem swiftly and safely, we have revised the cables used with our Battery Backup accessory to include a cable that has an inline fuse built in. Any purchaser of an EcoTech Marine Battery Backup is eligible for this recall at no cost. Our revised cable will also solve this risk for use with IceCap batteries; however they will be handling the distribution of these components to their customers separately from us.
If you have purchased an IceCap Battery Backup (as indicated by the presence of their logo on the accessory, Image 1.3 shown below) or IceCap Battery Backup connection cable, please contact them directly for support at service@icecapinc.com or 1-800-7-ICECAP. If you have purchased an EcoTech Marine Battery Backup (as indicated by the lack of IceCap’s logo on the accessory, Image 1.4 shown below), please refer to below:
To receive replacement cables, please fill out our recall request form at www.ecotechmarine.com/recall. We will send you replacement cables free of charge upon submission of the form. Discontinue use of the previous connection cables. Note that we are not requesting that you return your non-fused cables to us. Please destroy the non-fused cables by cutting them in half and dispose of them so that they cannot be used. If you have any questions, please email us at service@ecotechmarine.com or call us at 1-888-785-0338.
If you are an international client, revised battery back cables will be supplied through your local distributor, a list of who are available on our website here.
In order to improve the efficiency of this action, we will also be selling cables through our parts store below our cost to any customer that wishes to place an order immediately and forego the recall paper work. The revised cables will be available on our website for $1.50 each plus $3 shipping to US customers only for a period of approximately three months from the date of the recall.
From this date forward, all EcoTech Marine Battery Backups will contain the new fuse styled cables, which are distinguishable by the presence of a fuse holder built into the cable and a label showing part number 10427. However, there may still exist inventory that will contain the previous non-fused cable. If you purchase an EcoTech Marine Battery Backup from a vendor and it does not feature the new style cable with fuse, please contact us for your replacement cables.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Regards,
Tim Marks
President
EcoTech Marine, LLC
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